The Influence of Elementary School Teachers' Cultural Beliefs on Teachers' Perceptions of Students as Science-Oriented

Abstract

This study focused on the cultural beliefs of elementary school teachers to identify the factors that lead to gender differentiation in the humanities and sciences. The results suggest that teachers are more likely to identify boys as “science-oriented” and less likely to identify girls as “science-oriented,” regardless of the student's academic ability. This tendency was particularly strong among female teachers with stronger gender-related cultural beliefs. The results suggest that the cultural beliefs of female teachers, in particular, may be related to students' perceptions of being science-oriented, highlighting the need to eliminate gender bias in education.