Educational toolkit to help fight gender stereotypes in secondary school : challenging learners to discover a world of opportunities based on the example of the transport sector.
Date: 2021-10-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport
Subjects: female work, gender mainstreaming, open educational resources, professional career, secondary education, sexual discrimination, transport market, transport staff, user guide, vocational guidance

Educational toolkit to help 
fight gender stereotypes 
in secondary school

Challenging learners to discover a world of 
opportunities based on the example of the 
transport sector

Written by Maria Luísa de Bivar Black, María Pilar Santos Tambo (Learn to Change) 
and Hedvika Janečková (PPMI)

Edited by Pascale Mompoint-Gaillard (Learn to Change)

With additional input from Sandra Šević, Eszter Szőnyi, Aistė Vaitkevičiūtė, Cecilia Francisco 
Carcelén, Irma Budginaitė-Mačkinė, Cosmin Nada (PPMI), Mari Varsányi (Learn to Change) 
and Tessa Wright (Queen Mary University of London)

Copy-editing by Kelly Derrick

Illustration by Pavla Baštanová

Graphic design by Michal Čepelka, Robin Michenka and Sophie Despras

This  document  has  been  prepared  for  the  European  Commission,  however  it  reflects 
the  views  only  of  the  authors,  and  the  European  Commission  is  not  liable  for  any 
consequence  stemming  from  the  reuse  of  this  publication.  More  information  on  the 
European Union is available on the Internet (http://www.europa.eu).

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-76-32870-4 

doi: 10.2832/283111 

   MI-04-21-110-EN-N

Manuscript completed in April 2021

The European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of 
this publication. 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2021

© European Union, 2021 

The reuse policy of European Commission documents is implemented by the Commission 
Decision  2011/833/EU  of  12  December  2011  on  the  reuse  of  Commission  documents 
(OJ  L  330,  14.12.2011,  p.  39).  Except  otherwise  noted,  the  reuse  of  this  document  is 
authorised  under  a  Creative  Commons  Attribution  4.0  International  (CC-BY  4.0)  licence 
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appropriate credit is given and any changes are indicated.

For  any  use  or  reproduction  of  elements  that  are  not  owned  by  the  European  Union, 
permission may need to be sought directly from the respective rightholders.

 
Educational toolkit to help 
fight gender stereotypes in 
secondary school
Challenging learners to discover a world 
of opportunities based on the example 
of the transport sector

4

Acknowledgements

This toolkit is a result of participatory effort and continuous feedback process. We would like to express 
our deepest appreciation for everyone’s support and contribution, especially since much of the work on 
this publication took place in a time of uncertainty and unprecedented events in light of the COVID-19 
pandemic.

Our immense gratitude goes to all the educational and transport stakeholders whose expert input and 
feedback  directly  informed  the  development  of  the  toolkit  and  increased  its  relevance  for  teaching 
practice,  especially  (in  alphabetical  order)  Cristina  Aguirre  López-Bustos,  Åsa  Backman,  Nerea  Cañas 
Zarraoa,  Magnus  Carlsson,  Elena  García  Sánchez,  Georgia  Gyftoula,  Margit  Kirss,  Ildikó  Lázár,  Matina 
Loukea, Brigitte Ollier, Gunilla Rooke, Vanessa de Velasco and Foteini Veneti.

We are equally grateful to all the teachers who gave the time to test the toolkit and provide insightful 
comments that enriched the content, specifically (in alphabetical order) Filiz Bayazit, Beatriz Floristan 
Gurria, Hannah Hofer, Dora Katai, Reetta Leducq, Arancha Marques Lorente, Monika Mezei, Aapo Nuorva, 
Jelena Orlova and Dalia Valaikienė.

We would like to extend our appreciation to Sarah Hartleib, Gabriella Komoly and Armi Mustosmäki for 
facilitating the testing of the toolkit.

Finally, many thanks to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport for 
their invaluable assistance and guidance and always helpful comments.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLContents

INTRODUCTION 

WHY THIS TOOLKIT AND THE FOCUS ON THE TRANSPORT SECTOR? 

WHO IS THIS TOOLKIT FOR? 

WHAT DOES IT CONTAIN? 

THE STRUCTURE OF THE LEARNING ACTIVITIES 

WHERE SHOULD YOU BEGIN? 

SUGGESTED PATHWAYS TO THE LEARNING ACTIVITIES 

TOOLSET 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

MAIN MESSAGES FOR TEACHERS AND LEARNERS 

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH 

TOOLSET 2: INITIAL TEACHERS’ SELF-ASSESSMENT 
INITIAL SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL 1: QUESTIONNAIRE 

INITIAL SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL 2: MINI TASK 

INITIAL SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL 3: REFLECTION 

TOOLSET 3: GENDER STEREOTYPES 

ACTIVITY 1: UNCOVERING WOMEN’S HISTORY 

ACTIVITY 1: THE GALLERY WALK OBSERVATION SHEET 

ACTIVITY 2: WRITE THREE NAMES 

ACTIVITY 2: WRITE THREE NAMES WORKSHEET 

ACTIVITY 3: WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME ? 

ACTIVITY 4: DESIGNING A WALL NEWSPAPER — A SPECIAL EDITION ON GENDER ISSUES 

ACTIVITY 5: I SEE, I THINK, I WONDER 

ACTIVITY 5: PICTURE FOR LEARNING 

ACTIVITY 5: I SEE, I THINK, I WONDER WORKSHEET 

ACTIVITY 6: STEREOTYPES … WHAT STEREOTYPES? 

ACTIVITY 7: REAL MEN AREN’T CARING … OR ARE THEY? 

ACTIVITY 7: TEXTS HANDOUT 

TOOLSET 4: WORK 

ACTIVITY 8: RESEARCHING GENDER SEGREGATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET 

ACTIVITY 8: WORKSHEET 

ACTIVITY 9: WHERE I WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME? 

ACTIVITY 10: LOOK AROUND AND TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE 

ACTIVITY 11: A LEADER OF THE 21ST CENTURY 

ACTIVITY 11: PERSONAL INFORMATION WORKSHEET 

ACTIVITY 11: THE 21ST-CENTURY LEADER WORKSHEET 

ACTIVITY 12: COULD IT BE ME? 

ACTIVITY 13: I USED TO THINK … BUT NOW I THINK … 

ACTIVITY 13: I USED TO THINK BUT NOW I THINK … WORKSHEET 

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EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6

TOOLSET 5: TRANSPORT 

ACTIVITY 14: PROJECTING THE TRANSPORT SECTOR ACROSS TIME 

ACTIVITY 14: TRANSPORT MODES PICTURE 

ACTIVITY 14: PROJECTING THE TRANSPORT SECTOR FLIP CHART 

ACTIVITY 15: WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT AUTOMATION? 

ACTIVITY 15: STEM AND TRANSFERABLE SKILLS HANDOUT 

ACTIVITY 16: DON’T PANIC, I AM A MECHANIC! 

ACTIVITY 16: JOB CHARACTERISTICS HANDOUT 

ACTIVITY 17: MY DREAM JOB 

ACTIVITY 17: MY DREAM JOB HANDOUT 

ACTIVITY 18: THE EXCEPTIONAL SYSTEM OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY 

ACTIVITY 18: EXAMPLES OF MIND MAPS 

ACTIVITY 18: TOPICS FOR GROUP WORK HANDOUT 

ACTIVITY 19: SUPPOSE THAT THERE IS GENDER BALANCE IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR 

ACTIVITY 19: INFOGRAPHICS 

ACTIVITY 20: TRANSPORT IS ABOUT LORRY DRIVERS 

ACTIVITY 21: TRANSPORT JOBS ARE NOT FOR WOMEN 

ACTIVITY 21: GRAPHS 

ACTIVITY 21: TRANSFERABLE SKILLS 

ACTIVITY 22: TRANSPORT IS SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY 

ACTIVITY 22: TRANSPORT AND THE SDGS 

ACTIVITY 23: FUTURE TRANSPORT JOBS WILL BE GREEN AND TECHNOLOGICAL 

ACTIVITY 23: BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS 

ACTIVITY 23: EMERGING OCCUPATIONS IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR 

ACTIVITY 23: DATA ON EMERGING OCCUPATIONS IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR 

ACTIVITY 24: TRANSPORT IS MY CHOICE 

ACTIVITY 24: QUESTIONNAIRE 

ACTIVITY 25: THREE PLUS THREE 

ACTIVITY 25: THREE PLUS THREE WORKSHEET 

TOOLSET 6: CONTINUING TEACHERS’ SELF-ASSESSMENT 

CONTINUING SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL 1: THE RETROSPECTIVE STARFISH 

CONTINUING SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL 2: HOW ‘SMILEY’ ARE YOU? 

CONTINUING SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL 3: A SERIES OF STATEMENTS 

TOOLSET 7: TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER 

SUPPORTING RESOURCES 

FURTHER READING 

REFERENCES 

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EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7

INTRODUCTION
Why this toolkit and the focus on the transport sector?

Dear teacher, the toolkit you have in your hands is the result of a request from the European Commission 
for an educational toolkit that could fight gender stereotypes taking the example of the transport sector.

The design and activities of the toolkit were formulated on the basis of several facts. The first fact is 
that, at present, only 22 % of the people working in the transport sector in the European Union (EU) are 
women.1 Many girls do not consider a career path in the transport sector because of gender stereotypes 
and expectations that lead them in a different professional direction.2

Second,  the  transport  sector  and  what  it  entails  to  work  in  it  remain  largely  unknown  by  girls  and 
boys  alike.3  The  truth  is  that  the  transport  sector,  as  it  becomes  more  and  more  technological  and 
environmentally friendly, can be a very satisfying and rewarding career option for both boys and girls.

Third,  the  school  system,  which  is  a  fundamental  part  of  our  society,  contributes  to  the  emergence 
and  continuity  of  gender  stereotypes  in  many  ways,  for  example  in  the  teaching  materials  and  even 
in  teachers’  unconscious  different  expectations  from  girls  and  boys.  In  turn,  discussing  and  exploring 
unknown or unexpected career options for boys and girls can be an opportunity to break through gender 
stereotypes in and beyond the classroom.4

In summary, the main purpose of this toolkit is to make young learners understand that occupations 
are not reserved for a particular gender while they learn about the transport sector as a possible career 
option for anyone.

We sincerely hope that all the users of the toolkit will enjoy working with it as much as we have enjoyed 
developing it.5

Who is this toolkit for?

This  toolkit  has  been  developed  for  secondary  school  teachers  and  secondary  school  young  learners 
(14–15 years old). It aims to support teachers to organise discussions in the classroom to effectively 
address gender stereotypes, based on the example of the transport sector.

Other  than  secondary  school  teachers,  this  toolkit  also  allows  school  leaders  and  school  counsellors 
to challenge gender stereotypes in schools, where an environment free of stereotypes may lay a firm 
foundation for children to grow up freely and develop their unique interests and talents.

In addition to the above-mentioned target groups, teachers, school leaders and school counsellors are 
also encouraged to share their work around the toolkit with the learners’ parents whenever possible.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

 Eurostat (2019). Employment by sex, age and economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) - 1 000 (lfsa_egan2). Retrieved from: https://
appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=lfsa_egan2&lang=en. 
 Gendered aspirations are clearly evident at five years of age. See, for example, OECD (2021). The Future at Five. Gendered 
aspirations of five-year-olds. Retrieved from: http://www.oecd.org/education/school/early-learning-and-child-well-being-
study/. 
 See, for example, European Commission (2017). Study on a Pilot Project: Making the EU Transport Sector Attractive to Future 
Generations. Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/social/studies/social_mt. 
 See, for example, EIGE (2016). Gender in education and training. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. 
Retrieved from: https://eige.europa.eu/publications/gender-education-and-training. 
 See also European Commission (2021). Educational toolkits to help fight gender stereotypes based on the example of the 
transport sector: Final study report on the development of the toolkits. DOI: 10.2832/11827.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL8

What does it contain?

The toolkit contains the following toolsets:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Toolset 1: Background information. This toolset provides an important entry to the whole toolkit. It 
contains the main messages for teachers and learners, and the pedagogical approach on which the 
toolkit is based.

Toolset 2: Initial teachers’ self-assessment. This toolset offers tools that will allow you to analyse 
where you stand regarding gender-sensitive pedagogy, and all the issues raised in the toolkit. You are 
encouraged to explore any of the self-assessment tools, or all, prior moving on to using the toolkit 
in the class. This self-assessment is meant to stimulate self-reflection and gain a complete view of 
the complexity of the issues underlying the activities.

Toolset 3: Gender stereotypes. This toolset comprises a set of learning activities that will allow you 
and the learners to tackle different gender stereotypes and explore the extent to which schools are 
stereotype-free environments or not.

Toolset 4: Work. Learning activities in this toolset help you explore two main aspects. First, you will 
be able to analyse how gender stereotypes are particularly present in the world of work. Second, you 
will examine how important career decisions are made in a person’s life and the influence they have 
in a person’s future and personal development — access to work–life balance, goods and services, 
etc.

Toolset 5: Transport. Continuing the progression from Toolsets 3 and 4, the learning activities in 
this toolset will allow you to further engage with gender equality while getting better acquainted 
with some of the current occupations in the transport sector. The toolset also offers the possibility 
to  get  acquainted  with  the  prospect  of  future  occupations  in  transport,  as  well  as  the  skills  such 
occupations will require.

Toolset 6: Continuing teachers’ self-assessment. This toolset invites you to reflect on the experience 
of  having  worked  with  the  toolkit  in  class,  and  in  what  ways  this  experience  has  changed  your 
perceptions about gender-sensitive pedagogy and all the other issues raised in the toolkit.

Toolset 7: To go one step further. Finally, this toolset provides you with the opportunity to personally 
explore  further,  if  you  wish,  all  the  matters  that  have  been  tackled  in  the  whole  toolkit.  It  offers 
glossaries, references to key data, selected resources and further reading.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLFigure 1. Visual map of the toolkit 

9

Purpose and structure 
of the toolkit

Introduction

Suggested
pathways

Main messages for 
teachers and learners

Toolset 1

Toolset 2

Background 
information

Pedagogical 
approach

Initial teacher‘ 
self-assessment

TOOLKIT

Toolset 3

Toolset 4
Toolset 5

Toolset 6

GENDER STEREOTYPES

WORK

TRANSPORT

Continuing teacher‘ 
self-assessment

Toolset 7

To go one 
step further

THE STRUCTURE OF THE LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Toolsets 3, 4 and 5 are a collection of 25 different activities to be done with learners in class or in an 
online learning environment. The learning activities relate to the main messages of the three toolsets 
(i.e. gender stereotypes, work and transport). Moreover, these activities aim to improve learners’ thinking 
skills and develop their capacity for empathy. They also introduce different cooperative strategies and 
thinking routines.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10

For ease of use, all the learning activities in Toolsets 3, 4 and 5 share the following key characteristics: 

✓    Common  template:  All  the  activities  use  the  same  template,  which  will  provide  you  with  clear 
information, resources, handouts, step-by-step guidance needed for the development of the activity, tips 
and ideas for variations or extensions of each activity.6

✓    Emphasis  on  metacognition:  At  the  end  of  each  activity,  there  is  a  key  section  dedicated  to 
debriefing, a fundamental part of the activity, as it concludes with a reflection on the learning experience. 
The core principle of this debriefing is the assertion that we do not learn from the experience, but we 
learn by thinking about the experience (metacognitive reflection). Thus, the debriefing session helps 
learners process and make meaning of the lessons learnt; this is mainly enabled by questioning, which 
allows learners to understand, reflect and maximise the benefits of the learning experience. It provides 
teachers with useful information for evaluation, through reflection on what was positive and what could 
be improved the next time they use the activity, and for assessment, by supporting learners’ growth and 
understanding (assessment for learning).

✓  Opportunities for multidisciplinarity: The toolkit constitutes an important collection of resources 
that can be used across the whole curriculum — and this includes language of schooling and foreign 
languages, as the toolkit is accessible to download in 24 different languages.

Where should you begin?

