Is Androcentric Bias in the Educational Workplace on the Wane? Perplexing Findings

Abstract

Androcentrism is a value system that views the male perspective as superior to the female perspective. Some theorists maintain that androcentric bias explains why, compared to their numbers in education, women continue to be underrepresented in administrative positions. This article reports the findings of a study examining teacher reactions to job descriptions depicting attributes of the principalship purported to influence men and women differently. Contrary to our expectations, both men and women preferred the job descriptions depicting the collaborative style of leadership previously ascribed to women. Does this finding portend the demise of the gender-based value system found in educational administration?