Educational organizations and gender in times of uncertainty

In this chapter I identify and elaborate, from a feminist perspective, upon the theoretical shifts and key concepts that inform sociological analyses of gender and educational organizations. Gender inequalities are embedded in the multi-dimensional structure of relationships between women and men, which, as the modern sociology of gender shows, operates at every level of experience, from economic arrangements, culture and the state to interpersonal relationships and individual emotions. (Connell, 2005: 1801) Even naming this a sociology of gender and organizations is problematic. Many sociologists consider gender as a key sociological concept, but not necessarily from a feminist perspective. Feminism is a multidisciplinary, transnational movement that 'focuses on the relationship between social movements, political action and social inequalities' (Arnot, 2002: 3) and on the everyday experiences of women and girls and how they translate into social and structural 'ruling relations' (Smith, 1988). Feminism takes on multiple trajectories and imperatives in different cultural contexts, although with familial resemblances, most particularly the shared objective of equality for women and girls. Education as a primary institution of individual and collective mobility and social change, but also social and economic reproduction, has long been a focus of feminist theory and activism. So a feminist sociology needs to address this complexity of feminist sociological 'encounters' with gender and organizations.

Single-sex classes in co-educational schools

This research investigated social and academic outcomes from single-sex classrooms in a Tasmanian coeducational government primary school. Interviews, observations and surveys formed the basis of the evidence. Teachers, parents and children reported positive benefits from the class organisation, but these differed according to gender. Staff identified increased confidence and higher self-esteem among girls, whereas boys developed increased motivation and more commitment to schoolwork. Teachers and parents noted that boys' accountability and self-discipline improved. Teachers adopted different strategies from those used with mixed-gender classes and gained higher levels of satisfaction from teaching, attributable to increased children's time 'on task'. Paradoxically, standardised school testing indicated no increase in academic achievements. However, there may be an extended lag between establishing changed social relationships and measurable academic outcomes, suggesting that if the new class structure is to achieve its full potential, it should be established early in primary school and continue to adolescence.

Evaluation of a large group method in an educational Institution : the World café versus Large Group facilitation.

This article reports on the use of a large group method, theWorld Café, compared to large group facilitation in an educational institutional setting in Oman. Change is central to many educational institutions as they aspire to ensure quality procedures and processes are implemented and maintained. One of the difficulties of introducing change within this context is the number of stakeholders involved, as well as the inherent hierarchical nature of these settings. Large group methods (LGM) are one such intervention for change that seeks to involve a maximum number of stakeholders and minimise hierarchies, while at the same time encouraging participation and creating engagement. To evaluate LGM within this setting, the study compared two different workshop techniques: one workshop was run using the LGM theWorld Café, while the other was conducted using large group facilitation (LGF). Results indicated that theWorld Café was superior to LGF in terms of increases in participant knowledge and understanding. Participants who took part in the LGM were also significantly more likely to indicate that the technique was beneficial to their learning, compared to those who took part in the LGF. Qualitative data in the form of comments also provide support for LGM. Further research is needed to assess the applicability of the findings in educational settings in other countries. Moreover, more stringent research is required to assess over time, changes in behaviours occurring following LGM, to provide further evidence as to their value in facilitating change in institutional settings.

Women's views and outcomes of an educational intervention designed to enhance psychosocial support for women during pregnancy

Background: Identification of psychosocial issues in pregnant women by screening is difficult because of the lack of accuracy of screening tools, women's reluctance to disclose sensitive issues, and health care practitioner's reluctance to ask. This paper evaluates if a health professional education program, a new (ANEW) approach, improves pregnant women's ratings of care and practitioner's listening skills and comfort to disclose psychosocial issues.

Methods: Midwives and doctors from Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne, Australia, were trained from August to December 2002. English-speaking women (< 20 wks' gestation) were recruited at their first visit and mailed a survey at 30 weeks (early 2002) before and after (2003) the ANEW educational intervention. Follow-up was by postal reminder at 2 weeks and telephone reminder 2 weeks later.

Results: Twenty-one midwives and 5 doctors were trained. Of the eligible women, 78.2 percent (584/747) participated in a pre-ANEW survey and 73.3 percent (481/657) in a post-ANEW survey. After ANEW, women were more likely to report that midwives asked questions that helped them to talk about psychosocial problems (OR 1.45, CI 1.09–1.98) and that they would feel comfortable to discuss a range of psychosocial issues if they were experiencing them (coping after birth for midwives [OR 1.51, CI 1.10–2.08] and feeling depressed [OR 1.49, 1.16–1.93]; and concerns relating to sex [OR 1.35, CI 1.03–1.77] or their relationships [OR 1.36, CI 1.00–1.85] for doctors).

Conclusions: The ANEW program evaluation suggests trends of better communication by health professionals for pregnant women and should be evaluated using rigorous methods in other settings.