Gender Differences in the Quality of Early Childhood Education Experiences

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Research in Early Education and Child Development

Abstract

The present study aims to a) understand the quality of the experiences boys and girls have at prekindergarten in Santiago, and b) observe if there are gender differences in academic skills at prekindergarten entry and in their gains during the year. Classrooms interactions were assessed with the CLASS and a rubric to quantify teachers’ behaviors. Students’ outcomes were measured with the Woodcock- Muñoz. We found that girls started PreK with higher language skills than boys, and boys gain more during the year. Boys received more instructional support and girls more emotional help. In instructional support we found classrooms benefiting boys and no classroom benefitting girls. In emotional support we found more classrooms benefiting boys than girls.

Authors

• Alejandra Cortazar, Universidad Diego Portales

• Francisca Romo, Centro de Políticas Comparadas de Educación, Universidad Diego Portales de Chile

• Constanza Vielma, Universidad Diego Portales