From  the  beginning  to  the  end,  the  sequencing  of  the 
toolsets  and  activities  in  this  toolkit  follows  the  logic  of 
progression.  At  the  same  time,  the  toolkit  has  been 
designed in a way that it allows you to develop your own 
pathway. The toolkit provides a context and the contents 
to  pursue  specific  interests.  You  may  pick  and  choose 
material  according  to  your  own  needs  and  inspiration. 
As  you  browse  through  the  toolsets  and  the  learning 
activities, you might do so asking yourself the three why 
questions  to  make  your  own  selection  (see  Figure  2).7

The  toolkit  also  offers  suggested  pathways  to  the 
learning  activities  (see  the  next  section)  according 
to  specific  learning  goals,  which  are  clearly  specified 
under  each  pathway.  These  pathways  vary  in  length 
and  complete  different  learning  aims  and  relevant 
sequences. It is possible to follow one or several of the 
recommended pathways.

Figure 2. The ‘3 Whys’ thinking routine

WHY
might this

matter
to me ?

WHY
might this 
matter 
to people 
around me ?

WHY
might this 
matter 
to the 
world ?

Suggested pathways to the learning activities

The learning activities follow an internal coherence that will guide you in your progression along the three 
main concepts explored (i.e. gender stereotypes, work and transport). However, for ease of use, there are 
eight suggested pathways varying in length, which can be completed to answer the specific interests 
listed below. The purpose of the suggested pathways is to offer a flexible approach for teachers to adapt 
the learning activities to the needs of their particular context.

6 
7 

Inspired by different templates developed by Learn to Change, Change to Learn: https://www.learntochange.eu/.
 The ‘3 Whys’ thinking routine was developed by Project Zero, a research centre at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 
More information is available at https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/The%203%20Whys.pdf. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL11

1. Opening up to new expectations
Use this pathway to guide the learners along a path of discovery where all the main issues of the toolkit 
will be explored — gender stereotypes, career choices and the transport sector.

•  Activity 1: Uncovering women’s history  — Learners research how different content in textbooks 

and curricula are important avenues towards equality within education. 

•  Activity  3:  What  is  expected  of  me?  —  Learners  question  the  social  construction  of  gender 

stereotypes and confront their own perceptions of societal expectations related to gender.

•  Activity 9: Where I will be in 10 years’ time? — Learners explore how they see their careers in 10 
years  and  discover  the  implications  of  their  choices  and  compare  their  choices  with  those  of  the 
class.

•  Activity 16: Don’t panic, I am a mechanic! — Learners discover the variety of jobs in the transport 

sector.

•  Activity 17: My dream job — Learners broaden their exposure to different perspectives on future 
careers and improve their understanding of career opportunities and motivation to aspire to their 
dream careers.

2. Challenging gender stereotypes
In  this  pathway,  the  learners  have  the  opportunity  to  challenge  gender  stereotypes  in  three  different 
dimensions — life, the world of work and the transport sector.

•  Activity 7: Real men aren’t caring … or are they? — Learners discover that gender relations are 
a complex multilevel system of difference and inequality that comprises, but is not limited to, roles 
and  identities  at  the  individual  level,  patterns  of  behaviours  and  organisational  practices  at  the 
community level and cultural beliefs and distribution of resources and power at the society level.

•  Activity 8: Researching gender segregation in the labour market  — Learners research and discover 

the patterns of concentration of women and men in different fields and positions.

•  Activity 16: Don’t panic, I am a mechanic! — Learners consider the skills needed to perform certain 

jobs in the transport sector and discuss whether such skills can be considered gender neutral.

•  Activity 19: Suppose that there is gender balance in the transport sector — Learners discover 
the different transport modes and infer why gender balance in transport is positive for a democratic 
society.

3. Thinking about my future careers
The focus of this pathway is the world of work. Learners will have the opportunity to explore their own 
future expectations and examine different career options.

•  Activity 9: Where I will be in 10 years’ time? — Learners explore how they see their careers in 10 
years  and  discover  the  implications  of  their  choices  and  compare  their  choices  with  those  of  the 
class.

•  Activity 12: Could it be me? — Learners discuss why it is important to make carefully considered 
decisions regarding career choices. There are a few key decisions for structuring one’s life and career 
choice is one of them.

•  Activity 16: Don’t panic, I am a mechanic! — Learners discover the variety of jobs in the transport 

sector.

•  Activity 17: My dream job — Learners broaden their exposure to different perspectives on future 
careers and improve their understanding of career opportunities and motivation to aspire to their 
dream careers.

•  Activity 21: Transport jobs are not for women! —  Learners  identify  the  different  skills  (such  as 

specific or general/transferable, hard and soft skills) required to work in the transport sector.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL12

4. Greening of the economy and the sustainability of transport sector
This pathway guides the learners in their exploration of the sustainability of the transport sector.

•  Activity 18: The exceptional system of sustainable urban mobility — Learners discover what is 

sustainable urban mobility.

•  Activity  22:  Transport  is  sustainable  mobility  —  Learners  reflect  about  the  relation  between 

transport and sustainability and the value of green, efficient means of transportation.

•  Activity 23: Future transport jobs will be green and technological — Learners explore how the 
transport sector will be using new technologies and acknowledge the importance of technical and 
digital skills in the transport sector.

5. A path towards STEM for girls and boys
This pathway aims to stimulate learners’ interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and 
maths (STEM).

•  Activity 2: Write three names — Learners explore the connection between gender stereotypes and 
biases  in  society  and  what  is  taught  in  schools  and  recognise  there  are  fewer  women  figures  in 
textbooks and other learning resources compared to men.

•  Activity 10: Look around and tell me what you see — Learners infer that educational and curricular 
options of boys and girls are markedly stereotyped and discuss ways of ensuring that we can all can 
make choices free from gender stereotypes.

•  Activity 17: My dream job — Learners broaden their exposure to different perspectives on future 
careers and improve their understanding of career opportunities and motivation to aspire to their 
dream careers.

•  Activity  22:  Transport  is  sustainable  mobility  —  Learners  reflect  about  the  relation  between 

transport and sustainability and explore how to improve transport in the future.

6. To develop your learners’ thinking skills
This pathway offers differentiated learning, providing for diverse thinking and learning styles.

•  Activity 5: I see, I think, I wonder — Learners differentiate between what is objective and what is 

subjective while they question self-awareness and self-reflection about gender stereotypes. 

•  Activity 9: Where I will be in 10 years’ time? — Learners explore how they see their careers in 10 
years  and  discover  the  implications  of  their  choices  and  compare  their  choices  with  those  of  the 
class.

•  Activity 14: Projecting the transport sector across time — Learners discover and discuss why the 

transport sector plays a unique role in modern life.

•  Activity  22:  Transport  is  sustainable  mobility  —  Learners  reflect  about  the  relation  between 

transport and sustainability and explore how to improve transport in the future.

7. The importance of work in our society and a balanced representation of 
women 
Through  this  pathway  you  can  explore  in  depth  the  relevance  of  work  in  our  society  and  our  way  of 
living, to question whether women and men are fairly represented in all fields of work and why that is 
important.

•  Activity  4:  Designing  a  wall  newspaper  —  a  special  edition  on  gender  issues  —  Learners 
conduct research, explore the advantages and learning opportunities of teamwork (e.g. support and 
cooperation, diversity of talents, perspectives and feedback) and develop critical and creative thinking 
skills and practise decision-making processes.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL13

•  Activity 8: Researching gender segregation in the labour market — Learners research and discover 

the patterns of concentration of men and women in different fields and positions. 

•  Activity 11: A leader of the 21st century — Learners experience cooperative teamwork, whereby 

they change roles, including the practice of leadership, irrespective of gender.

•  Activity 13: I used to think … but now I think … — Learners compare their ideas at the beginning 

and at the end of the pathway.

•  Activity 19: Suppose that there is gender balance in the transport sector — Learners discover 
the different transport modes and infer why gender balance in transport is positive for a democratic 
society.

8. The importance of transport in our way of living
Use this pathway to explore the transport sector through different perspectives — the past, present and 
future — and work opportunities for girls and boys alike.

•  Activity 14: Projecting the transport sector across time — Learners discover and discuss why the 

transport sector plays a unique role in modern life.

•  Activity 15: What should I know about automation? — Learners connect STEM subjects to careers.
•  Activity 20: Transport is about lorry drivers — Learners recognise the different subsectors of the 
transport sector, discuss how the transport sector impacts their daily life and grasp the bigger picture 
of the transport sector.

•  Activity 21: Transport jobs are not for women — Learners identify the different skills required to 

work in the transport sector and identify the reasons for the existing gender imbalance.

•  Activity  24:  Transport  is  my  choice — Learners discover the potential of the transport sector in 
offering  diverse  employment  opportunities  and  acknowledge  the  potential  attractiveness  of  the 
transport sector for women.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL14

TOOLSET 1:  
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL15

Main messages for teachers and learners

The rationale of the toolkit has two dimensions designated as the tools and the practice of the toolkit 
(Table 1). The toolkit offers all the necessary tools. The teachers, with their different skills, talent, expertise 
and sensitivity, develop and operationalise the practice of the toolkit in their context.

Table 1. Overview of the toolkit dimensions

Structuring 
concepts

•  Curricula are not 
neutral (formal, 
hidden and null) 8

•  Schools are 

stable and solid 
institutions, with 
their own specific 
culture

Tools 

Approaches

Educational aims

•  Curriculum

•  Providing 

•  Pathways

•  Toolsets

•  Glossary

•  Links to external 

resources

early learning 
interventions

•  Broadening 

learners’ horizons 
(real-world 
experiences)

•  Acting as role 
models: ‘We 
become what we 
see around us’

Gender-sensitive 
pedagogy

•  Developing self-
awareness of 
own thoughts, 
beliefs, feelings, 
motivations and 
biases

•  Developing 

a contextual 
and empathic 
understanding of 
the other

•  Advancing gender 

balance

•  Change as 
a process

•  Debunking gender 

stereotyping

•  Towards achieving 
gender literacy 9

Practice

•  The teacher is 
a facilitator of 
change

•  Learning is 
a cognitive, 
emotional and 
social activity

•  Culturally 
responsive 
teaching and 
learning

•  Participative and 
active methods

•  Empowering 

•  Promoting 

a gender-sensitive 
environment

learners

•  Developing key 

competences for 
lifelong learning

•  Gender balance

8 

 The ‘formal curriculum’ can be generally understood as the intentionally taught knowledge and skills in courses, lessons and 
learning activities; the ‘hidden curriculum’ refers to the norms, values and beliefs unwittingly conveyed in the classroom 
and the social environment; while the ‘null curriculum’ refers to what learners do not have the opportunity to learn — the 
concepts and skills that are not part of their learning.

9 

 ‘Gender literacy’ is understood here as the ability, confidence and willingness to engage with gender issues, reflect on and 
change own perceptions, stereotypes and biases.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL16

The learning activities provide a context that stimulates reflection and dialogue, in which learners have 
the opportunity to question and confront their stereotypical thinking and biases and, both as a group 
and as individuals, to review their perceptions. Teachers should be attentive to learners’ behaviours that 
denote that such learning is being processed, such as expressing own beliefs and feelings, accepting 
critical  feedback,  active  listening,  revising  own  opinions  after  listening  to  others’  arguments,  paying 
attention to verbal and non-verbal communication and choosing cooperation rather than competition. 

The  activities  were  developed  around  the  debunking  of  gender  stereotypes,  while  engaging  with  the 
possibilities that the transport sector offers in terms of career pathways to both girls and boys.

Messages related to debunking gender stereotypes
• 

Stereotypical expectations based on socially fixed norms for boys and girls are a root cause of gender 
inequality. They affect self-perception and well-being, the ways we interact with others and have 
a strong influence on whether and how individuals participate in education and training and the world 
of work.

•  Gender stereotypes have a negative impact on both girls and boys as they limit individual aspirations, 
choices  and  freedom.  In  school,  gender  stereotypes  strongly  affect  a  young  person’s  classroom 
experience, preferences of boys and girls for certain disciplines and overall perception of their abilities.

•  Gender stereotypes are often combined with other stereotypes such as those based on race or ethnic 

origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

•  Assumptions about gender may be conscious or unconscious and can result in different treatment of 

one group compared to another.

•  Addressing gender stereotypes throughout the education cycle is key to enabling children to have 
equal  opportunities  independent  of  their  gender.  This  includes  examining  the  norms,  values  and 
beliefs unwittingly conveyed in the classroom and the social environment (hidden curriculum) and 
what learners do not have the opportunity to learn (null curriculum).

• 

• 

Challenging gender stereotypes in school can help to reduce gender imbalances in other spheres of 
life, such as at home or in the workplace.

Providing girls and boys with new role models has a positive impact on making the best use of their 
potential.

•  Out-of-school and family contexts are often rich in implicit messages related to gender; teachers 

have a responsibility to make the implications of such messages visible and challenge them.

Messages related to the importance of the transport sector
•  Mobility and transport matters to us all. From daily commuting to work, visiting family and friends, 
tourism, to the proper functioning of global supply chains for the goods in our shops and for our 
industrial production, mobility is an enabler of our economic and social life.

• 

Free movement of people and goods across its internal borders is a fundamental freedom of the EU 
and its single market. Travelling in the EU has led to greater cohesion and a strengthened European 
identity.

•  As the second-largest area of expenditure for European households, the transport sector contributes 

5 % to European GDP and directly employs around 10 million workers.

• 

• 

• 

The transport sector is bigger and wider than what young people see and perceive, especially in the 
‘backstage’ of the daily organisational effort to provide the service.

The most serious challenge facing the transport sector is to significantly reduce its emissions and 
become  more  sustainable.  Changes  in  the  sector,  in  particular  those  relating  to  automation  and 
digitalisation, are creating new challenges, but the ongoing digital transformation also presents new 
opportunities. 

Some parts of the transport sector are expected to grow and employ more workers in the future and 
will be in need of highly skilled workers with competences in engineering and technology.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL17

Pedagogical approach

The underlying pedagogical principles of the toolkit are the following:

Key competences for lifelong learning

In line with the widely adopted competence-based approaches of the European education systems, and 
following the Council Recommendation,10 the toolkit aims to develop in learners the key competences 
for lifelong learning needed for personal fulfilment, a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, employability, 
active citizenship and social inclusion. Among these competences we can highlight the following:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

numerical, scientific and engineering skills;

digital and technology-based competences;

interpersonal skills and the ability to adopt new competences;

active citizenship;

entrepreneurship.

Active methodologies

Although we could date active methodologies as far back as the Socratic method in ancient Greece, it has 
been in the last decades that we have seen a remarkable movement to make learners the centre of their 
own learning. As suggested by Barnes (1989), active learning is purposive, reflective, negotiated, critical, 
complex, situation-driven and engaging.11

Cooperative learning

Within the ample choice of active methodologies, we favoured cooperative learning because of the way 
it meets the objectives of this toolkit. In general, it is agreed among teachers that this is an approach that 
increases learning, self-esteem, a positive attitude towards learning and the acceptance of differences by 
developing a positive interdependence among learners. In cooperative learning, the goal is not individual 
success. Success is shared as it depends on each member of the learning community contributing to it 
(interdependence). Cooperative learning is more motivational and therefore it produces deeper learning, 
better class relationships, deeper critical thinking and better acceptance of oneself and others.

Learning to learn

Learning to think and developing self-regulation skills are key for young people to become more effective 
and autonomous learners. In combination with cooperative learning, it is an enormously powerful tool. 
By means of visible thinking routines,12 the objective is to help learners to understand better what kind 
of learners they are and how to improve their intrinsic learning capacity.

Teachers support learners by helping them develop the skills they need to be critical and creative in their 
thinking, and to make hypotheses, weighing different options and their consequences. They help learners 
become more empathetic by engaging with different viewpoints, and understanding how others think 
and feel.

10 

 Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for lifelong learning (OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, pp. 1–13), https://
eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2018.189.01.0001.01.ENG.

