Are girls still “invisible”? The lived experiences of girls in two co-educational schools

Abstract

This research explores girls’ experiences of teacher attention in co-educational secondary schools in New Zealand. It is guided by three research questions; ‘what are girls’ experiences of teacher attention in co-educational secondary schools?’, ‘how do girls view the attention they receive from teachers?’ and ‘does the teachers’ gender influences the attention girls receive?’ Underpinned by a feminist theoretical framework, this study empowers the girls to speak their minds and acknowledges their unique experiences. I draw upon the narratives of girls in year 13 from two urban schools in Auckland, generated through individual interviews and classroom observations. The findings suggest girls understood the concept of teacher attention to be about supporting their learning and emotional and relationship attention which constituted a significant part of the kind of teacher attention girls wanted. A positive relation between teacher attention and students’ relationships with their teacher was found. There was a closer and more personal relationship between female teachers and girls, along with girls experiencing the attention from female teachers as more satisfying. Girls did not perceive they received adequate attention from male teachers, especially in terms of meeting their emotional needs. This research also found girls were aware of teachers giving different types and amounts of gendered attention to students. Boys’ tendency of displaying disruptive behaviours meant teachers necessarily paid more attention to them. Female teachers were reported to pay more attention to boys than male teachers did. Boys were also found to have traits that were advantageous in attracting greater attention than girls, such as being ‘bigger’, ‘stronger’, being better at taking care of themselves, and being more interactive with teachers. Whereas girls considered themselves as ‘vulnerable’ or lacking in confidence to interact with teachers. It was also found that quiet boys may gain more attention than quiet girls. This research offers insights for feminist research interested in girls’ experiences of teacher attention. It argues that girls are still not being given enough attention, especially emotional and relationship attention, and particularly not from male teachers.