Colleagues and Students’ Perception of Gender-Bender Teachers

Abstract

Since the country’s future economic growth is linked to the quality of its educational system and its finite resources, teachers must be worthy of the nation’s investment, most especially those studying in State Universities and Colleges. The Philippines’ adult literacy rate as of 2015 is 96.6%, its youth literacy rate is 98.2%; therefore concluded that its teachers are effective. With the increase in Gender-BenderTeachers (LGBT) in our schools, the question now is, are they effective? Must the teacher be a male or a female, not a Gender-Bender? The literature review does not mention that a teacher must be either a female or a male. This study presented 30 proven characteristics of effective teachers, and asked 440 respondents (144 or 33% teachers and 296 or 67% students) as to their level of agreement that a gender-bender teacher is effective. They also provided inputs as to what grade/year levels and subject/s the Gender-Bender Teacher should teach in, to be more engaging and motivating to learners. Findings showed that teachers ‘Mostly Agreed’, while students ‘Highly Agreed’ that Gender Bender Teachers are effective; both groups ranked their effectiveness characteristic as Self-confident (1st), Willingness to Learn (8th), Clear Content and Ideas (12th), Teaching Skills (14th) and Political Context and Beliefs (29th). As to subjects that s/he should handle, which will be engaging and motivating, Teachers said Music, Arts, PE and Health (MAPEH), while Students said English. As to Grade/Year Level, teachers said s/he should handle any Elementary Grade except Kinder and Grade 1. In Secondary school, they are best fit to handle Grades 7 and 8, but not Senior High School. Concluding that the respondents ‘Mostly Agree’that Gender-Bender teachers are effective, and that they can handle Elementary (except Kinder and Grade 1), and the lower Secondary (Grades 7 and 8) and not Senior High School, it is recommended that the recruiting officers in Teacher Education Institutions should encourage incoming freshmen to take up Bachelor in Elementary Education, with specialization in MAPEH and Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in English. It is also recommended that future researchers replicate the study with Gender-Bendersas respondents.