11  Barnes, D. R. (1989). Active Learning. Leeds University TVEI Support Project.

12 

 Visible thinking routines were developed by Project Zero, a research centre at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 
More information is available at http://www.pz.harvard.edu/projects/visible-thinking.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL18

Experiential learning

In order to promote deeper learning experiences and better engage learners in their learning process 
Kolb  and  Kolb’s  experiential  learning  cycle13  has  also  been  considered  in  the  toolkit’s  design.  In  this 
model, a direct experience is provided by the teacher and this experience is followed by individual or 
group reflections (metacognitive activity). There follows a phase of conceptualisation. In the final phase, 
learners should reflect about the application of what they have learnt in their own life.

Assessment

The toolkit provides ‘light’ assessment tools that can be applied at different stages in the activities to 
help teachers and learners in their teaching and learning processes. Assessment is understood in these 
toolkits as a process supportive of reflection and learning, and different tools are provided for teachers 
and learners in the suggested pathways.

13 

 Kolb, Alice and Kolb, David (2018). ‘Eight Important Things to Know About the Experiential Learning Cycle’. ACEL National 
Conference, https://experientiallearning.net/listing/8-important-things-to-know-about-the-experiential-learning-cycle/.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL19

TOOLSET 2: INITIAL TEACHERS’ 
SELF-ASSESSMENT

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL20

Initial self-assessment tool 1: Questionnaire

Focus of the tool

As teachers we do not only teach what we consciously teach. Our learners learn not only what we teach 
them  explicitly,  but  they  also  learn  when  they  infer  things  that  we  do  not  teach  consciously  but  are 
present in schools.

Learners learn that if boys occupy more space in the playground, or if they are louder in class and receive 
more attention from the teachers, this is because their role in life is dominant. This example corresponds 
to what we call the hidden curriculum.

Learners  also  learn  that  if  women  are  underrepresented  in  the  curriculum,  if  we  do  not  teach  about 
women artists, scientists or writers, it might be because they are not worth it, there are not many or 
they are not so good. This example suggests the null curriculum. With such messages, not only are we 
depriving girls from the reference points they need, but we are also teaching girls — and boys — that 
women’s role in life is secondary.

The focus of this tool is to make teachers aware of the null and the hidden curriculum, just as they are 
aware of the formal curriculum.

To take into account

You do not have to answer the questions in writing if you do not feel like it. The initial self-reflection can 
be done mentally. However, use of a printed sheet and pen invite for a deeper reflection.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLQuestionnaire 

Agree

Disagree

Not sure

21

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

In my school there is no gender discrimination.

In the playground, it is normal for boys to take up more 
space because they play football.

In my class, I treat boys and girls in the same way.

When a learner is troublesome, I usually say: ‘Tell your 
mother to come in to see me because I need to talk to 
her.’

I tend to pay more attention to boys because they are 
noisier. Girls do not need so much attention.

I use inclusive language at school.

There is no such thing as ‘games for girls’ and ‘games 
for boys’.

Men and women teachers have the same opportunities 
for promotion and professional development.

Women  and  men  teachers  are  equally  likely  to  hold 
leadership positions at school.

My  classroom  materials  (including  textbooks,  images, 
reading  materials,  written  assignments)  portray  men 
and women with equal respect, potential and in all their 
diversity.

I do not think there should be ‘toys for boys’ and ‘toys 
for girls’.

It is fine to say ‘men’, ‘boys’ or use the masculine form 
when  you  refer  both  to  ‘men’  and  ‘women’  or  ‘boys’ 
and ‘girls’ in general. Everybody understands that the 
masculine form includes both genders.

The school cannot do much about gender discrimination. 
That is something learners must learn at home.

In staff meetings, it is normal to hear teachers referring 
to  boys  with  good  marks  as  ‘very  intelligent’  and  to 
girls with good marks as ‘very hard-working’.

The  teaching  materials  I  use  show  women  and  men 
equally  and  reflect  the  needs  and  life  experiences  of 
girls and boys.

Boys are usually better at science and maths. Girls are 
usually better at languages.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL22

If you were not absolutely sure about some of your answers to some of the statements, or there are 
features you would like to observe more closely and consciously while you are working with the toolkit 
with your learners, you can use the space below for your observation and reflection.

What do I need to observe?

What did I find out?

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL23

Initial self-assessment tool 2: Mini task

Focus of the tool
This mini task can be used to complement any other tools suggested in this toolset or independently. The 
objective is to raise your consciousness about the existence of a hidden curriculum and a null curriculum 
that run parallel to the formal curriculum and that very often go unperceived by learners and teachers 
alike.

Learners learn that if boys occupy more space in the playground, or if they are louder in class and receive 
more attention from the teachers, this is because their role in life is dominant. This example corresponds 
to what we call the hidden curriculum.

Learners  also  learn  that  if  women  are  underrepresented  in  the  curriculum,  if  we  do  not  teach  about 
women artists, scientists or writers, it might be because they are not worth it, there are not many or 
they are not so good. This example suggests the null curriculum. With such messages, not only are we 
depriving girls from the reference points they need, but we are also teaching girls — and boys — that 
women’s role in life is secondary.

To take into account
You do not have to answer the questions in writing if you do not feel like it. The initial self-reflection can 
be done mentally. However, use of a printed sheet and pen invite for a deeper reflection.

What is the name of your school? Many schools are named after historical figures. You can run a 
quick search on the internet and find out how many schools in your region are named after men and 
women historical figures and explore their profiles. You can list the names below.

Walk  around  the  school  playground  during  one  or  two  breaks  and  analyse  children’s  use  and 
participation in the playground. How much space do boys and girls take up? What kind of games do 
they play? What kind of sports and activities do they do? What parts of the playground do they use? 
How do they interact with each other? Are there are any significant differences in the behaviour of 
girls and boys and younger and older learners? You can write your observations below.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL24

You can browse through the materials you use in class and analyse whether they contain gender 
stereotypes. How do the materials portray women and men? Are they represented equally, in the 
same numbers, with equal respect and potential and in all their diversity? Do the topics, subjects and 
pictures in your class materials reflect needs and connect to the life experiences of both boys and 
girls? You can write your observations below.

Before starting to work with the toolkit, you should be especially attentive to the time you interact 
with your learners for a few days. Did you interact, teach or treat girls and boys in your classroom in 
the same way? You can write your observations below.

Finally, you can write about any reflections that you have had while doing this mini task and that can 
be useful while working with the toolkit.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL25

Initial self-assessment tool 3: Reflection

Focus of the tool

Reflection is an important part of teaching and learning. A routine of reflection prior to teaching new 
topics  is  an  opportunity  to  update  knowledge  and  perceptions  and  focus  on  what  is  proposed  in  the 
toolkit and the reasoning that supports the activities.

This reflection tool draws attention to and raises awareness of gender stereotypes, pitfalls of professional 
choices and pedagogical practices and alerts for what needs attention outside the classroom and for 
gender issues related to the world of work. It also addresses overall considerations related to teacher–
learner relations.

To take into account

The  reflection  that  this  tool  offers  aims  to  make  teachers  feel  comfortable  and  able  to  develop  the 
proposed activities. This tool should be used prior to the activity but can also support teachers’ practice 
during the development of the activities.

Questions to draw attention and raise awareness

Why the focus on gender?

•  How can the concept of gender help us think about the functioning and perpetuation of inequalities 

between boys and girls, men and women in education and the world of work?

•  As educators, what should we pay attention to and how can we help address gender inequalities?

•  What  is  the  role  of  educators  in  deconstructing  stereotypical  behaviour  and  encouraging  diverse 

opportunities for all?

• 

In languages that differentiate gender, do we pay attention to the language we use with our learners 
so that they all feel represented?

Professional choices and pedagogical practices

•  How is the physical space of the classes organised?

•  How do we select who speaks in our lessons?

•  Do girls and boys have access to and take the same space?

•  Do we have the same expectations from boys and girls when it comes to grades and behaviours?

•  Do we avoid assigning separate tasks for girls and boys?

•  Do we allow all children to explore their interests without regard to non-stereotyped roles?

•  Do we consider how our class material reinforces gender stereotypes? What characteristics do the 
materials attribute to women and men? Are they represented equally, in the same numbers, with 
equal respect and potential and in all their diversity?

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL26

What happens outside the classroom?

• 

• 

Is the representation of boys and girls in leadership roles balanced?

Is the school playground a safe place for all?

•  Do extra-curricular activities provide a supportive environment that allows children to explore their 

interests without regard to traditional gender roles?

•  Are girls’ sport teams equally recognised as boys’ sport teams?

•  Among the non-teaching staff in your school, how many are women and how many are men?

• 

In interaction with learners, what are the expectations of non-teaching staff regarding the behaviour 
of girls and boys?

Gender and the world of work

•  Have you considered how gender stereotypes shape educational and career choices and aspirations 

of boys and girls, men and women?

•  Have you wondered why women dominate specific fields, such as teaching and care work, but are 

underrepresented in others, such as engineering and technology, in which men dominate?

•  Have you thought about why women still earn less than men and how gender stereotypes contribute 

to the gender pay gap?

•  Have you considered that women remain underrepresented in higher-paid professions, even though 
there  are  more  women  university  graduates  than  men  in  the  EU,  and  that  discriminatory  social 
norms and stereotypes about women’s and men’s skills and the undervaluation of women’s work are 
some of the main contributing factors?

•  Have you considered that in male-dominated sectors, such as transport, women often find themselves 
in lower-paid and lower-status jobs without good opportunities for promotion and career development, 
which is a key factor for the existing pay gap between women and men in transport?

•  Did  you  know  that  the  European  Commission  acknowledges  that  the  share  of  women  workers  in 
the  transport  sector  is  well  below  their  share  in  the  overall  economy  and  is  undertaking  specific 
measures to render the sector more attractive to women workers?

Other overall considerations

• 

In school, a positive attitude towards a subject is related to positive teacher–learner relations since 
interaction  with  teachers  helps  shape  the  cognitive  development  and  intellectual  engagement  of 
girls and boys.

•  Boys  and  girls  tend  to  learn  more  when  they  feel  that  their  teachers  are  taking  them  seriously 

because they gain confidence and perform better.

•  Girls and boys who are better informed about what will help them learn also tend to perform better

Throughout the activities

•  Avoid assigning stereotypical gendered roles to learners that may contribute to the internalisation of 
‘female’ or ‘male’ identities, for example asking boys to build things and girls to take notes. Ensure 
that the different roles required by the activity are rotated between all learners.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL27

TOOLSET 3: GENDER 
STEREOTYPES

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL28

± 85 min.

Activity 1: 
Uncovering 
women’s history

Subject matter
Citizenship education, social sciences, history, arts, languages. 

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

•   gain knowledge about contributions of fascinating women who have shaped our history and issues 

that are not generally covered within current historical narratives (e.g. the status of women, women’s 
rights movement).

•   understand how different content in textbooks and 
curricula are important avenues towards equality in 
education and future educational and career choices.

Preparation and materials

•    Prior to the activity, consider revising information 

on how to organise a gallery walk,14 if needed. In 
settings, turn on ‘auto-translate’ to watch the video 
with subtitles in your own language.

•   Flip-chart paper, coloured markers, scissors, glue for 

the learners to create posters.

•   Information sources on women’s history (e.g. 

Europeana15 website, local sources of Women’s History 
Month, ‘herstory’ campaign and other collections) for 
the learners’ online research.

•   Activity 1: The gallery walk observation sheet to 

print and distribute to all learners.

14  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLk_aVhYwg.
15  https://blog.europeana.eu/tag/womens-history/.

Key focus and issues

Mainstream history records 
have minimised or ignored the 
contributions of women to different 
fields and the effect that historical 
events had on women as a whole. 
This activity provides a possibility 
to revise the historical narratives 
and challenge or expand the stories 
we are generally told. It opens the 
gateway towards understanding 
that gender equality is a social, 
rather than a women’s goal, which 
benefits all.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL29

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
20 min.

Step 2
20 min.

Explain to the learners that they will be 
creating a poster for a gallery walk.
The learners carry out online research 
to discover contributions of fascinating 
women who have shaped our history 
and issues that are not generally cov-
ered within current historical narratives 
(e.g. the status of women, women’s 
rights movement). Based on the gath-
ered information and material, they 
create a poster on a flip-chart paper. 
Learners decide the title of the poster, 
size of the visual materials, key mes-
sages and highlights. 

Select a date for the gallery walk and 
discuss any related details with learn-
ers.

Before the day of the gallery walk, set 
up the gallery space. Number and place 
posters on different walls in a room, 
leaving enough space between posters 
to comfortably view the gallery.

Hand out Activity 1: The gallery walk 
observation sheet to all learners.

Step 3
25 min.

On the day of the gallery walk, 
instruct the groups to walk around 
the gallery and stop at the posters 
created by other groups. Give 
groups around three minutes per 
poster to observe and fill in the 
observation sheet, emphasising 
that the focus of the observation 
is to highlight the posters’ key 
messages.

Step 4
20 min.

Leave the posters in the room.
Debriefing (can be done in next 
class).

Tips and remarks  
•   Feel free to select other resource 

material.

•   During the gallery walk, the groups 
explore the posters containing 
a variety of written and visual 
messages.

•   Use the observation worksheetsto 
keep learners focused on the 
observation activity.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
•   Conduct a question and answer (Q & A) session: let each group share observations and ask 

questions/clarifications about other posters and relevant groups react.

•    Summarise key ideas, making sure that learners grasp that many aspects of women’s history are 

not included in history books. Being aware of this omission is key for a better understanding of how 
gender stereotypes are strongly embedded in our societies.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•    Instead of observation worksheets, ask learners to write their questions on sticky notes and place 
them next to each poster. Conduct debriefing in the same way as with questions in the worksheets.

•   Invite other classes and teachers to the gallery walk.

•    Draw attention to even lesser-known stories about and issues affecting women of marginalised 

backgrounds (e.g. women in minority ethnic groups, queer, migrant and refugee women).

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL30

ACTIVITY 1: THE GALLERY WALK OBSERVATION SHEET

Every learner brings this observation sheet to each station 
to complete the task.

Describe what you see:

Write something that is 
surprising.

Write something that 
interests you.

1

2

3

Write something you like.

4

5

6

7

Write one question you 
have.

Write one thing you do 
not want to forget.

Write one thing you 
would like to share.

What is the key 
message of the poster 
(assessment)?

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL± 30 min.

31

Activity 2: Write three names

Subject matter
Social sciences, history, citizenship education, science, 
art, tutorship and all other subjects for the follow-up 
activities. 

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

• 

• 

• 

learn about incredible women and men (they are 
likely to be more familiar with the latter), from 
the past and present to compensate for likely 
gaps in the curriculum;

explore the connection between gender 
inequalities in society and what is taught in 
schools and recognise there are few women 
figures in textbooks and other learning resources;

explain how different content in textbooks and 
curricula are important avenues leading to (in)
equality in education and future career choices.

Preparation and materials
• 

Learners divided into groups of three or four. 

• 

• 

 The Activity 2: Write three names worksheet 
printed and distributed for each group.

 Groups can compete among themselves (for 
highest score overall, or highest number of 
identified women).

Key focus and issues

•  Women’s contributions have largely 
been overlooked and consequently 
omitted from the curriculum and 
mainstream culture and history 
records. This activity helps to fill 
the gap by emphasising women’s 
accomplishments in history, next  
to men’s. Learners explore possible 
role models, suggesting they can 
grow up to be whatever they wish, 
regardless of gender or what other 
people think.

• 

The focus is also on questioning 
the reasons why there might be so 
few women in certain fields (e.g. 
unequal division of domestic work 
and care between women and men, 
gender stereotypes and laws that 
have shaped or even banned entry of 
women into certain educational fields 
and professions) and the different 
ways in which their contributions 
have been rendered invisible (e.g. 
scientists whose research and 
findings were claimed by their 
husbands, artists and authors who 
had to disguise themselves as men).

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL32

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
15 min.

Distribute the Activity 
2: Write three names 
worksheet to all groups 
and give them time to 
fill it in.

Step 2
5 min.

Ask learners to 
discuss their chart 
in the group.

Step 3
10 min.

Debriefing in 
the whole class.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING

Discuss the following questions:

  In which categories was it more difficult to fill in the 
names?

   Was it easier/more difficult to fill in names of 
contemporary or historical characters?

