Hidden in plain sight – Understanding barriers facing girls in the classroom and how to tackle them

For many years, schools, understandably, have been focusing on the gender attainment gap. We are asking questions about how the system is failing boys and the barriers they are facing. Is it a lack of a clear social role? Is it the feminisation of education? Is it a confidence issue? This article isn’t going to dispute the clear attainment gap, or state that boys don’t need our focus (they do, very much so). The purpose of this article is to flip the gender focus, because, ironically, this focus on academic outcomes means we are potentially failing our girls by neglecting the exploration of barriers they are still facing. Assuming that girls are thriving because they are outperforming boys in performance metrics is an easy trap to fall in to.

Many girls aren’t thriving in our classrooms, far from it. If we analyse quantitative data on homework completion rates, punctuality to lessons, attendance, assessment outcomes (the list continues) we could conclude that girls are achieving their potential. In many ways, they are. But start exploring the qualitative data gleaned from learning walks, student and staff voice, and family feedback, and the picture tells a different story. Girls aren’t fully achieving their potential because there are still barriers in our classrooms that are hiding in plain sight. This article has been written to encourage you to consider the barriers still facing girls, with the aim of providing some easy, tangible solutions that might work in your context.

Barrier 1: Language and Culture

A lot of educational discourse is now, happily, focusing on culture (namely belonging, mattering and psychological safety). But there seems to be a gap between the research in this area and tangible classroom strategies that teachers can use to build healthy, positive culture for different genders. One of the ways of creating an inclusive culture for all genders, is through inclusive language. Sadly, I still hear patriarchal, outdated phrases in classrooms. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that students (and staff) have collectively been referred to as ‘guys’ (there is an argument that this is a gender-neutral term, but many girls don’t agree with this or appreciate this label, myself included). Why are we attempting to homogenise a group of students in this way, which, ironically, can feel alienating and prevent a sense of belonging? It is also interesting to note how colleagues themselves respond when you raise this as an example of non-inclusive language. If we want our girls to feel included in a culture that respects their identity, we need to be considering how we refer to them. More objectively gender-neutral, or gender respectful terms might be a good starting point when considering how we build an inclusive classroom culture where girls feel they belong and can achieve.

Our language of praise also matters. I have caught myself on numerous occasions, congratulating boys for being ‘insightful’ and for girls for ‘a great effort’- what does that say about my expectations for the girls in the room and how they feel valued? When conducting work scrutiny, how often do we praise girls for ‘neat’ work (Sadker and Sadker, 1985) and demonstrating ‘excellent presentation skills’, then scoot over what they have written because we were just so impressed with the ease at which we were able to read their work rather than valuing the actual quality of their ideas? There is a lot to be said here, but we do need to be reflecting our choice of words, because our value systems slip out in what we say, and many of our students will internalise those and decide who they are and what they are capable of, because of them. Interactionists (namely labelling theorists) have done research into the impact of labelling in the classroom and the creation of self-fulfilling prophecies. One of the most seminal pieces of research in this area (whilst not focusing on gender specifically) was conducted by Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968) which showed that teacher perception/labelling can affect their behaviour towards students, which can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy (the student accepts the label and behaves in accordance with those expectations). Whilst this research is arguably dated and not gender-specific, subsequent studies by Sue Sharpe (1976, 1994) and Becky Francis (2000, 2006) conclude that gender labelling (demonstrated by language usage of teachers) does impact gender identities for both boys and girls, but that historically, this has not been equitable, with girls on the receiving end of low teacher expectation.

Another area of concern is the interruption of female voice. Unfortunately, this is not just confined to students or classrooms. How often have girls/women been cut off when they are speaking? I have witnessed this happen on numerous occasions, indeed, people have attempted to do this to me. In our classrooms, our students are still learning what successful oracy looks like, and our modelling of and responses to communication techniques are pivotal in defining gender norms. Girls and women deserve to speak without interruption. However, this is a common social issue and one that is easily rectified. The answer lies in our teacher response which needs to remain calm and intentional, whereby we do not shame the interruptor but redefine the social norm “Let’s not interrupt, [Name] is still speaking.”

Barrier 2: Competition

Our individualistic society can be praised for many things, but has indirectly bred an inherent tension in our education system: competition and perception of success. We teach our children to work hard because we allegedly live in a meritocracy, where the harder you work, the more you will achieve, and this inevitably leads to comparison because students are all competing for the same resources: school rewards trips, certificates, ‘most progress made’, best grades, university places, job opportunities. Whilst this individualistic focus can result in many positive outcomes (personal growth, self-actualisation, high-flying careers, the economy) we seem to have missed the impact on our students real-time. In this designing of rewards systems and activities in classrooms where students can win, we are telling students to compete, and that success is a result of competition and comparative gain. But many would argue, there is a gender issue here in the way that different genders have been socialised to perceive and achieve success. Our society has historically raised girls to be team players. They have been raised to work collectively, and many of our classroom activities (and wider rewards systems) are not allowing our girls to do so.

