Abstract
In this paper, teachers' attitudes toward children are examined from the perspective of role theory. Based on existing analyses of the school as a social system, three school roles for children are formulated: Pupil, receptive learner, and active learner. Their relationship to the hidden and academic curricula of the school is discussed. The extant literature in three major areas of research on teacher attitudes is analyzed in terms of their interactions with each of the three children's school roles and with children's sex roles. The implications of these interactions for the differential educational experiences of boys and girls are considered. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research.
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