• 

• 

• 

Tips and remarks  
•   Use the internet to check 

potentially unknown names that 
learners may provide.

•  Set time limit to fill in the sheet.
•   Depending on the subject 

matter, adjust the categories as 
needed or limit in a geographical 
or time scope.

   Assuming this is the case, why was it more difficult 
to fill in the women’s names? Is it because there are 
fewer relevant historical women or because we do not know about them? In both cases, why is that 
so?

•  Do textbooks offer a proper representation of women?

•  Why is it important that relevant women are as fairly represented as men in textbooks and other 

education materials?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS

• 

• 

Challenge learners individually or in groups to prepare a brief biographical presentation of the 
relevant figures. Let learners analyse their textbooks from different subject matter and compare 
the representation of women and men. How many women and men are there and how are they 
represented?

 Explore both the narrative of women’s suppression as well as the positive role of men taking action 
for gender equality. In nearly every remarkable woman’s biography, there is a man (e.g. a brother, 
father, friend, teacher) who saw her as an equal, championing her dreams and talents. In contrast, 
behind a man’s success, there is likely to be a good deal of women’s contributions and invisible 
work.

• 

 Organise a cinema session and project a film about any of these inspiring women. A quick internet 
search will provide many titles.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL33

ACTIVITY 2: WRITE THREE NAMES WORKSHEET

Write between one and three names in each box. The names may belong to any historical period and 
they may be from your country or any other. A correct answer scores one point.

Women scientists

Men scientists

Women Nobel Prize 
winners

Men Nobel Prize 
winners

Women artists

Men artists

Women writers

Men writers

Women composers

Men composers

Women inventors

Men inventors

Women politicians

Men politicians

Women historical 
figures

Men historical  
figures

Total score: ______ /48

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL34

± 90 min.

Activity 3: What is 
expected of me ?

Subject matter
Citizenship education, social sciences, history.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

• 

• 

• 

 question social construction of gender 
stereotypes and confront their own perceptions of 
societal expectations related to gender;

 explore the concept of gender stereotypes;

recognise that assumptions about boys and 
girls and women and men may be conscious or 
unconscious and can result in different treatment 
of one group compared to the other.16

Preparation and materials
• 

Prior to the activity, consider exploring Toolset 
7: To go one step further for the glossaries 
and other material on the key concepts, such as 
gender stereotypes and gender equality.

• 

Show the trailers of ‘The Mask You Live In’17 and 
‘Miss Representation’18 to learners. In settings, 
turn on ‘auto-translate’ to watch the videos with 
subtitles in your own language.

• 

Sticky notes.

Key focus and 
issues

This activity raises awareness 
on the creation and enforcement 
of gender stereotypes through 
societal expectations and the 
harmful ways they impact girls 
and boys, men and women. 
Gender stereotypes can limit 
the development of the talents 
and abilities of boys and girls, 
women and men, as well as their 
educational and professional 
choices and life opportunities in 
general. They both result from, 
and are the cause of, deeply 
entrenched attitudes, values, 
norms and prejudices.19

16 

 This is a staple activity on gender stereotypes, with several versions and variations available online. See, for example, 
https://www.pcc.edu/illumination/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2018/05/gender-role-boxes-glbtq-and-sexism-
exercise.pdf and https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/files/Exercise-2-Act-like-a-Man-Act-like-a-Lady.pdf.

17  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc45-ptHMxo.
18  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2UZZV3xU6Q.
19  https://eige.europa.eu/thesaurus/terms/1222.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL35

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Write ‘Be a man’ on one half of the 
board.

Step 1
20 min.

Instruct the learners to discuss in pairs 
what words, ideas or expectations come 
to mind when thinking about being a 
man. Guiding questions could include: 
What does it mean to act like a man? 
Does this vary in different activities, e.g. 
sports, work, dating, parenting, etc.?
Ask the learners to write their answers 
on sticky notes and place them under 
the heading ‘Be a man’ on the board.

Write ‘Be a woman’ on the other half of 
the board.

Instruct learners to discuss in pairs what 
words, ideas or expectations come to 
mind. Guiding questions could include: 
What does it mean to act like a woman? 
Does this vary in different activities, e.g. 
sports, work, dating, parenting, etc.?
Ask the learners to write their answers 
on sticky notes and place them under 
the heading ‘Be a woman’ on the board.

Step 5
20 min.

Step 6
10 min.

Step 2
20 min.

Step 3
1 min.

Once both sides of the board are 
completed, rewrite the headings on 
the board and tell learners that now 
there are two different lists on the 
board: ‘Stereotypes about men’ and 
‘Stereotypes about women’.
Draw a box around each list.

Step 4
5 min.

Explain to learners that the boxes 
contain the lists of attitudes and 
behaviours that societies traditionally 
expect girls and boys to adopt as they 
are growing up.

Explain that these societal 
expectations are learned through 
the process of socialisation and not 
something boys and girls are born 
with.

Initiate the discussion by asking the 
learners: Where do we get these 
stereotypical messages from? Divide 
learners into groups. Ask one group 
to discuss the different origins of 
such messages (e.g. media, schools 
and other institutions, family and 
peer environment) and how they are 
linked to the lists of behaviours and 
attitudes listed on the board. Ask 
another group to discuss what names 
girls and boys are called, when they 
step out of the stereotype boxes, and 
write those names on sticky notes 
that are placed outside but next to 
the two boxes on the board.

Explain that we may have the wrong 
impression that gender equality 
is already a reality. Highlight that 
realising gender equality is a 
continuing and challenging task 
and we still have a long way to go. 
Achieving gender equality implies 
positive changes for everyone. 
Therefore, everyone has a role to play 
in this effort.

Step 7
20 min.

Debriefing.

Tips and remarks  
•   Consider the role of gender 

stereotyping in school culture 
and the effects of not fitting into 
the stereotypes.

•   Explore the link between gender 
stereotyping and inequality.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL36

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING

Discuss the following questions:

•  What was the most relevant thing you learned today? Why?

•  What was more difficult to understand? Why?

•  Which lifestyles, values and points of view were represented? What (if any) are still missing?

•  Who creates these messages? With what purpose? How can we be more resilient to such 

messages?

• 

Look at the boxes again. How do you think it feels when someone does not fit these stereotypes?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS

• 

Show both trailers again and ask learners to make comments reflecting on today’s learning. This 
can be done as homework or in a follow-up lesson.

•  Adapt the activity for younger learners by taking responsibility for writing and simplifying all terms 

and questions.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL37

± 55 min and project work

Activity 4: Designing a wall newspaper 
– a special edition on gender issues

Subject matter
Citizenship education, social sciences, history, information 
and communications technology (ICT), languages, art.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

• 

• 

practise conducting research and develop newspaper 
content;

develop critical thinking, creative language, literacy and 
social skills;

• 

practise teamwork, collaboration and decision-making.

Key focus  
and issues

Learners explore in-depth 
a variety of gender issues 
as newspaper producers. 
This is a great opportunity 
for project work, with 
collaboration at its heart, and 
multidisciplinary learning, 
wherein the skills, knowledge 
and modes of thinking are 
joined.

Preparation and materials
• 

Prior to the activity, consider exploring Toolset 7: To go 
one step further for glossaries and other material on the key concepts.

•  An example of a newspaper to show to the learners so they understand the various elements of a 

newspaper (design and layout) and know what content and information to gather.

•  Access to the internet for online research and if possible a printer (or copies of newspapers and 

photographs learners can use).

• 

 Sheets of paper, markers, pencils, scissors.

•  A free wall in the classroom to display the learners’ work.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL38

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
20 min.

Explain the activity and discuss prac-
tical arrangements with learners. Ask 
the learners to discuss and decide on 
what the content of the newspaper is 
(target audience, layout and design, 
key messages, division of roles, etc.). 
Divide the learners into smaller groups. 
Instruct each group to take responsibility 
for developing a specific section of the 
newspaper.

In coordination with learners, sched-
ule small-group and whole-class 
meetings to supervise and assist the 
groups, as needed. 

Ask the learners to combine their 
sections into a class newspaper and 
place it on the wall.

Step 3
10 min.

Step 2

Explain to learners that once they decide 
on the topics to be covered in the news-
paper, they should conduct research, 
write the articles and integrate visual 
materials.

Step 4
25 min.

Debriefing.

Tips and remarks  
•  Consider assigning editing and 

proofreading to different groups 
than the writers to practise 
providing feedback to others.

•   Reflect with the learners on the 
division of roles in the project 
work. Does it reproduce gender 
stereotypes? Why?

•   Make sure that the groups 
understand their roles and 
corresponding responsibilities. 
For instance, it should be clear 
that proofreaders examine 
the text carefully to find and 
correct typographical errors and 
mistakes in grammar, style and 
spelling.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
• 

Let learners share experiences from this 
assignment. Use probing questions if necessary, 
such as: What sections did you develop and why? 
What decisions did you have to make and how did 
you go about it? What went well and what could 
go better next time?

• 

• 

Explore work of different groups, bringing to light 
how learners constructed knowledge and meaning 
based on their experiences.

 Divide the learners into small groups or in pairs 
and let them select three sections of the wall 
newspaper that they found most meaningful or 
interesting and explain why.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
Simplify the project work by producing only one 
section of the paper or the front page.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL39

± 20 min.

Activity 5: I see, I think, I wonder

Subject matter

Social science, citizenship education, languages, tutorship and 
other subject matter when adjusted.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will:

• 

• 

 discuss how playgrounds and other school structures 
are influential mechanisms through which children are 
exposed to ideas about gender;

explain how gender may influence their self-segregation 
(boys playing mostly with boys, and girls playing mostly 
with girls), the development of their talents and abilities, 
as well as educational and professional choices;

• 

 make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations.

Preparation and materials
• 

 Activity 5: Picture for learning to display in the lesson.

• 

 Activity 5: I see, I think, I wonder worksheet to 
distribute to learners. 

Key focus  
and issues

The thinking routine 
‘I see, I think, I wonder’20 
challenges learners to 
take a critical look at how 
differently space is taken up 
by boys and girls and the 
implications this may have for 
their personal development, 
self-perception and even 
career prospects. The activity 
focuses also on guiding 
learners in their thinking 
process, namely by helping 
them differentiate between 
what they objectively see 
and can describe and what 
they think or would like to 
know about what they see 
(i.e. between what is objective 
and subjective).

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
3 min.

Display Activity 5: Picture for learning and ask learners to write down individually 
‘what they can see’ in the Activity 5: I see, I think, I wonder worksheet. Make 
sure that they simply describe what they can see objectively.

20 

 This thinking routine was developed by Project Zero, a research centre at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 
More information is available at https://pz.harvard.edu/resources/see-think-wonder.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL40

Ask them to do the same in 
response to ‘what they think’.

Ask them to do the same in 
response to ‘what they wonder’.

Step 2
3 min.

Step 3
3 min.

Step 4
3 min.

Step 5
8 min.

Let learners compare their ideas  
with those of their classmates.

Debriefing in the whole group.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

Tips and remarks  
•   Make sure learners only write 

what they see, what they 
think and what they wonder. 

•   Challenge some of the 

answers in case objective and 
subjective ideas are mixed up. 

• 

• 

Is this playground similar or different to your own? 
How?

In your experience, do girls and boys play the same 
or different games and sports on the playground? How are they similar or different?

•  What affects how and which games and sports girls and boys play?

•  What could be the consequences of boys and girls using the playground similarly or 
differently for your interests, talent development or even future career choices?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•  Visit your school playground and compare it with Activity 5: Picture for learning. You can 

let learners prepare an observation list beforehand.

• 

• 

Challenge physical and spatial separation according to gender and comment positively on 
healthy, supportive and fulfilling cross-gender friendships and relationships.

Explore/research with the learners more exhaustively what skills and competences can be 
developed from the different way the playground is used and the implications for future 
career choices (e.g. are boys more likely than girls to develop their space orientation better 
because of the games and sports they play, and consequently choose certain career paths?).

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL41

ACTIVITY 5: PICTURE FOR LEARNING

Look at the following picture and talk to your 
see, think and wonder. 
classmates about what you see, think and wonder.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL42

ACTIVITY 5: I SEE, I THINK, I WONDER WORKSHEET

I see…

What do you see? What 
details stand out? 

I think…

What do you think is
going on? What makes 
you say that?

I wonder…

What makes you
wonder? What broader 
questions does this image 
raise for you?

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL± 25 min.

43

Activity 6: 
Stereotypes … 
what stereotypes?

Subject matter
Social science, history, citizenship education, tutorship, arts.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

•      explore men and women role models in pop culture and 
entertainment, such as in TV series, digital media, music, 
magazines, comics and gaming;

•      discuss the relationship between attributing certain 

qualities to women and men and associating specific 
school subjects and occupations with a specific gender.

Preparation and materials
Learners divided into groups of four. If possible, the groups 
should be gender balanced.

Key focus  
and issues

Popular culture, media 
and new technologies play 
a major role in children’s 
lives. This activity aims to 
help learners reflect how 
gender stereotypes are 
exacerbated in these spaces 
and their impact (e.g. in 
terms of their perception 
of others, their professional 
choices).

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL44

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
4 min.

Ask the learners to write an individual 
list of their top five magazines, 
comics, digital media, video/
online games, songs and TV series. 
Alternatively, consider asking the 
learners to bring relevant material to 
class to illustrate their top five.

Step 3
5 min.

Ask the learners in each group to 
make a list of 10 adjectives that best 
describe how men are represented 
in their material and 10 adjectives 
that best describe how women are 
represented.

Step 2
4 min.

Ask the learners to compare their lists 
in their group.

Step 4
12 min.

Debriefing.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING

•     Discuss the following questions:

Tips and remarks  
Consider researching the songs, 
games, magazines, digital 
media, etc. that the learners are 
interested in. 

•      In small groups: Do girls and boys like the same songs, 

video games, magazines, digital media? Think of the video games you have recently played, the 
video clips you have recently watched, the magazines you have recently read, how do they represent 
boys and girls, men and women?

•      In big groups or in the whole class: What are the consequences of these representations for your 
life? How do they influence the decisions you make, your behaviour and future career choices? 

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
 •     Challenge learners to rethink or rewrite the analysed material to a version without gender biases.

 •     Seek out learners’ material or experiences with non-stereotyped characters, such as female 

characters with realistic body types or passion for maths and science and non-aggressive male 
characters with an interest in care-giving and dancing. How do these characters go against what 
society expects of them?

•     Explore the concerns confronting transgender and gender-non-conforming students and how to be 
a trans* ally21. In settings, turn on ‘auto-translate’ to watch the video with subtitles in your own 
language.

21 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLyfdph9z-mJwZBVa0bqN6wzSaXIgOezeY&v=EO5VTkknW6E&feature=youtu.
be&ab_channel=AshHardell.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL± 80 min.

45

Activity 7: Real men aren’t caring … 
or are they?

Subject matter

Citizenship education, civics, history, social 
sciences, geography, arts.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will discover that gender relations are 
a complex multilevel system of difference and 
inequality that comprises, but is not limited 
to, roles and identities at the individual level, 
patterns of behaviours and organisational 
practices at the community level and cultural 
beliefs and distribution of resources and 
power at the society level.

Preparation and materials

Key focus and issues

This activity consists of group work and 
collective sharing. It focuses on a review 
of the key concepts, such as gender 
stereotypes, norms, discrimination and 
roles. The latter encompass a range of 
behaviours and attitudes that are generally 
considered acceptable, appropriate or 
desirable for a person based on their 
gender. These gendered expectations are 
widespread in our societies and shape 
children’s educational and career paths.

•     Prior to the activity, consider exploring Toolset 7: To go one step further for glossaries and other 

material on the key concepts.

•      Flip-chart paper, glue and markers.

 •     Copies of Activity 7: Texts handout for the different groups.

 •     Magazines or newspapers containing pictures of women and men.

 •     A rearranged classroom, with grouped desks for three to five learners.

 •     If possible, learners divided into six groups of three to five learners (two groups of girls, two groups 

of boys and two mixed groups). Otherwise, all learners divided into mixed groups.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL46

Step 1
2 min.

Step 2
3 min.

