Gender Responsive Pedagogy: Practices, Challenges & Opportunities - A Case of Secondary Schools of North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia

The purpose of the current study was to examine the general secondary school (GSS) science teachers’ gender responsive pedagogy (GRP) implementation status. To do so, descriptive survey research design was employed. Teachers, department heads and school principals were taken as respondents of the study comprehensively. And students were also participants of the study conveniently. Questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussion (FGD) were considered as the principal data collection tools. The collected data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively: the data collected through questionnaire was analyzed via mean, std., one sample t-test. And the data gathered by open ended items, interview, and FGD as well was analyzed via words, phrases, statements and narration. The analyzed data noted that GSS science teachers of the North Wollo Zone had facilitated GRP fairly. Thus, they found as effective in relation to language usage, classroom setups, classroom interaction, and addressing sexual harassment. To do so, availability of qualified school supervisors and principals, and realization of new education training policy (NETP) were considered as possible opportunities. However, teachers as well ineffective to prepare gender responsive (GR) lesson plan, to prepare and use GR instructional materials and to have GR management of sexual maturation. This vanity of teachers was sourced from ranges of challenges: economic, culture, school and teacher related. Therefore, extra support in natural sciences should be given for girls beginning from lower primary education; Confidence building dialogues through involvement of female role model need to be initiated in schools; Gender based counseling, information and remedial learning programs like tutorial classes should be strengthened in schools; Since they used as experience sharing center, gender-sensitive expansion of ICT facilities, including computer labs and internet delivery infrastructure should be expanded in schools.