Until this year, I had never truly realised that debates can actually impede progress, why? Because they are typically socially structured in a way that favours boys. Debates, whilst happening in team environments, hinge on competition, not collective or mutually decided outcomes. Each side is attempting to out-argue the other. Whilst we can argue that there is a strong collaborative element in debate preparation, the outcome is rarely a collective one, and even if it results in an overwhelming majority vote, they are fundamentally adversial in nature. Whilst many girls thrive in this situation (me included), we haven’t necessarily raised our girls to work this way. OECD PISA (2015) reported that girls report lower confidence in public performance and competition. Girls are not less able in debates, they lack confidence in competitive environments, and this can often be linked to competing gender expectations. So, when we are choosing our classroom activities, we need to consider how we frame their success (comparative or collective) and how achievable it is for girls.

Barrier 3: Competing social role expectations

With the rise of feminism over the centuries, (something I celebrate/advocate for), this has changed social expectations in a myriad of ways. Despite the amount of overwhelming positives these waves/movements have brought out, we do need to explore the indirect negative impact. Women and girls are now facing increasing social pressures to do everything, to be everything and to ‘have it all’. Whilst this does link back to the previous point on competition, it is a much wider social issue, and it is playing out in our classrooms. Girls (just like boys) are continually being bombarded by the media telling them what is socially expected in terms of identity. Where there was once a dual burden (women are expected to be in paid employment and raise a family), there is now a triple shift (additional emotion-work), and whilst this original feminist research was intended to explain domestic conjugal roles, it would be amiss to not start exploring these concepts in our classrooms. Girls are now expected to be successful academically, but not too successful that they are perceived as ‘know-it-alls’ (Hermione Granger) and make others feel inadequate. They are expected to participate in discussions but not ask questions that challenge the status quo for fear of being ‘that girl’ that dares to rock the boat. They are expected to lead and provide challenge, but not create conflict (and if conflict arises, regardless of who caused it, they should emotionally repair it). They are expected to perform social niceties to be romantically desirable but not be passive and lack an opinion. If you haven’t already watched the Barbie film, the iconic America Ferrera monologue on this issue can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBqlDWHkdHk.

So, how does this translate to the classroom and our students? Next time you are out on a learning walk, observe the female students in the room and watch their body language, listen to their choice of words and note how they behave in different social contexts. Many girls feel like they can’t ever get it right, and many have been socialized to people-please, often down-playing their own abilities and mimicking others in order to do so. But the issue is, we aren’t seeing who they could truly be, because they are too busy trying to survive social situations that are expecting them to tread the fine lines of what a girl and a woman ‘should’ be. Should I raise my hand and volunteer my idea or will I be seen as argumentative? Can I tackle this boy on the football field and still be seen as feminine/ attractive? We need to be thinking how girls/women think in our classrooms, and making room for them to show us who they truly are, not just who society tells them they should be.

Barrier 4: Resources

Now, this is something I only ever really started to consider when I was painting my front door 5 years ago. I live alone, so I do a lot of DIY. If something breaks, I will go to my garage and inevitably dig out tool sets and drill bits that I have purchased from the dreaded (and loved) Aldi middle aisle. I’m on it. But I realised, on that summer’s day, my small female hand couldn’t hold the sealant tube (the one you push the adhesive out of with a metal rod). I fought with it for days (I’m not a quitter). It then dawned on me that that piece of equipment had been designed for a male hand. I went back into my garage and realised that all of my DIY equipment had been. The same is an issue in our classrooms. Please, take a look at your science equipment – do those lab coats fit girls’ bodies? Can they pick up that tripod with one hand? Sports equipment – who was that tennis racket designed for? I then dig about into some research and discover that office spaces are often set to temperatures that suit biological males. Despite the fact that biological men and women have similar core body temperatures, males typically produce more heat due to a higher metabolic rate (Kingma, B. R. M., & van Marken Lichtenbelt, W. D., 2015). This might explain why many of our girls are asking to close windows and cannot learn because they are too cold, whilst many of our boys are without blazers. Our resources and environment are having an impact, and we need to be considering them.