Step 3
30 min.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Provide groups of girls with texts 
1 and 2 from the Activity 7: Texts 
handout. Provide groups of boys 
with texts 3 and 4. Provide mixed 
groups with text 5 and magazines or 
newspapers. If all groups are mixed, 
distribute all the texts among the 
different groups.

Explain that the activity includes 
group work, collective sharing and 
developing a critical view of what 
behaviours society expects from girls 
and boys, men and women.

Explain the different tasks:

•   The groups of boys and girls read 
and discuss the text. The aim is to 
reflect, discuss and reach a common 
and critical perspective on the text. 
Learners can use markers and flip-
chart paper to express their critical 
perspective. On top of the sheet, 
they should write the title of their 
reflection.

•   The mixed groups create a collage 

on the roles, behaviours and 
attitudes arbitrarily assigned or 
associated with girls and boys, 
women and men, using the 
material from the magazines and 
newspapers.

    On top of the sheet, they should 
write the title of their collage.
•   All groups select a speaker to 

present their work.

Step 4
25 min.

Ask each group of boys and girls to 
present their work in five minutes, 
explaining the common critical 
perspective and how and why it was 
reached. 

Ask the speakers of the mixed 
groups to present the collage and 
explain why the different pieces were 
selected. All flip-chart posters can be 
displayed on the wall.

Debriefing.

Step 5
20 min.

Tips and remarks  
Keep in mind that even though 
we live in more progressive 
societies than our ancestors, we 
need to remember that gendered 
expectations are still deeply 
ingrained into our culture. Often, 
they are hard for people to see 
unless they are pointed out. 
Schools provide crucial spaces 
and avenues towards dismantling 
as well as preventing gender 
stereotypes.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL47

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

•   Can you think of other behaviours expected or associated with girls and boys, men and women that 

the texts did not mention? 

•   Why might this topic matter to you? Why might it matter to people around you (family, friends, 

teachers, etc.)?

•  Did you enjoy the tasks? Was this discussion useful for you? Why is that?

•  Did the activity change the way you think about gender?

•  How do you feel after this activity?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
Read one text at a time from the Activity 7: Texts handout and discuss it with the learners.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL48

ACTIVITY 7: TEXTS HANDOUT

Text 1: Real men do not cry 

Men grow up believing that crying is a sign of weakness. While adults will often say soothing 
things to crying children to calm them down, boys are more likely to be told by parents, teachers 
and their peers that they should not cry and be brave instead. This makes boys bottle up their 
emotions and prevents them from overcoming them effectively. Since it is acceptable for girls 
to cry, people associate crying with femininity and weakness. Despite this gender stereotype, 
science shows that crying helps regulate emotional stress and is widely considered a healthy 
outlet.

Text 2: Real men are breadwinners

Even though both women as well as men participate in the professional world, most men 
still identify themselves as breadwinners and, in general, are expected to make a greater 
contribution financially towards the family than women in a traditional role. This expectation 
upholds traditional gender roles and reduces the likelihood of men’s involvement in unpaid 
work carried out primarily by women, such as housework and caring for children and other 
dependants. Furthermore, a growing body of research also demonstrates the harmful impacts 
of traditional gender roles on men, particularly in terms of their mental health.

Text 3: Women are quiet and passive

Many girls change from vibrant, talkative children to quiet and timid adolescents. There seems 
to be a shift as soon as girls and boys enter adolescence, where their attitudes and beliefs about 
gender change dramatically. Once girls become teens they are seen as vulnerable and in need 
of protection, leading many to hide their assertiveness in order to conform to society’s beliefs. 
Gender norms that say women should be polite and quiet lead many women to suppress their 
feelings in their relationships and remain discreet in the workplace.

Text 4: Women should look flawless

Just like men are expected to have a fit, muscular body, women face immense pressure from 
society to look attractive. Women are inundated with advertisements about beauty products, 
which are usually promoted by gorgeous models through television and magazines. These 
images are internalised and send the message to women that their worth is tied to their 
appearance. The pressure to look flawless affects women from all walks of life.

Text 5: Gender stereotypes and the media

Pop culture, entertainment and digital media tremendously influence and shape the qualities, 
attitudes and behaviours we expect from boys and girls, men and women.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL49

TOOLSET 4: WORK

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL50

± 65 min. and project work

Vertical gender segregation  
Women and men are 
concentrated in different 
grades, levels of 
responsibility or positions, 
with women being over-
represented in lower levels 
and lower-paying roles.

Activity 8: 
Researching gender 
segregation in the 
labour market

Horizontal gender segregation 
Women and men are concentrated in 
different occupations, with women being 
over-represented in jobs with worse working 
conditions and career prospects than men.

Subject matter

Citizenship education, civics, history, social sciences, English 
language, maths, ICT.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will:

•     research and discover the significance of gender segregation 

in the labour market;

•     relate gender segregation to the gender pay gap and explore 
women’s over-representation in jobs that are essential, yet 
economically and socially undervalued;

•      recognise the existence of barriers women face in the labour market.

Preparation and materials

Key focus  
and issues

Learners carry out project 
work in groups in a form 
of research on different 
topics. In the end, groups 
share their findings, while 
the overall meaning-
making occurs with 
debriefing.

•     Prior to the activity, consider exploring Toolset 7: To go one step further for the glossaries and 
other material on the key concepts, such as occupational and vertical gender segregation in the 
labour market, the gender pay gap and the glass ceiling.

 •     Learners in small groups (of not more than four to five members, preferably mixed gender).

•     Various sources, such as publications, newspapers and magazines, books, data databases.

 •     Access to the internet for a literature search.

 •     Activity 8: Worksheet for all learners.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL51

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
5 min.

Explain to the learners that each group 
has around one month to carry out 
research on gender inequalities in the 
labour market. Inform the learners 
that they should report weekly on 
their project work to the teacher and 
clarify any questions or doubts they 
have. Inform the learners that once the 
groups are finished with their research, 
they will share their findings in class.

Step 2
15 min.

Instruct the groups to research 
situations and look for evidence on one 
of the following topics:
•   horizontal gender segregation and its 

possible causes;

•   the gender pay gap in different 
sectors and occupations and its 
possible causes;

•   vertical gender segregation and the 
glass ceiling, exploring the barriers 
and solutions to overcome them;

•   the links between gender segregation 

in the labour market and gender 
segregation in education.

Inform the learners that the research 
can be restricted to a country context, 
or open in terms of geographical 
scope. Instruct the learners to use a 
variety of sources for their research 
and register their findings in Activity 
8: Worksheet. Ask learners to provide 
an overview of the sources used in 
their research. Inform learners that 
they could also draw on opinions of 
family members, acquaintances, etc.

Step 3

Monitor the work progress of the 
learners every week.

Step 4
45 min.

Dedicate time for sharing the findings 
and debriefing.

Tips and remarks  
•   Consider making it a 

multidisciplinary activity, 
in collaboration with other 
teachers. Use maths and ICT 
subjects to explore statistics 
and English to browse on the 
internet.

•   Recap with the learners the 
key principles for working 
with various sources and 
understanding their credibility.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

•     In your view, are women and men treated equally in 

the world of work in this country? And are they treated 
equally elsewhere? How does the situation make you 
feel?

•      How much do you think caring responsibilities affect 

men’s and women’s careers? Has this changed?

•     Were you surprised with your findings? Why is that?

•     Is the way you now think about these issues influenced by your research?

•     Did you enjoy this research? What are your concluding remarks?

•     Are there any other issues you would like to discuss or research? 

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
Each member of the group can be assigned a specific responsibility. The group would communicate to 
the teacher the responsibility of each member of the group.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL52

ACTIVITY 8: WORKSHEET

Source/date

Finding

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL± 30 min. and time for learners’ presentations

53

Activity 9:  
Where I will be in 
10 years’ time?

Subject matter

Citizenship education, civics, history, social sciences.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will:

 •     explore how they see their careers in 10 years, discover 
the implications of their choices and compare their 
choices with those of others in the class;

•     develop creative thinking and problem solving and 

connect with real-life situations and understand their 
complexity;

 •     practise navigating different opinions and perspectives 

and practise self-reflection

Preparation and materials
•     Coordinate with the learners what materials (if any) 

they will need for their presentations.

Key focus and 
issues

This is a forward-looking 
storytelling activity. It 
provides an opportunity 
for hands-on learning 
to help learners focus 
their attention on what is 
essential and, specifically, 
to think positively about the 
time they spend at school 
and compare the potential 
choices or plans for their 
future careers.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL54

Step 1
10 min.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Explain to the learners that this is 
a storytelling activity and that they 
should describe how they see their 
professional lives in 10 years and 
how they got there. Ask the learners 
to clearly explain the reason for any 
choices made in their story. Inform 
the learners that they are free to de-
cide how they will tell their story (e.g. 
through writing, a stand-up comedy, 
video recording, collage, poster, mind 
map, interview, postcard written for 
someone). Give each learner five min-
utes for their presentation.

Step 2
5 min.

Schedule the time for presentation. 
Encourage learners to be creative in 
their stories. Remind the learners to 
follow the structure of a good story, 
which has a beginning (awaken-
ing curiosity), a middle (ensuring 
progression of the story) and an end 
(conclusion).

Step 3

Ask the learners to share their pres-
entations.

Debriefing.

Step 4
15 min.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions and reflect on whether, how and why learners’ thinking has changed:

•     Did you enjoy this activity? Why is that?

•     Was it difficult for you to think about your future professional self? Why?

•     What new ideas or questions do you have?

•     What learning(s) can you take from this activity into your personal life? 

•     Did you consider your gender while you were projecting your future?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
Any ‘what if … ?’ activity allows for the development of storytelling skills. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL± 30 min

Activity 10:  
Look around  
and tell me  
what you see

Subject matter

Citizenship education, social sciences, 
history, tutorship, career counselling. 

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will:

•     explore the patterns of horizontal gender 
segregation in the labour market and the 
links to educational choices and career 
paths;

 •     understand that aspirations are shaped 

by gender stereotypes.

Preparation and materials

Done partly individually and partly in 
groups of three to four. 

55

Key focus and issues

Already by the age of five, children’s 
aspirations appear to be affected 
by gender stereotypes.22 While boys 
aspire for traditionally male-dominated 
professions, girls show a greater 
interest in caring-related roles. These 
trends are persistent into adulthood, 
with gender stereotypes having a strong 
impact on the subject choices and types 
of careers that young people are aware 
of and aspire to pursue. This activity 
challenges stereotypes about jobs and 
focuses on raising learners’ aspirations 
and broadening horizons free from 
gendered constraints, and showing the 
relevance of what they are learning to 
later in life.

22 

 OECD (2021). The Future at Five. Gendered aspirations of five-year-olds. Retrieved from: http://www.oecd.org/education/
school/early-learning-and-child-well-being-study.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL56

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
5 min.

Ask learners to make two lists. In 
the first list, they should list the jobs 
done by 10 to 20 women they know 
personally (e.g. family members, 
neighbours, friends). In the second 
list, they should do the same but for 
10 to 20 men.

Step 2
15 min.

Step 3
10 min.

Ask learners to analyse the lists in 
groups, establish the patterns and 
explain the reasons for the differences 
observed.

Debriefing.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

 •    What differences did you find between the two lists? 
How do the differences in your lists make you feel?

•     Can women and men do any job? 

Tips and remarks  
Reflect with the learners on both 
horizontal and vertical gender 
segregation.

•     Why do you think men and women end up choosing different career paths?

 •     Can we observe the same patterns in school? Are girls and boys inclined to choose subjects 

associated with their gender? Do you (as a girl/as a boy) fit in the pattern?

 •     What are the factors that influence girls’ and boys’ educational and career choices (family referents 

and expectations, likes and dislikes for certain school subjects, working conditions)?

•     Why are career decisions important in a person’s life? How do they influence a person’s life?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•     Use different material to create the lists of jobs with the learners (e.g. magazines, advertisements).

 •     Let the learners interview some of the women and men included in the lists. Agree on a common list 

of questions in the class beforehand, exploring the choices behind their career paths.

 •     Invite women professionals from male-dominated sectors or men professionals from female-

dominated sectors to the class to interact with the learners.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL57

 ± 45 min.

Activity 11:  
A leader of the 21st century

Key focus  
and issues

This activity prompts learners 
to envisage the key qualities 
and roles of leaders in 21st-
century organisations.

Subject matter

Citizenship education, social sciences, history, tutorship, career 
counselling, ICT.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will:

•  practise social, collaboration and decision-making skills;

•   experience cooperative teamwork, whereby learners change 
roles including the practice of leadership irrespective of 
gender.

Preparation and materials

•  Done partly individually, and partly in groups of three to four.

•  Activity 11: Personal information worksheet for each learner.

•  Activity 11: The 21st-century leader worksheet for every group.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL58

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
2 min.

Step 2
5 min.

Step 3
4 min.

Step 4
2 min.

Ask the learners to fill in Activity 11: 
Personal information worksheet.

Ask the learners to walk around the 
classroom and team up (in groups of 
three to four) with those classmates 
with whom they share some of their 
favourite things.

Instruct the learners to sit together 
and share their personal information.

Tell the learners that an important 
transport company (preferably one 
they have heard of) is looking for a 
new director. 
Ask the learners to take the role of 
members of the recruitment board 
developing the profile of the best 
candidate.

Step 5
7 min.

Using the ‘round robin’ cooperative 
strategy and Activity 11: The 21st-
century leader worksheet, ask the 
learners to list the characteristics that 
the 21st-century leader should have 

Step 6
7 min.

Step 7
3 min.

Step 8
5 min.

Step 9
10 min.

(including skills, traits and attitudes). 
For example, learner 1 writes the 
first idea about the topic and passes 
the activity sheet on to learner 2, 
who reads what is written and adds 
a new idea. The sheet goes around 
several times in the group until all the 
learners have finished adding their 
ideas.

Encourage the group to agree on the 
top 10 characteristics defining the 
21st-century leader.

Instruct all groups to post their sheet 
on the wall and read the different lists 
aloud or arrange a gallery walk.23

Ask the whole class to agree on a 
common list.

Debriefing.

Tips for teachers 
•   Steps 1–3 promote a positive 
interdependence among the 
group members by encouraging 
them to share things about 
each other, and will be useful 
particularly in settings where 
learners are not used to working 
in groups. 

•   Skip steps 1–3 if you decide 
to team up the learners in a 
different way.

23  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPLk_aVhYwg.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL59

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
•   What did you learn about the other members of the group that you did not know before and you found 

interesting? 

•   Are there any school subjects that are more related to the characteristics of a 21st-century leader than 

others? In which way?

•  Do you think school prepares you for these skills?

•  Are there any characteristics on the list that are specific of men/women?

•  Do you think men and women have different leading styles? Explain. 

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•   Complement with Activity 12: Could it be me? in which learners explore their own skills and attitudes.

•   Visit  a  real  company  and  interview  hiring  managers.  Learners  should  develop  interview  questions 

beforehand, preferably in a cooperative way. 

•   Adapt the activity to any other position, ideally those that are not well known to youth or are especially 

prone to gender stereotyping. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL60

ACTIVITY 11: PERSONAL INFORMATION WORKSHEET

Fill in the following information about yourself. 

Your name

Favourite sport

Favourite pet

Favourite place

Favourite hobby

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL61

ACTIVITY 11: THE 21ST-CENTURY LEADER WORKSHEET

The 21st-century leader:

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL62

± 30 min.

Activity 12: Could it be me?

Leading transport company in the region
is looking for a new managing director

Subject matter

Citizenship education, social sciences, history, 
tutorship, career counselling, ICT.

Expected learning outcomes 
Learners will: 

•   discuss why it is important to make well-

thought-through decisions about their career;

•   analyse and evaluate their own best-fit career 

possibilities.

Preparation and materials 
•   Best done as a follow-up to  Activity 11:  

A leader of the 21st century, in which the 
learners reflected on the characteristics 
defining a 21st-century leader.

•   Done partly individually, and partly in groups of 

three to four.

•   Groups can remain divided as in  Activity 11:  

A leader of the 21st century.

