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Report 2009: 7 R

Become a teacher: the unequal gender split in teacher education programmes

This report is Högskoleverket´s (Swedish National Agency for Higher Education) response to the Government´s assignment to analyse the gender split in teacher education programmes and to suggest measures to achieve a more equal gender split. Of course, it is a complex task to influence the gender split of study programmes for professions traditionally dominated by women where status and salary levels in the profession are very important, as is society´s view of what are typical male and female areas of work. In order to influence these factors, there needs to be agreement and investment across a broad political spectrum, and for different players in society to cooperate. This report is limited to what can be done within the education sector.
 
Many higher education institutions (HEIs) have carried out measures with the intention of recruiting more men, but few of these have had any effect. The Agency´s view is that HEIs should be able to recruit more students in total, as well as more men by: continuing to raise the standard of teacher education programmes combining different types of measures, both within the education system and in a wider political perspective.
 
The last point means that the question of the recruitment of both men and women to teacher education programmes must be dealt with as a matter of national concern. The Agency´s view is that an ambitious national initiative is required to influence the unequal gender split within schools. Such an initiative means that resources must be set aside for a long period of time as it is, to a large degree, a question of influencing future generations of young people.

The final chapter of the Agency´s report describes what HEIs can do in a ‘package´ of measures founded on the experiences and operations that HEIs have developed. In short, these are:

  • recruitment initiatives from a gender perspective
  • initiatives regarding preparation for academic study
  • student support throughout the study period in order to reduce the risk of students not completing their studies
  • male, and female, models among students, teachers and supervisors
  • gender equality and gender perspectives included in the study programmes
  • encouragement and support of male networks and mentors
  • increased cooperation — rather than competition — so that HEIs offer different specialisations.

This report also describes the unequal spread of men and women across the different subjects and specialisations within teacher education programmes. The report also asks the question ‘which´ women and men study on teacher education programmes. It can be demonstrated that the backgrounds of men and women are different and the reasons for choosing a teacher education programme are also different. Men, more often than women, regard their study programme as academic; they are less often from a working-class background; and they are more interested in their subject than women. Women seem to regard teacher education as a means to a profession, and to a greater degree than men, are interested in the social situation involved in the profession.

Last updated: 2010-06-21
Contact: Thomas Furusten, Email: firstname.lastname@hsv.se
Swedish National Agency for Higher Education  Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13  Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00  Fax: 08-563 085 50  Email: hsv@hsv.se