Barrier 5: Curriculum content

I have discussed the issue of curriculum content in a few of my podcasts. There are so many issues with what we are teaching our students. Our curriculum is worryingly ethnocentric (how many times do we repeat the teaching of WWII yet rarely teach wars that affect nations that do not include our own or fellow western countries?) Some aspects of our curriculum are also concerningly male-centred, in the sense that many subjects cite men as the leading proponents of ideas, key inventors or geographical explorers. In Sociology, I get frustrated talking about the ‘Founding Fathers’ (Comte, Durkheim, Marx). Where are the women in this? Luckily, things are changing, but it is far too slow. There were (and are) female sociologists and I cannot pretend that they weren’t around at the time of these ‘fathers’ who were allegedly ‘founding’ the discipline single-handedly. In the same vein, I am frustrated at the lack of minoritised female ethnic representation and voice in textbooks, exam scripts that portray stereotypes and a lack of examples of women’s success in the content that we are teaching our students. What message are we giving our girls? That women arrived to disciplines much later, that their role was inferior and that only ethnic majority voices are worth listening to? Luckily, changes are being made, and many exam boards have issued formal apologies for this lack of diverse representation. However, our framing of this absence of female success in the curriculum is also an issue. Girls don’t need to just hear about the fact that women were being cheated out of Nobel prizes in science/tech decades ago, they need to be hearing about current day examples of successful women in those fields (in all fields!) now, today, tomorrow. We need to be giving hope, not just highlighting where they have been historically marginalised.

Hopefully, this article has provided some food for thought regarding some of the many barriers facing girls in our classrooms today. But, I want to leave you with tangible strategies/classroom adjustments that might seem small, but will potentially have a significant and lasting impact on all the students in your classroom.

Solutions – Designing for girls

Barrier 1: Language and Culture

• Rebalance praise: Deliberately praise girls for ideas, insight, challenge, and academic risk, not just effort or presentation.

  
  

• Use inclusive, non‑gendered language: Avoid collective terms like “guys”; address classes with neutral alternatives, or gender respectful terms that reinforce belonging.

  
  

• Prioritise intellectual feedback: Comment on thinking and conceptual quality before neatness or organisation in verbal and written feedback.

  
  

• Reaffirm social norms in communication. Respectfully challenge interruption to female voice and make space for girls/women in the room to continue speaking.

Barrier 2: Competition

• Design collaborative success: Use tasks where outcomes depend on collective reasoning, consensus, or group improvement rather than “winning”.

  
  

• Reduce public performance pressure: Build in preparation time, paired rehearsal, or written contributions before whole‑class sharing.

Barrier 3: Competing Social Role Expectations

• Name the tension explicitly (not just once!): Acknowledge the competing social expectations of girls/women, explain how they can manifest in the classroom and wider world, and why it is important we consider them.

  
  

• Protect assertive participation: Actively challenge peer or adult labelling of confident girls as “bossy” or “too much”. Challenge the notion that they are ‘just words’. Explain the impact of those words on expectations/behaviours and how they reflect deeper value systems.

  
  

• Rotate visible leadership: Ensure girls regularly lead discussions, summarise learning, and chair group tasks, and provide resources (scaffolds) to help them to succeed in these roles.

Barrier 4: Resources

• Audit equipment and physical environment: Check that tools, lab coats, sports kit, and furniture are physically accessible to girls – ask them for meaningful feedback when they use it (Did it fit? What problems did you experience whilst using it? How did it make you feel? What changes could we make to this equipment to help your learning?)

  
  

• Build flexibility into classroom conditions: Treat comfort (temperature, clothing, seating) as a learning need, not a behaviour issue. If students are not comfortable, they aren’t learning.

  
  

• Use student voice: Ask girls directly what physical factors make learning harder and act on patterns that emerge.

Barrier 5: Curriculum Content

• Systematically include women: Consider the examples suggested by exam boards/specifications and proactively research/embed additional female contributors and thinkers consistently across the curriculum that may not have already been included. Consider what women you are representing when you include these examples, (ethnic groups, ages etc.)

  
  

• Balance history with hope: Pair narratives of exclusion with current examples of women succeeding in the field, and stress that successful women are not ‘one-off’ trailblazers, there are many.

  
  

• Make representation visible and explicit: Explain why voices were missing historically and how the curriculum is correcting this. Explain to students the importance of why you have made the decision to do this.

References

Francis, B. (2000). Boys, Girls and Achievement. London: Routledge Falmer.

Francis, B. (2006). Gender and Educational Achievement. London: Routledge.

Kingma, B. R. M., & van Marken Lichtenbelt, W. D. (2015).Energy consumption in buildings and female thermal demand. Nature Climate Change, 5(11), 1057–1061.https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2741

OECD (2015). The ABC of Gender Equality in Education: Aptitude, Behaviour, Confidence.Paris: OECD Publishing.https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264229945-en

Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the Classroom. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Sadker, M., & Sadker, D. (1985).Sexism in the classroom: From grade school to graduate school. Phi Delta Kappan, 67(7), 512–515.

Sharpe, S. (1976). Just Like a Girl. London: Penguin.

Sharpe, S. (1994). Just Like a Girl: How Girls Learn to Be Women. London: Penguin.