Gender, Race, and the Politics of Role Modeling: The Influence of Male Teachers in Urban Schools

• In Event: Conditions Count: Teaching in Challenging Situations

Abstract

This paper is based on case study research over four years that was conducted with male and female teachers in elementary schools in Canada and Australia. It was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC). Given the existing research expressing concern about the unsubstantiated generalizations about the influence of male teachers as role models in schools, interviews with over 70 teachers and 30 students in urban schools, as well as classroom observations, were undertaken to gain some detailed insights into whether the gender and race of the teacher influences teachers' and students' views about what is to count as effective teaching that enhances classroom learning.

Authors

• Wayne J. Martino, The University of Western Ontario

• Goli Marzieh Rezai-Rashti, University of Western Ontario