Gender Bias in Social Studies Education
Representation and Pedagogical Practices in Sociology Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71094/gjsl.v2i2.430Keywords:
Gender Bias, Social Studies Education, Sociology Learning, Representation, Pedagogical PracticesAbstract
This study aims to analyze gender bias in social studies education by focusing on two main dimensions: representation and pedagogical practices in sociology learning. It employs a critical literature review approach by examining academic sources and educational policy reports at both global and local levels. The analysis shows that gender bias is not only reflected in unequal representation within curricula and instructional media but is also manifested in pedagogical practices, including patterns of classroom interaction, teacher expectations, and assessment mechanisms. Such bias operates subtly through the hidden curriculum, which shapes students’ perceptions and learning experiences differently according to gender. In addition, local social and cultural contexts may either reinforce or mediate the reproduction of gender bias in education. These findings indicate that social studies education, particularly sociology learning, has not yet fully functioned as a space for critical reflection free from the very inequalities it seeks to examine. Therefore, a more reflective, inclusive, and critically oriented pedagogical approach is needed to promote equitable and emancipatory learning.
References
Apple, M. W. (2004). Ideology and curriculum (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Aries, E. (1976). Interaction patterns and themes of male, female, and mixed groups. Small Group Behavior, 7(1), 7–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/104649647600700102
Arnot, M. (2002). Reproducing gender? Essays on educational theory and feminist politics. RoutledgeFalmer.
Bassi, M., Busso, M., & Muñoz, J. S. (2016). Under the cloak of invisibility: Gender bias in teaching practices and learning outcomes. Inter-American Development Bank. https://doi.org/10.18235/0000398
Brückner, H. (2020). Gender inequality in education. Social Science Research, 91, 102442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2020.102442
Butler, J. (1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.
Connell, R. (2009). Gender: In world perspective (2nd ed.). Polity Press.
Francis, B., & Skelton, C. (2005). Reassessing gender and achievement: Questioning contemporary key debates. Routledge.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.
Gezici, G., & Saygin, Y. (2022). Gender bias in educational videos. arXiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2206.09987
Giroux, H. A. (2011). On critical pedagogy. Continuum.
Graves, A. L., Hoshino-Browne, E., & Lui, K. P. H. (2017). Gender bias in the classroom: Evidence from experimental and observational studies. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1705.09636
Kanter, R. M. (1977). Men and women of the corporation. Basic Books.
Khasanah, A. Q. (2015). An analysis of gender bias in classroom interaction (Undergraduate thesis). IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon. https://repository.syekhnurjati.ac.id/2847/
Krupnick, C. G. (1985). Women and men in the classroom: Inequality and its remedies. Harvard Educational Review, 55(4), 709–724. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.55.4.x687u614r1377475
Mwakabenga, J. (2021). Gender inequalities in pedagogical classroom practice. Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 10(3), 112–125.
Nikolakaki, S. M., Lai, J., & Terzi, E. (2020). Gender bias in student evaluations. arXiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2011.01897
Ningsih, D. P. (2025). Inovasi dalam pembelajaran berdiferensiasi. Journal of Modern Social and Humanities, 1(2), 43–56.
Ningsih, D. P., & Anggraini, E. (2025). Integrasi self-regulated learning dan motivasi intrinsik: Fondasi prestasi akademik mahasiswa. Mandala Widya: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 1(1), 26–36.
Ningsih, D. P., & Apriawan, A. (2022). Peran keluarga dalam meningkatkan minat belajar anak di wilayah Bagek Longgek. Jurnal Ilmiah Mandala Education, 8(3), 2536–2538.
Ningsih, D. P., & Apriawan, A. (2022). Peran guru dalam meningkatkan motivasi belajar siswa pada mata pelajaran sosiologi di SMAN 1 Keruak. Indonesian Journal of Education Research and Technology, 2(1), 43–52.
Ningsih, D. P., & Maulida, I. (2019). Implementasi kurikulum 2013 dalam membentuk karakter siswa pada pembelajaran tematik integratif kelas IV di SDN 1 Gapuk. Jurnal Pendidikan, 3(1).
Ningsih, D. P., Apriawan, A., Suryadmaja, G., Rahmadi, D. S., & Hilmi, M. Z. (2024). Socio-cultural study on the implementation of regional regulation No. 5 of 2021 on the prevention of early marriage in Sekarteja Village, East Lombok Regency. ARMADA: Jurnal Penelitian Multidisiplin, 2(10), 872–880.
Ningsih, D. P. (2020). Dampak pernikahan dini di Desa Keruak Kecamatan Keruak Kabupaten Lombok Timur. Jurnal Ilmiah Mandala Education, 6, 404–414.
OECD. (2015). The ABC of gender equality in education: Aptitude, behaviour, confidence. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264229945-en
Population Education. (2025). How gender bias in the education system affects girls. https://populationeducation.org/how-gender-bias-in-the-education-system-affects-girls/
Sadker, D., & Sadker, M. (1994). Failing at fairness: How America’s schools cheat girls. Scribner.
Sunderland, J. (2000). Issues of language and gender in second and foreign language education. Language Teaching, 33(4), 203–223. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444800015688
Ulayya, A. (2025). Gender representation in teacher–student interaction in sociology learning. Sosioedukasi: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan dan Sosial, 8(1), 23–35.
UNESCO. (2015). A guide for gender equality in teacher education policy and practices. UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO. (2019). Gender equality in education: A global report. UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report 2020: Gender report. UNESCO Publishing.
Wang, A. (2022). Inequality in the classroom: The impact of teachers’ gender bias on students’ academic performance. SSHA Conference Proceedings.
Weiner, G. (1994). Feminisms in education: An introduction. Open University Press.
World Bank. (2018). World development report 2018: Learning to realize education’s promise. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1096-1
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sukma Harya Nugraha (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
