‘Capacity building for gender equity and inclusion in Caribbean Schools’

• In Event: Don't forget about the boys: Educational equity in LMIC Contexts.

Proposal

There has been a global shift in educational outcomes of boys and girls over the last forty years. In countries where girls have gained equal access to education, girls now outperform boys on educational outcomes. This pattern is found throughout the Caribbean. Boys now have lower education outcomes than girls at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary – whether measured by completion or performance (IDB, 2023). Gender gaps have been extensively studied in higher income countries and even in neighbouring Latin America, but there has been less analysis of the form and factors of the gender gap in the Caribbean.
There are a number of theories about why boys/young men have lower educational outcomes in the Caribbean. Some argue the trend is a result of school dynamics and pedagogical practices that favour the behaviour and learning styles of girls, also referencing that most Caribbean teachers are now women (De Lisle, 2022; IDB, 2023). Other theories suggest the socialization of gender and social norms create differing behavioural expectations for girls/young women and boys/young men. These scholars argue that the current concept of masculinity is incongruent with academic achievement so boys, consciously or unconsciously, disengage from education to comply with the gendered norm (Jere et. al., 2022). Still other theories argue that financial pressures influence boys’ engagement with education and young men are quicker to leave schooling for employment to contribute to household expenses (Bailey, 2009) or gain self-sufficiency, perhaps as a result of norms about men’s roles as financial providers (Cobbett & Younger, 2012).
The IDRC-funded project ‘Capacity building for gender equity and inclusion in Caribbean Schools’ is conducting a detailed analysis of gender differences in educational outcomes in three countries: Saint Lucia, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The work includes collecting and collating administrative data from Ministries of Education to map the pattern of gender differences in outcomes and analyze the influence of other factors. The project also includes new data collection at Kindergarten, Grade Six and Secondary School levels, to explore when and how gender norms begin to influence beliefs about education. In Secondary Schools, the project is using new digital tools to capture student narratives about how gender influences their school experiences and education decisions.
The presentation will share student voices about how gender influences experiences in education as a way to interpret trends in student performance indicators. These results will be placed in the larger context of findings on gender equity beliefs in the wider population, collected through the International Men’s Attitudes about Gender Equity Survey (IMAGES) and the ‘Man Box’ survey, that is being conducted with three adult samples in each country. Teachers in project countries are being supported to explore innovative approaches to address gender equity in schools. The presentation will conclude with a description of the gender- and inclusion-related innovation priorities identified by Ministries of Education in each country and the initial innovations being tested by teachers.

Authors

• Carrie Wright, Wilfrid Laurier University

• Angel Caglin, Caribbean Innovation & Leadership Lab