Key focus and 
issues

This activity focuses on en-
couraging learners to analyse 
their knowledge, skills and 
attitudes, strengths and weak-
nesses and assess their own 
career possibilities.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL63

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
2 min.

Step 2
7 min.

Explain that there is an advertisement 
in the newspaper: ‘Leading transport 
company in the region is looking 
for a new managing director’, and 
ask learners to revise the list of 
characteristics defining the 21st-
century leader. 

In groups, using the ‘round robin’ 
cooperative strategy (as in Activity 
11: A leader of the 21st century), 
ask the learners to reflect on the 
specific skills, knowledge and attitudes 
one needs to manage a transport 
company. The learners take several 
turns to list these characteristics. 
Learner 1 writes the first idea about 
the topic and passes the activity 
sheet on to learner 2, who reads what 

is written and adds a new idea. The 
sheet goes around several times in 
the group until all the learners have 
finished adding their ideas.

Step 3
8 min.

Distribute the lists in the classroom so 
that a common list of ideas is agreed 
on.

Step 4
5 min.

Ask the learners to reflect individually 
on their strengths and weaknesses as 
potential leaders of this company.

Debriefing.

Step 5
7 min.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
•   Are there any school subjects that could be more relevant for the development of characteristics of the 

managing director in a transport company? Can you provide specific examples?

•  Are there any characteristics on the list that are specific to women or men? Explain. 

•  Did any of your strengths or weaknesses surprise you?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
Adapt the activity to any other position, ideally those that are not well known to youth or are especially 
prone to gender stereotyping.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL64

± 30 min.

Activity 13: I used to think 
… but now I think …

Subject matter 
Citizenship education, social sciences, history, tutorship, career 
counselling, languages.

Expected learning outcomes 
Learners will: 
•   compare their initial and current views and reflect on whether 
and how their perceptions, ideas and thoughts have changed;

•   improve metacognitive skills by exploring and communicating 

to others what they know.

Preparation and materials 
•   Prior to the activity, other toolkit activities were done with 

the learners.

Key focus and 
issues

Through means of a thinking 
routine, the activity focuses 
on stimulating reflection 
among learners on their 
assumptions about the 
discussed gender issues 
and resolving any pending 
questions learners may have.

•   Consider reviewing briefly the activities you have done to revise the key issues discussed with the 

learners.

•  Post-it notes.

•   Activity 13: I used to think … but now I think … worksheet to distribute to all learners.

•   Done partly individually, and partly in groups of three to four.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
5 min.

Step 2
5 min.

Review briefly the activities done in 
Toolset 4: Work (or Toolsets 3 and 4).

Hand out the Activity 13: I used to 
think … but now I think … worksheet 
and ask the learners to reflect on their 
thoughts and views before and after.

Step 3
5 min.

Ask the learners to compare and 
discuss their activity sheets in groups.

Step 4
3 min.

Step 5
5 min.

Step 6
5 min.

Instruct each learner to select a 
concept that has changed their views, 
write it on a post-it note and stick it 
on the board.

Read the post-it notes on the board.

Debriefing.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL65

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Develop questions for debriefing stemming from the learners’ notes.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
Applicable to any other issues and topics that may arise. 

ACTIVITY 13: I USED TO THINK BUT NOW I THINK … WORKSHEET

I used to think …

•

•

•

… but now I think …

•

•

•

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL66

TOOLSET 5: TRANSPORT

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL67

  ± 65 min.

Activity 14: Projecting the transport 
sector across time

Key focus  
and issues

One of the main challenges for 
addressing gender imbalance 
in the transport sector (only 
22 % of women work in the 
sector) is that boys and girls 
tend to choose educational 
and career paths according 
to traditional gender roles. 
At the same time, young 
people do not know transport 
occupations well and would 
be more inclined to consider 
the sector if provided with 
adequate information. 
This activity fills the void 
by increasing learners’ 
understanding of the transport 
sector across a broad span of 
time reaching into the past 
and the future.

Subject matter

Citizenship education, history and social sciences, geography 
and sciences, design and technology, ICT, tutorship and 
career counselling.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will discuss and understand the importance of the 
transport sector in everyday life.

Preparation and materials

•      Prior to the activity, consider revising key information on 

the transport modes for goods and people — air, rail, road, 
waterborne transport (maritime and inland waterways), 
including public passenger transport (urban and rural).

•     Activity 14: Transport modes picture to project in class.

•     All learners seated around a couple of grouped desks.

•      One to two sheets of flip-chart paper divided in three 
columns (see an example in Activity 14: Transport 
modes picture).

 •     Activity 14: Projecting the transport sector flip chart 
and markers in three different colours (blue, black and 
green).

 •     ‘An Animated History of Transportation’24 and ‘Transport 
Trends for Today and Beyond’25 online videos to project 
in class as part of debriefing to help learners grasp basic 
information on transport across time. To watch the videos 
with subtitles in your own language, in settings, turn on 
‘auto-translate’.

24  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaLCQo8NJFA.
25  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AasAQ3EA_9w.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL68

Step 1
10 min.

Step 2
5 min.

Step 3
10 min.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Project the Activity 14: Transport 
modes picture and refer to the 
different transport subsectors: air, rail, 
road, waterborne transport (maritime 
and inland waterways), including 
public passenger transport (urban and 
rural).

Ask learners: What would your life 
be like if there was no transport? 
Learners brainstorm ideas collectively 
(quickly, as this is a motivational 
exercise).

Ask learners: What do you know about 
the transport sector? In pairs, learners 
rapidly share their ideas and map 
what they think they already know. 
Learners write on the flip-chart paper 
what they already know using the 
blue markers. They should write all 
their notes in the same direction, from 
top to bottom, for example.

Step 4
10 min.

Step 5
10 min.

Step 6
5 min.

Step 7
15 min.

Ask the learners to imagine the 
transport in the past — 10, 50 and 
100 years ago. Again, learners in pairs 
share and write their ideas on the flip-
chart sheet using the black markers.

Ask learners to imagine the future 
and think about transport in 10, 50 
and 100 years from now. Again, 
learners in pairs share their ideas, 
after which they write them on the 
flip-chart sheet using the green 
markers. This step requires some 
imagination, but not fantasy.

Stick the flip-chart sheets to the wall 
or the board.

Debriefing.

Tips and remarks
•  Make sure that in the end it is 

easy for all to see the flip-chart 
sheets and the categorisation 
by different colours. This way 
it is possible to view learners’ 
thoughts at a glance.

•  Guide the learners towards 

understanding the importance 
of the transport sector in 
everybody’s everyday life.

•   Aim to challenge gender 

stereotypes attached to the 
transport sector in your own 
presentation and exchange 
ideas with learners through  
the activity.

•  Instead of using flip-chart paper, 
you can divide the board into 
three different columns.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
• 

First, project the video ‘An Animated History of 
Transportation’26 and ask learners in pairs to 
compare their thoughts with the information in the 
video, focusing on differences, similarities and gaps. 
Second, project the ‘Transport Trends for Today 
and Beyond’27 video and do the same.

•  Discuss the following questions:

•  Was it difficult to imagine the past and the 

future? Why is that?

•  How do we know what we know about the past?

•  What are the major changes in the transport 

sector that you envisioned? Why is that?

•  How do you view transport now after comparing 
your findings with the information in the videos?

26  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaLCQo8NJFA.
27  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AasAQ3EA_9w.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL69

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•   Consider exposing learners to the benefits public transport brings to your community and the 

environment, the design and reasons for infrastructure that accommodates passengers with special 
needs and why certain rules apply when you travel on a bus, tram, underground, etc.

•   In Cyprus, Poland and Greece, join the ‘Adopt a Ship programme’28 to learn how your current and 

future quality of life is dependent on seafarers, shipping and the maritime community.

•   Explore a whole diversity of current and future occupations in the transport sector, with the help 
of the Skillful Project posters on the aviation jobs from 2020 to 203529, road jobs 202030 and 
203531, the future of rail and rail jobs from 2020 to 2035, maritime jobs 202032 and 203533.

ACTIVITY 14: TRANSPORT MODES PICTURE

28  http://www.adoptaship.org/. 
29  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15223.
30   http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15221.
31   http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15222.
32  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15225.
33  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15226.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL70

ACTIVITY 14: PROJECTING THE TRANSPORT SECTOR FLIP CHART

Flip-chart paper to be divided in three columns:

Blue

Black

Green

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL± 55 min. and project work

71

Activity 15: 
What should 
I know about 
automation?

Subject matter

ICT, physics, design and technology, sciences, maths, citizenship 
education, tutorship and career counselling.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will: 

•   collect information on automation and infer what might be 

the impact of automation on their career choices;

•  connect STEM subjects to career opportunities;

•   relate automation with a positive shift in gender balance in 
labour (e.g. as work becomes less physically demanding or 
jobs no longer require long absences from home). 

Preparation and materials

•   Prior to the activity, consider revising the concept of 

automation34 in general and in relation to transportation.35

•   ‘What Is Automation?’36 and ‘There Is More to STEM Than 
You Think’37 online videos to project in class. To watch the 
videos with subtitles in your own language, in settings, turn 
on ‘auto-translate’.

•   Activity 15: STEM and transferable skills handout to 

distribute to all learners.

34  https://www.britannica.com/technology/automation 
35   https://www.britannica.com/technology/automation/Transportation.
36  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb6Xj1gfljc
37  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwzmF-8o724&feature=emb_logo

Key focus and 
issues

Automation and digitalisation 
are changing the way 
careers are defined. The skills 
demanded by employers 
require a priority focus on 
STEM. It is expected that 
future careers will rely 
heavily on 21st-century 
skills, such as critical 
thinking, creativity, cultural 
awareness, collaboration 
and problem solving. In 
this context, this activity 
focuses on automation 
trends in the world of work 
and the impact it may 
have on learners’ career 
choices. By researching the 
consequences of increased 
automation, learners become 
aware of what opportunities 
their career choices need to 
take into consideration.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL72

Step 1
5 min.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Explain the activity: in pairs, learners 
will carry out project work. Each pair 
will be responsible for researching a 
specific topic related to technological 
developments and innovations 
affecting the future of work. At the 
end of the activity learners will have 
a clearer view of the trends affecting 
their future and will be better 
equipped to navigate their educational 
and career paths.

Step 3
10 min.

Step 2
20 min.

Project the video ‘What Is 
Automation?’ 38 and help learners 
select different research topics for the 
projects, such as:

•  What are the opportunities 
and challenges for automation in 
transportation? 
•  How has the use of technology and 
innovation helped in advancing gender 
equality in the transport sector? 
•  What challenges have technology 
and innovation brought for gender 
equality in the transport sector? 
•  What jobs will disappear and 
what new jobs will be created in the 
transport sector? 
•   Are robots taking over women’s 

and men’s jobs in the transport 
sector? Do women and men face the 
same risk of automation?

In consultation with learners, decide 
on the timeline of the project. 
Distribute the Activity 15: STEM and 
transferable skills handout to all 
learners and inform them that pairs 
are expected to develop their work 
using the skills mentioned in the 
handout. 

Inform learners that each project 
will be shared in a five-minute 
presentation, in which they reveal 
how their tasks were handled, how 
they solved their difficulties, how they 
worked as a team, etc. 

Supervise and assist learners with the 
project work.

Step 4

Ask the pairs to share their 
presentations.

Debriefing.

Step 5
20 min.

Tips and remarks
•   Automation and digitalisation have decreased 
the reliance on strength in many professions, 
allowing young people more than ever to choose 
career paths according to their preferences.

•   It is important that learners understand what 
STEM subjects offer in terms of career choices 
and development of the transferable skills 
employers are looking for.

38  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb6Xj1gfljc 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
73

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING 
•  Dis cuss the following questions: 

•  Did you enjoy developing this project? Why? 
•  Did you pay attention to using the STEM and transferable skills in your work? 
   Give examples. 
•  Was it difficult to choose the topic and decide on the presentation? Give examples. 
•  What are the key messages from all presentations? 
•  Do these messages affect the way you think about your future career? In what way? 
•  Is there any other comment you would like to share?

•   Project the online video ‘There Is More to STEM Than You Think’39 to wrap up the activity.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS 
Visiting a company with automated technologies and talking to workers would be a great learning 
opportunity for young people.

ACTIVITY 15: STEM AND TRANSFERABLE SKILLS HANDOUT

Practise and develop your STEM and transferable skills 
(STEM stands for ‘science, technology, engineering and mathematics’)

Employers look for:

Transferable skills
… to solve real world problems

•   Analytical skills — analysing and in-

terpreting information and assessing 
the best course of action.

•   Scientific skills — breaking down com-
plex scientific concepts and systems.

•   Mathematical skills — accurately 

gathering and analysing data. Apply-
ing simple and complex equations to 
solve problems.

•   Technical skills — troubleshooting and 
debugging a complex technological 
system or repairing a machine.

•  problem solving

•  creativity

•  critical analysis

•  teamwork

•  independent thinking

•  initiative

•  communication

•  digital literacy

39  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwzmF-8o724&feature=emb_logo.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL74

 ± 45 min.

Activity 16: Don’t panic,  
I am a mechanic!

Subject matter 
Physics, design and technology, English, history and 
social sciences, ICT, tutorship and career counselling.

Expected learning outcomes 
Learners will:

•   consider the skills needed to perform certain jobs 
in the transport sector and discuss if such skills 
can be considered gender neutral;

•  discover the variety of jobs in the transport sector;

•  connect STEM subjects to career opportunities.

Key focus and issues

Despite similar achievement 
scores among girls and boys, the 
overwhelming majority of students 
studying and working in STEM fields 
are men. Gender stereotypes have a 
major impact on students’ interest in 
STEM subjects and their aspirations 
to pursue a career in STEM fields. This 
activity focuses on raising awareness 
on lesser-known career paths that 
both boys and girls can follow. It takes 
the example of women mechanics but 
opens up other possibilities.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL75

Preparation and materials 
•   Prior to the activity, you can watch the ‘STEM Alliance — Bringing Industry and Education 

Together’40 video. To watch the videos with subtitles in your own language, in settings, turn on ‘auto-
translate’.

•   Activity 16: Job characteristics handout to print and distribute to groups of three or four.

•   ‘A Female Mechanic Hopes to Inspire Girls to Get into the World of Vehicle Repair’41 online video 
to project in class. Alternatively, try to find a video from your own context inspiring girls to pursue a 
career in transport mechanics.

•  Learners divided into groups of three or four.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Ask the learners to share their 
findings and strike through the jobs 
listed on the board that do not require 
STEM studies.

Project the video ‘A Female Mechanic 
Hopes to Inspire Girls to Get into 
the World of Vehicle Repair’42 and be 
attentive to learners’ remarks. Ask the 
learners (as applicable, per the listed 
jobs in the board):

•   Did you consider a job in 

mechanics? 

•   Why did you consider/not consider a 

job in mechanics?

Step 7
15 min.

Debriefing.

Step 1
5 min.

Distribute the Activity 16: Job 
characteristics handout to all 
the groups and explain that each 
group will have to list three known 
professions that meet the job 
characteristics listed in the handout.

Step 2
5 min.

Ask the learners to share their listed 
jobs and write them on one side of 
the board.

Step 5
5 min.

Step 6
5 min.

Step 3
5 min.

Step 4
5 min.

Ask the learners to look again at 
the job characteristics and list three 
known occupations that do not meet 
most of these characteristics, and 
proceed as in step 2, using the other 
half of the board.

Explain what STEM subjects are and 
why they are important. Next, ask 
students to discuss in groups what 
jobs listed on the board require STEM 
education. 

40  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTsF02n1I7Q.
41  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP8nZ1UmV4c.
42  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP8nZ1UmV4c.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL76

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

•  What did you learn today? Give some details.

•  Was it surprising? Why?

•  Was it relevant/important/useful? Why is that?

•  How does this fit into your life? Give examples.

•   Do you have other examples of male-dominated 

careers/jobs that women can choose?

Tips and remarks
•   There is a lack of knowledge about 
this career field — the effort needs 
to begin with making a mechanics 
career more attractive to women 
by improving communication and 
disseminating information at all 
levels.

