Hidden Bias In Education Essay

When I was in third grade I attended a Catholic school and was taught by a nun. Sister Helen felt that young ladies were coddled and boys made an example of simply because of their exuberant behaviors. Not only were boys allowed more freedoms within her classroom (more chances to move around, more time at recess), grades were also affected. Regardless of classwork or participation, all female students were given a grade of C while all male students were given an A. Though not quite as obvious, my daughter is currently battling gender bias within her college. As a student of science who has attended specialized science, technology, engineering, and math programs since middle school, my daughter (who graduates this May) has many years of technical

As I was reading through this week’s assigned materials, a quote stood out to me: “…much of what happens is not consciously intended to discriminate against girls. Rather, there is a hidden bias throughout education that may not even be visible to those who engage in it…” (Anderson 2016). When I later came across the concept of hidden curriculum as discussed by Dr. Shehan in this week’s lecture, I was reminded of the cotton gin. Most people I know—I asked—can tell you who invented the cotton gin (Eli Whitney) and why the invention was important (it reduced the amount of time required to separate cotton seeds from cotton fiber). Interestingly, not one recognized the name Sybilla Masters. Unlike Whitney, Masters’ invention isn’t discussed in classes and no one knows that she was the inventor behind the first patent issued to either a man or woman in recorded American history; her invention, which “allowed the corn to be processed into many different food and cloth products…”, was credited to her husband since she wasn’t allowed to own property (Bellis, 2018). This is only one example, but it highlights how the materials used in classrooms continue to produce a society ignorant of the contributions of women throughout