Re: dissertation help (fwd)

Equitymk@aol.com
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 16:22:44 -0400


Monique: My opinion is that we have not yet made the "hard" link between
self-esteem and learning, so that's a good direction you've chosen. However,
self-esteem is really slippery to describe. I also wonder if it's as clear
as we make it out to be--do girls develop lower self-esteem because of how
they're treated in school, in families, in media--and then that affects
learning? or do they get less teacher attention, succeed less, and
therefore develop lower self-esteem?

There's also a lack of information on the power of roles models. Do female
teachers matter to girls, or is a fair equitable man more important to have
as a teacher than a mediocre, biased female teacher?

You may also be interested in a particular discipline, such as social
studies, math, science, etc. If that discipline has new "standards," do we
know how they affect girls versus boys?
I'm also interested in what can motivate teachers to change their styles of
teaching to be more engaging for girls as a group.
There are a million things to focus on, as you know. This is part of the
sifting and winnowing of this process. Look at the literature about
something that interests you; you will find good things, and maybe
unintersting things which will cause you to change direction entirely. But
trust the process. If Ithink of anything else in the near future, I'll send
it along. good luck . Melissa Keyes


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