Annjeanette Martin

The low participation of men in primary education is a persistent and structural phenomenon that cannot be adequately understood through homogeneous views of teachers’ motivations and experiences. This study is conducted in the Chilean context, which is characterized by a highly feminized teaching workforce and persistent challenges related to working conditions, social valuation of teaching, and teacher retention. It aims to analyze profiles of male primary school teachers, considering their motivations, perceptions, and the meanings they attribute to the teaching profession. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (QUAN → qual) was employed. First, 144 male in-service primary teachers completed the FIT-Choice scale and a latent class analysis was conducted. Subsequently, in-depth interviews were carried out with an intentionally selected subsample of 20 teachers, which were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three distinct motivational profiles were identified: altruistic, pragmatic, and critical. The qualitative findings complemented these profiles, highlighting the influence of personal trajectories and working conditions on teachers’ career choice and retention in the profession. Overall, the findings suggest that policies for training, support, and professional induction must recognize teacher heterogeneity and promote inclusive working environments, moving beyond approaches that focus exclusively on increasing the number of men in primary education. Implications for the design of policies aimed at attracting and retaining male primary school teachers are discussed.

Astronomy is critical for human development, driving technology and innovation, and creating knowledge that allows humanity to understand the universe more fully. Women, however, remain underrepresented in this field. Many women leave the field before becoming established, yet little is known about women who persist and succeed. The purpose of this study was to explore the abilities, experiences, milestones, and individuals that have contributed to women’s talent development along their trajectories in astronomy, in the specific case of Chile. In-depth interviews were conducted with five talented women in astronomy, who have developed their academic and professional careers in Chile. The results show that micro, meso, and macro levels of influence, in conjunction with different time periods, were critical for the participants’ trajectories and have impacted the direction of women’s paths. The astronomers highlight early experiences, mentor support, validation, and gendered experiences as they navigate their own insecurities and develop self-confidence. Implications for the study of talent development in female astronomers are discussed.

This study analyzes the interactions based on student gender that are promoted by future primary school teachers, with three distinct profiles in the subjects of natural sciences and math. The three teacher profiles combine socioemotional variables related to the teaching of these two subjects and variables related to gender bias. 17 class videos of both mathematics and natural sciences in the context of pre-service teacher preparation were analyzed regarding the interactions that took place. A prevalence of interactions directed towards boys was found. Regarding the type of profile, it was found that pre-service teachers with masculine traits promoted more interactions with gender equity. The implications for primary teacher preparation and for the creation of school environments in which girls are encouraged to engage in mathematics and natural sciences are discussed.

This descriptive study aims to analyze personality traits associated with gender and attitudes and self-efficacy towards teaching science and mathematics in pre-service primary teachers. Convenience sampling was used to select 92 pre-service primary teachers in Chile, who were administered a set of instruments to measure these variables; these instruments have displayed adequate levels of validity and reliability. Results show that an important percentage of pre-service primary teachers have low levels of self-efficacy and attitudes toward teaching these subjects and have personality traits that indicate marked gender stereotypes. Furthermore, the measured variables together generate distinct profiles of pre-service primary teachers. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to creating more equitable school environments that strive to attract more students, especially girls, to engage in science and mathematics.

Teachers’ past learning experiences, also referred to as “apprenticeship of observation,” can affect their beliefs and, in turn, their teaching practices. This study focused on the apprenticeships of observation of Chilean novice English teachers and sought to identify the possible influence of their past English teachers on their teaching and learning views in an English as a foreign language context. The qualitative multiple case study design gathered the narratives of 18 teachers using an open-ended survey and in-depth interviews. Results showed that the teachers’ apprenticeship of observation influenced their socio-emotional and affective views on teaching with a main concern on teacher-student relationships. From a sociocultural perspective, it was found that feelings associated with these experiences helped them understand their own practice. Las experiencias anteriores de aprendizaje de los y las docentes —“aprendizaje por observación”— pueden afectar sus creencias y su práctica. Este estudio se enfocó en las experiencias vividas por docentes noveles de inglés en Chile y en cómo sus propios docentes anteriores de inglés influyeron en su visión de la enseñanza y aprendizaje del idioma. En este estudio cualitativo de casos múltiples se recolectaron narraciones de 18 docentes mediante una encuesta abierta y entrevistas en profundidad. El análisis demostró que las experiencias vividas por los y las docentes influyeron en su visión socioemocional y afectiva de la enseñanza con foco en la relación docente-estudiante. Desde una perspectiva sociocultural, se evidenció que los sentimientos asociados a estas experiencias facilitaron la comprensión de su propia práctica.

This article contributes to the study of the gender gap for women in STEM, by exploring the socioemotional dimensions of gifted girls with positive attitudes toward math and science, as measured by the TOSRA and TOMRA. The variables of self-concept, self-efficacy, and gender stereotype identification were examined, using the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, Sources of Science and Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, and Masculine-Feminine Inventory, based on gender and extracurricular enrichment program participation. The sample consisted of 103 Chilean students in 10th grade, identified as gifted using the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices. Data were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and t-tests to analyze the effects of gender and enrichment program participation. Results showed that self-concept for girls is lower than for boys, and lower for girls who attended enrichment programs, compared to girls who did not attend programs. Furthermore, an interaction effect was observed between gender and enrichment program attendance on the gender stereotype subscales of masculinity and submission. Implications for enrichment programs were discussed, suggesting the need to (a) focus on girls´ self-concept, (b) decrease the risk of stereotype threat, and (c) encourage gifted girls to identify how they experience and act upon gender stereotypes.

El proceso por el cual se produce esta brecha comienza y se intensifica durante el período escolar. Durante la educación primaria y secundaria, a pesar de ser igualmente competentes en matemáticas y ciencias (HUTCHISON; LYONS; ANSARI, 2018; ^{MILLER; HALPERN, 2014}), las actitudes de las mujeres hacia estas materias son más negativas, lo que tiene un impacto significativo en sus logros académicos, decisiones posteriores relacionadas con la escuela, y en sus elecciones de carrera (ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT - OECD, 2015). En particular, la población de adolescentes con AC enfrenta procesos de elección de área de profundización académica y profesional con características únicas. Ello, debido a su precocidad intelectual, multiplicidad de potencialidades, así como de las expectativas que se producen en torno a sus proyecciones profesionales (^{JUNG; YOUNG, 2018}; ^{WATTERS; DIEZMANN, 2015}). Respecto al área de ciencia y matemática en la etapa escolar, la interacción de estas características con factores motivacionales, de autoconcepto y autoeficacia juegan un rol crítico a la hora de entender el desarrollo de vocaciones, así como el abandono de las mismas, lo que se observa más frecuentemente entre las mujeres (^{BENÖLKEN, 2019}; ^{VU et al., 2019}).

This qualitative case study examines the perceptions of three novice EFL teachers regarding their past mentoring experiences in school settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to elicit their overall views as well as obtain insight to specific aspects of this process according to the Five Factor Model on Mentoring (Hudson, 2007). Findings indicate that the personal attributes of mentors were perceived as being most relevant. However, based on the perception of the teachers, aspects such as school requirements and feedback are not widely considered by their mentors despite the fact that these elements impact the mentoring process. It is expected that by analyzing teacher perceptions, more knowledge will be gained about future EFL student teacher preparation so that programs will be able to better address the specific needs of mentees during their practicum period.