•   Keep in mind the diversity of 
transport mechanics jobs (e.g. 
locomotive, railway, automotive, 
aircraft, ship, barge, and crane 
mechanics).

•   While there are fewer women 

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•   Read the following quote from Jen Kelly, founder 
of Women in Trades Network Ireland, and ask 
learners to comment: ‘It can be a daunting prospect 
to embark on a career in a male-dominated 
environment, but things are changing. Where there 
may once have been resistance to women working 
in these roles, there is now support. We know from 
examples here and overseas that women are exceptional in these jobs. These jobs are great for 
women. They say that such professions provide them with an improved quality of life through a solid 
wage and the skills they can use in and out of work.’43

mechanics than men, there are 
nevertheless plenty of examples of 
fascinating women mechanics in 
transportation history. Try to search 
for some in your context.

•   Explore inspiring stories of girls and women in mechanics and/or other STEM occupations in both the 
past and present in your context. You can prepare visual resources (photos, online videos, articles) 
and discuss them in class.

•   If you have a chance, invite transport mechanics (ideally women), maintenance technicians or STEM 

professionals to school (or alternatively visit them).

•   Consider participating in activities suggested by the STEM Alliance44, encouraging the integration of 

STEM career topics in class.

43 

 Levendon, N. (2017, 26 March). ‘Women Urged to Start Careers in Mechanical Professions. Irish Times. Retrieved from: 
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/work/women-urged-to-start-careers-in-mechanical-professions-1.3025397. 

44  For more information, see http://www.stemalliance.eu/about.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLACTIVITY 16: JOB CHARACTERISTICS HANDOUT

77

Job characteristics

Job stability

Work–life balance

Career progression

Job variety

Decent income

Job satisfaction

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Teamwork skills

Digital skills

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL78

 ± 60 min.

Activity 17: My dream job

Subject matter 
All subjects across the curriculum and career 
counselling.

Expected learning outcomes 
Learners will: 

•   broaden their exposure to different perspectives on 

future careers; 

•   improve their attitudes about career opportunities 
and motivation to aspire to their dream careers;

•   reflect on their secondary school choices and grasp 
career goals that might be interesting for them.

Key focus and issues

This activity focuses on stimulating 
discussion among learners on how to 
get their dream job after education. It is 
important that they identify the steps 
they should take. For example, what 
skills and coursework are required. This 
is also a good opportunity to introduce 
the concept of lifelong learning, as the 
ongoing, voluntary and self-motivated 
pursuit of knowledge for either 
personal or professional reasons.

Preparation and materials 
•   This activity develops the ‘think–pair–share’45 cooperative learning technique that encourages 

individual participation, active listening and problem solving. It entails asking a question to learners, 
letting them take a few minutes to think and then sharing their thoughts with another learner.

•   Sitting arrangements that allow for learners to think individually and share in pairs.

•  Activity 17: My dream job handout to print and distribute to all learners.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
10 min.

Step 2
10 min.

Inform the learners they will be 
focusing on their future careers. 
Distribute the Activity 17: My dream 
job handout to all learners. Ask the 
learners to individually read through 
the interview in the handout and 
write down two to three thoughts on 
career choices raised by reading the 
interview.

Ask the learners to pair with a 
classmate and share their thoughts. 
Suggest that they take turns, 
listen carefully and ask each other 
questions in order to understand each 
other’s main ideas.

Step 3
10 min.

Step 4
10 min.

Ask the learners to explain their 
partner’s ideas.

Ask the class to brainstorm what 
could be the most important 
questions they need to ask 
themselves when choosing a career. 
Give an example, writing on the board: 
what are my interests? If needed, ask 
two volunteer learners to write on the 
board the learners’ questions.

45 

 This thinking routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking project at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of 
Education. See more at: http://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Think%20Pair%20Share.pdf.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL79

Step 5
5 min.

If there are too many questions 
on the board, consider asking the 
learners to revise the questions and 
decide which ones (if any) should be 
deleted. 

Step 6
15 min.

Debriefing.

Tips and remarks
•   It is important that learners are 
aware of the possibilities they 
have, the skills they need to 
develop and the steps they will 
need to follow to fly high and 
reach their dream job. They should 
also grasp that they are entitled to 
fly high and aspire to any dream 
job, and that their engagement 
in schoolwork will help them with 
that aspiration.

•   At the same time, learners should 
be aware that they might change 
their options and that lifelong 
learning is an important dimension 
of every career path.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
•   Ask learners to pair again and organise the 

questions from the most important to the least 
important. Pairs share their lists and justify their 
arrangements.

•  Discuss the following questions:

•  What are the relevant learnings today? Why  
   is that? 
•  What effect do such learnings have on you?  
   Give examples. 
•  Have you thought about your dream job?  
   What steps should you take? What skills  
   should you need? 
•   Can we really predict where we are going? 
Explain the concept of lifelong learning and 
asks learners to relate the concept with 
information from the interview.

•   Wrap up by reading the following paragraph: The world of aviation is huge and has a lot of hidden 

occupations. To have an idea, each flying commercial airplane incorporates a big supporting team of 
hundreds of sector-specific professionals, including engineering and maintenance, flight operations, 
air traffic controllers, fuel services, meteorological, digital operations, ground operations, cargo, 
passenger, safety, etc. The transport sector entails a huge number of supporting occupations that 
learners might wish to research and consider when thinking about career paths.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•   Organise career days and invite guests (e.g. parents or community members) to share their career 

experiences with the learners. This can take an interactive format, for example by setting up stations 
in the room where guests show their daily activities and learners move from station to station and 
ask questions.

•   Let learners conduct interviews with different transport sector stakeholders to find out about future 

work opportunities and skills needed in specific occupations.

•  Explore a whole diversity of current and future occupations (2035) in aviation.46

46  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15223. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
80

ACTIVITY 17: MY DREAM JOB HANDOUT

How did you become a pilot? 

I studied communication technologies and was 
planning a career in journalism, but when I finished 
a friend challenged me to compete for the position 
of flight attendant in the Portuguese Airlines,  
I was 21 then. When, for the first time in my life,  
I entered the cockpit while in the air I was dazzled 
by the view of the sky and the complexity of all the 
on-board instruments and lights. I knew this was 
my goal, this was what I wanted to do in life.

Didn’t you dream about it before? 

Not really, how could I dream of what I neither 
knew nor thought possible? It never crossed my 
mind. I’ve never limited myself to the fact that my 
parents were low paid, but there are things I know 
a person doesn‘t dream of.

Was it a very difficult process? 

Pilot officer Neusa Monteiro interviewed  
in September 2020

Yes, it was. I had to study maths and physics 
applied to aviation. I hadn’t studied any of those 
subjects in secondary school, so everything took 
me longer … In reality I had to take all the maximum time permitted, I continued to work to 
pay for my training — it is quite expensive — and I also took a bank loan. In this period, I got 
married, and I got my multicrew pilot licence when my daughter was five months old. When 
I finished my course, I waited 4 years for the contest to become a commercial pilot in the 
Portuguese Airlines, I was 33 when I started. But it was undeniably worth it!

How old are you now and what is your position in the Portuguese Airlines? 

I’m 35, and I am a pilot officer (or co-pilot) and I sit on the right side of the cockpit. The pilot 
in command (or captain) sits on the left side. The big difference between the two seats is the 
flying hours, the experience. I am qualified to fly Airbus 319, 320 and 321. To fly Airbus 330,  
I need another qualification.

Did you feel any discrimination for being a woman? 

Yes, but I tried to ignore it. I think it’s more connected to the older generations and pilots 
coming from the air force, where airplanes need more strength to be operated [men are 
stereotyped as physically stronger than women]. The automation of commercial airplanes has 
completely changed the scenery.

How often are you retrained in the simulator? 

Every six months — and it is intense — and whenever there are changes in the planes I am 
qualified for as a pilot. It is mandatory if for any reason I could not fly for a period.

Source: Authors.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
81

 ± 65 min. and group work

Activity 18: The exceptional system 
of sustainable urban mobility

Key focus and 
issues

This activity focuses on key 
dimensions of sustainable 
urban mobility and links it to 
the daily life of Europeans, 
their problems and needs. 
It looks at the European 
Mobility Week between 
2014 and 2020 and the 
main concerns addressed. 
The European Mobility 
Week47 (16–22 September 
each year) is the European 
Commission’s awareness-
raising campaign on 
sustainable urban mobility, 
culminating in the popular 
‘Car-Free Day’. It promotes 
behavioural change in 
favour of active mobility, 
public transport and other 
clean, intelligent transport 
solutions.

Subject matter
Citizenship education, history and social sciences, geography 
and sciences, physics, maths, design and technology, ICT, 
tutorship and career counselling.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will: 

•   relate transport to urban quality of life and explore zero-

emission, intelligent and multimodal mobility;

•   explore the concept of sustainability and the importance of 

effective urban transport for all.

Preparation and materials

•   Prior to the activity, get familiar with the sources outlined 
in the Activity 18: Topics for group work handout. If the 
learners are not able to read in English, add sources in their 
language.

•   Examples of mind maps to show in class (e.g. see Activity 18: 

Examples of mind maps).

•  Learners divided into groups of four or five.

•   Activity 18: Topics for group work handout for every group 
of learners and access to the internet or materials to develop 
the selected topics.

•   Flip-chart paper (one to two sheets per group), tape (to tape 
up two sheets of paper if needed) and markers of different 
colours.

47  See more at: https://mobilityweek.eu/home/.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL82

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
20 min.

Explain that the learners will be 
creating a mind map on urban 
mobility. If needed, describe what 
a mind map is and show some 
examples.

few sources they can use to answer 
or develop their topic. Inform the 
learners that within each group the 
work needs to be divided. Ultimately, 
each group member will present their 
work.

Each group receives one to two sheets 
of flip-chart paper with markers of 
different colours to create the mind 
map and the Activity 18: Topics 
for group work handout. Ask the 
learners to read through the topics 
in the handout and choose one they 
want to explore. Allow time for them 
to make their choices and answer 
any questions or doubts the learners 
might raise. Make sure the groups 
have selected different topics. 

Once groups select the topics, explain 
that learners need to search for 
answers online. The handout lists a 

Step 2

Supervise and assist the learners’ 
work.

Step 3
30 min.

Ask each group to exhibit the mind 
map by taping it to the board. 
Each group member presents the 
findings. The other groups listen to 
the presentations and write down 
questions and comments related to 
the content of the presentations.

Step 4
15 min.

Debriefing.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
•   Allow for an orderly Q & A session between the groups, 
based on the questions and comments written during 
the presentations.

•  Discuss the following questions:  

•   Had you ever thought before about what allows for 
our everyday life to run smoothly and normally? 
What were the major findings?

Tips and remarks
If it is difficult to arrange access to 
the internet, print some materials 
from the websites and copy them for 
the activity.

•  How do you link the urban mobility system with quality of life of all? Give examples.

•  Was today’s learning relevant? Why?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•  Watch and be inspired by:

•   ‘Why Buses Represent Democracy in Action’48 by Enrique Peñalosa, the mayor of Bogota 

(transcript and subtitles available in 29 languages).

•   ‘The 4 Commandments of Cities’49 by Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro (transcript and 

subtitles available in 30 languages).

•  Explore and take part in the activities of the European Mobility Week organised in your communities.

48  https://www.ted.com/talks/enrique_penalosa_why_buses_represent_democracy_in_action.
49  https://www.ted.com/talks/eduardo_paes_the_4_commandments_of_cities/transcript?language=en.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
ACTIVITY 18: EXAMPLES OF MIND MAPS

83

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL84

ACTIVITY 18: TOPICS FOR GROUP WORK HANDOUT

TOPICS FOR GROUP WORK:
1. 

 Transport and urban quality of life. What impacts can transport have on the quality of life in cities? 
How can we improve quality of life for all in our cities with transport?

2. 

3. 

4. 

 Zero-emission urban mobility. What is it and why is it important? How has it been promoted and 
developed in the EU or your country in the last five years?

 Smart and intelligent transport solutions. What are these and what are the benefits? What are 
some examples of technological innovation changing European cities?

 Multimodality of urban transport. What is it and why is it important? What are some examples of 
how we can make EU cities multimodal?

SUGGESTED SOURCES:
•  European Mobility Week 16–22 September 2020: Thematic Guidelines50 (‘Zero-Emission 

Mobility for All’).

•  European Mobility Week 16–22 September 2019: Manual Including Thematic Guidelines 

and Handbook for Local Campaigners51 (‘Safe Walking and Cycling’).

•  European Mobility Week 16–22 September 2018: Manual Including Thematic Guidelines 

and Handbook for Local Campaigners52 (‘Mix and Move!’).

•  European Mobility Week 16–22 September 2017: Thematic Guidelines53  

(‘Clean, Shared, and Intelligent Mobility’).

•  European Mobility Week 16–22 September 2016: Thematic Guidelines54 

(‘Smart Mobility. Strong Economy’).

•  European Mobility Week 16–22 September 2015: Thematic Guidelines55 

(‘Choose. Change. Combine’).

•  European Mobility Week 16–22 September 2014: Thematic Guidelines56 

(‘Our Streets — Our Choice’). 

•  European Commission (2021). Urban Mobility.57

50 

 https://mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2020/Thematic_
guidelines_2020/2020_EMW_Thematic_Guidelines_layout_Final.pdf.
51 
 https://mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2019/2019_EMW_Manual.pdf.
52  https://mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2018/2018_EMW_Manual.pdf.
 https://mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2017/2017_EMW_Thematic_
53 
Guidelines.pdf.
 https://mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2016/Thematic_Guidelines_2016.
pdf.
 https://mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2015/DTRM_
ThematicGuidelines2015_07.pdf.
 https://mobilityweek.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/materials/participation_resources/2014/thematic-guidance-2014.
pdf.

55 

54 

56 

57  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/urban_mobility_en.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL85

 ± 60 min

Activity 19:  
Suppose that there is gender balance 
in the transport sector

Subject matter
Citizenship education, history and social sciences, 
geography and sciences, physics, maths, design and 
technology, ICT, tutorship and career counselling.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will: 

•   discover the different transport modes;

•   infer why gender balance in transport is positive 

for a democratic society.

Preparation and materials

•   Prior to the activity, consider revising ‘Women in 

Transport — EU Platform for Change’.58

•   ‘Women in Transport’59 online video to project in 

class.

•   Activity 19: Infographics to project in class.

•   Learners seated in a circle.

•   Blank sheet of paper (A4 format) for each learner.

Key focus and issues

This activity is designed for young 
people to visualise a transport sector 
where occupations are gender balanced. 
The transport sector offers the younger 
generation a variety of career choices 
they should consider, regardless of their 
gender – their choices should not be 
limited by traditional gender stereotypes 
and beliefs. Mobility and transport 
matters to us all. From daily commuting 
to work, visiting family and friends, 
tourism, to the proper functioning of 
global supply chains for the goods in our 
shops and for our industrial production, 
mobility is an enabler of our economic 
and social life. Free movement of people 
and goods across its internal borders 
is a fundamental freedom of the EU 
and its single market. Travelling in the 
EU has led to greater cohesion and a 
strengthened European identity. As the 
second-largest area of expenditure for 
European households, the transport 
sector contributes 5 % to European GDP 
and directly employs around 10 million 
workers. Paradoxically, only 22 % of 
transport workers are women.

58  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/social/women-transport-eu-platform-change_en
59  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NqdyrE1hf8

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL86

Step 1
10 min.

Step 2
10 min.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Project the ‘Women in Transport’60 
online video and show Activity 
19: Infographics to the learners 
to demonstrate the problem. 
Learners have some time to read 
the numbers and understand what 
they mean. Answer any questions 
that learners might have, and then 
read slowly: 

‘With only 22 % of women, the 
transport sector is not gender 
balanced. The objective of 
the ‘Women in Transport – EU 
Platform for Change’, launched 
on 27 November 2017, is to 
strengthen women’s employment 
and equal opportunities for women 
and men in the transport sector 
thanks to the actions brought 
about by the Platform members.’61

Explain to learners that they 
should imagine a gender-balanced 
transport sector and think about 
and ask one relevant question to 
promote women’s employment 
and equal opportunities for men 
and women in the sector. Tell the 
learners that the questions need to 
include ‘what if’ or ‘suppose that’ 
and give examples:

Step 3
25 min.

