Abstract
Statement of Problem
Educators' influence as facilitators of gender awareness is powerful because they are the guardians of children’s literature within the classroom. When teachers select books, they should be knowledgeable about the factors that can impact their students. The purpose of this study is to provide an updated view on gender inclusion in children’s literature that is read aloud in early elementary school classrooms. Few studies exist that focus on teacher-selected books that are read aloud in classrooms, and those that exist are primarily regional and limited with a small sample size. Studies such as this provide insight into current and future teacher education, communicating any gender-stereotypical beliefs that might still exist in popular book choices for read-aloud class time. Educators of preschool through third-grade classrooms were asked to submit their top 10 favorite books they prefer to read to their students.
Sources of Data
Participants included 108 schoolteachers from 41 states across the nation. Teachers from private, public, home, or charter schools were invited to complete a survey. A mixed-methods design was necessary to collect the pertinent data and analyze it within various theoretical frameworks and produce increased additional insight than a single methodological study might yield
Conclusions Reached
This study indicates that teachers across the nation appear to have little to no gender equity training. The majority of books shared by the participants have male protagonists, are written by male authors, and promote traditional and stereotypical views of gender and gender roles.