SEMINAR ON GENDER STUDIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD, PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This research aimed at gender Studies in Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education. The cry for gender equality has led to various policies, laws and pronunciations by various governments over the world. There still exist an endemic multiple oppressions, discriminations and exclusions, against women especially in the developing world of Africa. Available data on the university system in Nigeria has overwhelmingly pointed to the fact that gender discrimination still permeates every facet of the Nigerian institutions including the tertiary educational system that is expected to be at the forefront for the fight against gender inequality. The study revealed that men are still being continually appointed to important positions where important policies and decisions that affect the life of everybody in the tertiary institutions are taken, despite the fact that the population of women in the educational system is fairly compared to that of men. The few qualified women who could be considered for appointment to certain vital positions are often side-lined and the opportunity is given to the next male in the chain of command. The study therefore recommends that there should be a change in the institutional culture so as to create a supportive environment for women to occupy leadership positions.

Introduction

Children begin to define themselves as girls or boys during toddlerhood. In my own experiences in preschool , I have found that by preschool they will often carry out gender-based stereotypes in their play. Research also shows that children’s play is often gender segregated where girls will typically play with kitchen sets and dolls and boys with construction sets, trucks, and cars (Blakemore & Centers, 2005; Blaise, 2009; Nelson, 2011). This phenomenon has important implications as different toys and forms of play expose children to different types of knowledges, skills, and experiences. As a result, girls and boys may learn different social expectations and practice different social roles through play. First introduced by Immanuel Kant (1837), the constructivist learning theory posits that knowledge is not solely based on individuals’ inherent qualities or on external experiences, but it is constructed through the interaction between these two factors (Auger et al., 2007, p. 42). Rather than taking on the traditional role of passive learners, students, in this view, are active in the construction of knowledge about the world around them.

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