Teachers Think Girls Are Bad At Math: Prediction — CS teachers have similar biases

I predict that if we did this study with CS teachers, we’d find the same result.  The belief that CS is for males and not for females is deeply ingrained in the perceptions of our field.  Kahneman would tell us that it’s part of our System 1 thinking (see NYTimes Book Review).  What do you think teachers would draw if asked to “draw a computer scientist“?  I predict that the gender bias that favors males as computer scientists would be greater for post-secondary teachers than for secondary or elementary teachers.  Most secondary school CS teachers that I’ve met are sensitive to issues of gender diversity in computing, and they actively encourage their female students.  Most post-secondary CS teachers with whom I’ve worked are not sensitized to issues of women in computing and have not changed how they teach to improve gender diversity (see example here).

In the study, teachers graded the math tests of 11-year-olds and, on average, the scores were lower for girls. But, when different teachers graded the same tests anonymously, the girls performed far better (out-performing the boys in many cases.)

Dr. Edith Sand, one of the researchers, told American Friends of Tel Aviv University, that the issue wasn’t overt and obvious sexism, but “unconscious discouragement.”

The study goes on to say that the gender biases held by elementary school teachers have an “asymmetric effect” on their students — the boys’ performance benefits and girls’ performance suffers based on the teacher’s biases. Boys do well because teachers believe they will, girls don’t because teachers believe they won’t.

via Yikes! Turns Out Even Teachers Think Girls Are Bad At Math – MTV.