2025 Volume 46 Pages 46-67
This study focuses on the gap between the widely perceived and actual state of gender equality in Japanese school education. Using a girls’ school as the primary case, it aims to provide insights for understanding the hidden curriculum in coeducational schools. Results from surveys and field observations indicate that students in the girls’ school can express themselves freely and exercise leadership in a psychologically safe environment. In contrast, issues often overlooked in coeducational settings, such as teasing by male students or uniform teaching practices by teachers, are largely absent.
Additionally, the reinforcement of gender norms during secondary education may influence students’ self-esteem and agency. These findings suggest that the “exceptional environment” of girls’ schools can illuminate the implicit assumptions and practices of coeducational schools—the hidden curriculum—and highlight the need to reconsider gender sensitivity in educational practice and to address inequalities beyond formal measures, including cultural and psychological dimensions. Although this study focuses on a single school, the insights gained may inform understanding of broader patterns of gender-related dynamics in coeducational settings.
