Can a girls’ school environment change attitudes toward leadership ambitions? · ICGS Research Library

Title

Can a girls’ school environment change attitudes toward leadership ambitions?

Author

Lee & Sambanis (2023)

Year Published

2023

Description

Recent research from scholars at the University of Pennsylvania has addressed the gender gap in “attitudes toward leadership and political participation” that exists “[a]cross countries” (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. i). This gap first begins to occur early in a girl’s life and can be influenced by behaviours and social activities observed at home or school. Lee and Sambanis (2023, p. i) use a case study from South Korea to consider if girls’ school environments can contribute to narrowing this gender gap by “increasing women’s civic and political participation and fostering their ambition for leadership”. This is an important topic of interest for girls’ school educators, as women are “underrepresented in key decision-making roles across almost all industries in the Australian workforce” (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, n.d.). It is critical that girls are supported to pursue their ambitions, and realise their potential. This is revealed in stark Australian statistics: 75 per cent of high school girls in Australia “believe they will ‘have every opportunity’ to become a leader when they grow up” (Lewis, 2020). Yet, by the time they leave school, this figure drops to 57 per cent (Lewis, 2020).

Across many countries, there still exists gender inequality in areas such as “compensation, opportunities for professional advancement, and assessment of qualifications and performance” (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 1). Australia is no exception (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2018; Workplace Gender Equality Agency, 2022). Research has long suggested that women are less interested than men in pursuing positions of leadership, however, this article explores these attitudes in more depth. This has allowed the authors to consider if a single-sex school environment has a beneficial impact on girls’ engagement and participation in positions of leadership, including political roles (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 1).

The authors focussed on south Korea as a case study because traditional gender values predominate in “economic and political spheres” across the nation (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 1). The gender wage gap in South Korea is also one of the largest in OECD countries (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 1). The researchers considered this topic via high school assessment items submitted in Seoul schools from 1974 to 2009. This content was then used to consider if education in a girls’ school environment had an impact on student engagement and subsequent ambition to work towards leadership goals and positions.

Lee and Sambanis (2023) observed a clear pattern that showed students who attended girls’ schools were more likely to discuss opinions and interests in public life, were more likely to participate in political activities, and were also more likely to pursue leadership positions. Yet, this does not automatically equate to “a more feminist policy agenda” (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 2). The educational opportunities provided by girls’ schools are therefore only one part of the solution to this gender gap, albeit a crucial one. The authors suggest that single-sex school environments are crucial because they consistently lead to four key factors in girls’ experiences: A greater likelihood of participation in political activities, engagement with political activism, interest and involvement in leadership roles, and less internalisation of gender stereotypes (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, pp. 3-4).

These outcomes have practical implications for girls’ schools. Engagement can correlate with ambition, which can lead to active involvement. As the authors noted, this study showed a much higher level of political activity participation in girls attending single-sex schools (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 6). The project also showed that women who had attended girls’ schools were more likely to have held a leadership position (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 9). This is an important step in reducing the gender gap and allowing girls to explore their full interest and potential for leadership roles. This is also supported by girls’ attitudes at single-sex schools, where they were clearly “less supportive of traditional gender roles” (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 11).

Ultimately, the authors found that early interventions were essential to changing girls’ attitudes. These interventions could potentially have a cumulative effect, and once more women are visible in positions of leadership and change, this in turn may help inspire girls to reach their full potential regardless of societal attitudes (Lee and Sambanis, 2023, p. 13). The authors also noted that much more research is needed in this field. Until further research is undertaken, this provides useful information for girls’ schools that reinforces the value of learning in an all-female environment for young girls and adolescents.
References
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2018). Face the facts: Gender equality 2018 . https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/face-facts-gender-equ