•   What should I do if I felt my friends 

were not comfortable with me, 
should I eat alone?

•   Suppose that I needed information 

to continue my work and my friends 
do not help me, how could I change 
their attitude?

Learners take a blank sheet of paper.

Explain how the activity is developed. 
Each learner writes one question 
on top of the sheet of the paper 
distributed. Each learner hands the 
paper with the written question to the 
classmate on their right and receives 
one paper from the classmate on 
the left. Then the learner reads the 
question and writes down any ideas 
or answers they may have and 
adds their name for any clarification 
questions. If the learner has no idea 
or answer, they hand the sheet to the 
next person. The activity ends when 
everybody has their original sheet 
back.

Step 4
15 min.

Sharing and debriefing.

60  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NqdyrE1hf8
61 

 European Commission. ‘Women in Transport — EU Platform for Change’,  
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/social/women-transport-eu-platform-change_en.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL87

Tips and remarks
•   Guide learners to explore issues 
that relate to women’s entry into 
the sector (e.g. gender stereotypes 
about transport professions, 
gender segregation in education, 
concerns about the male-dominated 
environment) as well as their retention 
in the transport sector (e.g. concerns 
about work–life balance, gender 
pay gap). Think also about general 
misconceptions or a lack of knowledge 
that learners might have (e.g. in 
relation to career prospects, physical 
demands).

•   You might want to replay the online 
video once you explain the task, 
so learners can better focus on 
the factors behind women’s low 
representation in the transport sector.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
• 

 Read the questions and answers, clarify any 
issues and ask learners to select the most 
appropriate answer(s) for each question.

• 

 Wrap up with some remarks that learners 
may comment on:

•  Imagine a future where girls and boys are 
equally encouraged to study and work in 
STEM-related and education, health and 
welfare fields.

•  Imagine a future of work where there 

is equal pay for equal work and work of 
equal value.

•  Imagine a future of work where women’s 
life choices are not constrained by unpaid 
care and household work.

•  Imagine a future of work where diversity 

is valued at all levels, and everyone 
recognises that differences are strengths.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL88

ACTIVITY 19: INFOGRAPHICS

Only 22%
of transport workers are women!

14%

42%

19%

86%

58%

81%

Land transport

Air transport

Waterborne transport

Source: Eurostat (lfsa_egan22d), share of women and men employed by transport mode in EU-27, aged 15–64, 2020.

How are study fields split along the gender lines in the EU?

WOMEN         MEN

Information and communication technologies

Engineering, manufacturing and construction

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary

Services

Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics

Business, administration and law

Social sciences, journalism and information

Arts and humanities

Health and welfare

Education

Total

Source: Eurostat (educ_uoe_grad03), distribution of graduates in tertiary education by field of education in EU-27, 2018.

0%   

               25% 

50%    

75% 

         100%

What do Europeans say about gender stereotypes ?

9 in 10

Europeans think it 
is acceptable for 
men to cry

69%

believe women are 
more likely than men 
to make decisions 
based on their 
emotions

4 in 10

believe the most 
important role of 
a man is to earn 
money

44%

believe the most 
important role of a 
woman is to take 
care of her home and 
family

Source: Special Eurobarometer 465 on Gender equality 2017. Retrieved from: https://data.europa.eu/euodp/lt/data/dataset/
S2154_87_4_465_ENG.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
89

 ± 30 min. and project work

Activity 20: Transport is 
about lorry drivers

Subject matter
Citizenship education, social sciences, history, 
tutorship, career counselling, design and technology.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

•  recognise the different modes of transport;      

•   discuss how the transport sector impacts their 
daily life and grasp the bigger picture of the 
transport sector;

•   relate the existence and development of some 
features of urban, modern lifestyles (including, 
health, globalisation, e-commerce, mass culture, 
tourism, schooling, etc.) to the development of 
the transport sector.

Preparation and materials

Key focus and issues

This activity opens up the different 
dimensions of transport across the 
five main transport modes: air, road, 
rail, maritime, inland waterways. It 
raises their interest in a world they 
may know very little about. It also 
encourages learners to understand 
that mobility and transport matters to 
us all. From daily commuting to work, 
visiting family and friends, tourism, to 
the proper functioning of global supply 
chains for the goods in our shops and 
our industrial production, mobility is an 
enabler of our economic and social life.

•   Prior the activity, consider running a brief internet search for a quick panoramic view of how ample 
the transport sector is. You can refer to the material listed in Toolset 7: To go one step further.

•   Learners divided into groups of four.

•   Access to the internet for learners to research different topics (can be replaced with printed material).

•   Other creative tools for learners depending on the choice of their output (video, visual or oral 

presentation, poster or similar).

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
5 min.

Once the learners are sitting in groups of four, ask them first to work in two pairs. Explain 
that they should brainstorm anything that comes to mind when they think about transport 
(e.g. transport subsectors, jobs in the transport sector, the future of transport).

For this introduction, consider using the ‘round robin’ cooperative structure. Sitting in pairs, 
students alternate generating brief oral responses to a given question. Consider providing 
students with a large piece of paper so they can write down their ideas.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL90

Step 2
5 min.

Step 3
5 min.

Step 4
3 min.

Ask the groups to compare the ideas 
from their brainstorming.

Step 5
Flexible

1. To do more in-depth research into 
the category that they have been 
allocated.

Let the groups designate one speaker to 
share the brainstorming ideas aloud.

Write on the board:
HOW:
WHAT:
•  Land
•  People
•  Rail
•  Freight
•  Road
•  Maritime
•  Inland waterways

Next, ask the learners if all the above 
categories have been covered in the 
ideas that the whole class has shared 
aloud, or if there are still any other 
categories or items missing.

Allocate the above categories — land, 
rail, road, maritime, inland waterways 
— to the different groups and ask the 
learners:

Step 6
Flexible

Step 7
8 min.

2. To analyse how that particular 
category influences their daily life 
(i.e. how their life would be different 
if there was no transport of that 
particular type).

As a starting point for their research, 
the learners can also take the base 
information on the internet. The 
results of their research and analysis 
can be a short video, a visual or oral 
presentation, a poster or similar.

Ask the learners to share all their 
results and give a new title to the 
activity.

Debriefing.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions: 

•  What did you feel when you read the title of the activity? 
•  Were you conscious that transport was as present in your life as it is? 
•  If you had to live in a world without transport, what features in your present life would be most 
   affected?  
•  Has this activity changed your perception of transport in any way?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
Explore a whole diversity of current and future occupations in the transport sector, with the help of the 
Skillful Project posters on the aviation jobs from 2020 to 203562, road jobs 202063 and 203564, the 
future of rail and rail jobs from 2020 to 2035, maritime jobs 202065 and 203566.

62  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15223.
63  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15221.
64  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15222.
65  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15225.
66  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15226.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
91

 ± 45 min.

Activity 21: Transport jobs are 
not for women

Subject matter
Tutorship, career counselling, design and technology, ICT, 
social sciences, citizenship education, science.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

•   analyse different transport subsectors and identify the 

reasons for the existing gender imbalance;

•   identify the different skills (specific or general/transferable, 

hard and soft skills), required to work in the transport sector. 

Preparation and materials

Key focus and 
issues

The activity focuses on 
letting learners reflect on 
the reasons for gender 
imbalance in the transport 
sector, especially in some 
subsectors.

•   Prior the activity, get inspired by videos and articles making visible stories of women in transport. 

Some examples include:

•  Inspirational Women in the Bus Industry — 100 Years of Women in Transport.67 
•  Aviadoras — Making the Case for Women in Aviation.68 
•  100 Years of Women in Transport — The Present and Future.69 
•  Women in transport.70 
•  Career Advice on Becoming a Train Driver by Eva B.71

•   Activity 21: Graphs and Activity 21: Transferable skills to project in class.

•   Learners divided into groups of four (ideally with similar number of boys and girls).

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
5 min.

Explain that this activity is called 
‘Transport jobs are not for women’. Show 
the learners Activity 21: Graphs and 
ask them to write, individually, three 
statements based on the two graphs.

Step 2
5 min.

Ask the learners to share all their 
statements in their groups and 
choose three statements to share 
with the whole class.

67  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVLSD_E4pc8&ab_channel=TransportforLondon.
68  https://www.eurocockpit.be/news/making-case-women-aviation.
69  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfzfBH_IVTM.
70  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/social/women-in-transport_en.
71  https://icould.com/stories/eva-b/.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
 
 
 
92

Step 3
5 min.

Step 4
5 min.

Ask the learners to share and discuss 
all the statements in the class. The 
main findings should be that there 
are fewer women than men in all 
subsectors and occupations of the 
transport sector. In some subsectors 
and occupations, there are far fewer 
women.

Ask the learners to look at Activity 
21: Transferable skills. Apart from 
formal skills and technical knowledge, 
these are the different transferable 
skills needed in the transport sector 
at high-, medium- or low-skill level. 
Ask the groups to provide examples 
of those skills ‘in action’ to check their 
understanding.

Step 5
3 min.

Ask girls specifically to name those 
skills that they think women do not 
have or have to a lesser degree so 
you can tick them in the right column.

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

Step 6
6 min.

Assuming that there will not be any 
skill that women do not have, ask 
learners to list in their groups the 
different reasons why the transport 
sector does not seem to be so 
appealing for women.

Step 7
6 min.

Ask groups to share the reasons they 
have listed with the class and discuss 
further.

Ask the learners to change the title of 
the activity.

Debriefing.

Step 8
2 min.

Step 9
8 min.

Tips and remarks
It might be necessary to challenge 
some of the assumptions that 
learners may express about the 
capability of women and men to do 
certain things. 

•   What did you feel when you read the title of the activity?
•  What did you feel when you analysed Activity 21: Graphs (as a girl, as a boy, as you?)
•  If there are fewer women in the transport sector, whose voices are being represented in it?
•   Based on the ‘People, Systems, Power, Participation’72 and ‘Voice and Choice’73 thinking routines, 
ask: If there were more women in the sector, how do you think those women might change the 
system? What changes might we see in a system with more participating women (e.g. in one of 
the videos a woman lorry driver says that women cause fewer accidents because they drive more 
carefully)? Try to give examples.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•  Watch with learners some of the suggested videos. 

•  There are other activities in Toolset 5: Transport where some specific subsectors of the transport  
   sector are analysed, but if learners are interested in any subsector in particular, they can be asked to 
   research the formal skills and technical knowledge needed in that subsector. 
•   If you realise that some learners are interested in any transport-related job in particular, help them 
find the relevant information about the career, including skills, training paths and career prospects.74 

72 

73 

74 

 This thinking routine was developed by Sarah Sheya and the Design Justice project. For more information, see www.
pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/People%2C%20Systems%2C%20Power%2C%20Participation.pdf.
 This thinking routine was developed as part of the Agency by Design project at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of 
Education. For more information, see https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Voice%20and%20Choice_0.pdf.
 You can find a general overview in European Commission (2021). Educational toolkits to help fight gender stereotypes 
based on the example of the transport sector: Final study report on the development of the toolkits. DOI: 10.2832/11827.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL93

ACTIVITY 21: GRAPHS

Figure 1. Employment in the transport subsectors in EU-27 (%, aged 15–64, 2020)

WOMEN        MEN

86%

81%

14%

19%

100%

75%

50%

25%

0%

74%

26%

58%

42%

Land transport 
and transport 
via pipelines

Waterborne 
transport

Warehousing and 
support activities 
for transportation

Air 
transport

Source: Eurostat (lfsa_egan22d).

Figure 2. Share of women and men employed in transport occupations in EU-27 (%, aged 
15 and over, 2018)

WOMEN        MEN

Craft and related trades workers

Plant and machine operators and assemblers

Elementary occupations

Managers

Technicians and associate professionals

Professionals

Clerical support workers

Service and sales workers

Source: Eurostat, LFS (lfsa_eisn2).

0%   

               25% 

50%    

75% 

         100%

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
 
94

ACTIVITY 21: TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Transferable skills (qualities that can be transferred from one job to another), digital 
and language competences needed in transport jobs

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Teamwork and cooperation

Adaptability to change

Computer use

English language

Customer service

Problem solving

Project management

Work independently

Think proactively

10

Think creatively

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL95

± 45 min. and project work 

Activity 22: 
Transport is 
sustainable 
mobility

Subject matter
Tutorship, career counselling, design and 
technology, ICT, social sciences, citizenship 
education, science.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

•   reflect about the relation between transport and 

sustainability;

•  explore how to improve transport in the future;

•  value green, efficient means of transportation;

•  improve their thinking skills. 

Key focus and issues

Although sustainable transport is not 
represented as one of the stand-alone UN 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 
it is mainstreamed in a direct or indirect 
manner into many of the SDGs. Indeed, 
the most serious challenge facing the 
transport sector today is to significantly 
reduce its emissions and become more 
sustainable. This activity aims to relate 
the core concepts of sustainability to 
transport. Learners reflect and play an 
active role in proposing how to make 
transport more sustainable by designing 
their own projects.

Preparation and materials
•   Revise information on the SDGs75 in advance and reflect about the relationship between transport 

and sustainability76 implied in Activity 22: Transport and the SDGs.

•   An image of the 17 SDG icons77 to project in class. A quick internet search will provide many 

options, possibly also in your language.

•   Learners in groups of four (ideally with similar numbers of girls and boys in the group and learners 

with a variety of different skills).

•  Activity 22: Transport and the SDGs to distribute to learners.

75  https://sdgs.un.org/goals. 
76 

 See, for example, SLoCaT (2019). Sustainable Transport: A Critical Driver to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 
Infographic. Retrieved from: https://slocat.net/wp-content/uploads/legacy/u13/vnr_2019_infographic.pdf.

77  https://www.globalgoals.org/resources.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL96

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
4 min.

Step 2
5 min.

Step 3
5 min.

Step 4
4 min.

Step 5
5 min.

Step 6
5 min.

Ask the learners to reflect in groups 
on what they know about the SDGs. 
Learners can brainstorm together 
using the ‘round robin’ cooperative 
strategy: Learner 1 writes the first 
idea about the topic on a sheet of 
paper and passes it to learner 2, 
who reads what is written and adds 
a new idea. The sheet goes round 
several times in the group until all the 
learners have finished adding their 
ideas.

Write ‘what, who, when and how’ on 
the board and elicit ideas about the 
SDGs from all the groups, trying to 
answer the questions.

Project the image of the 17 SDG icons 
on the board and complement the 
information about the SDGs that has 
been elicited from the learners.

Ask the learners to brainstorm in their 
groups about how transport could 
contribute to achieve the goals of the 
SDGs.

Ask the groups to share their ideas.

Show the learners the information 
from Activity 22: Transport and the 
SDGs to complement the learners’ 
ideas and ask the core question of the 
whole activity, which they will have to 
analyse in the next steps: How can we 
make transport more sustainable?

Step 7
Flexible

In groups, ask the learners to reflect 
on how to make transport more 
sustainable. Ask learners to do the 
following:
1.  Choose one particular transport 
system you are familiar with or 
that you have been researching 
(it can be anything from the 
underground to pipeline transport, 
for example).

2.  If possible, depending on the 
transport system chosen, 
experience the system.

3.  Document the system: take notes 
about all the parts, the relations 
between the parts, the processes, 
people, etc. involved in it.

4.  Visualise the whole system — try 

to represent graphically everything 
and everyone involved in it.
5.  Think about how to improve it. 

As a general guideline, you could 
consider how you might make it 
more effective, efficient, green, 
intelligent, ethical, sustainable, 
etc.78 

Step 8
Flexible

Ask the learners to outline a group 
project about the improvement(s) 
they would make. The results of this 
project can be delivered in a poster, a 
presentation or similar. 

Step 9
10 min.

All the results are shared, presented 
and discussed in the classroom.

Debriefing.

Step 10
8 min.

78 

 These steps are inspired by several thinking routines that help analyse the complexity of systems. The thinking routines 
were developed by Project Zero, a research centre at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. More information is 
available at http://www.pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines#ObjectsSystems.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL97

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

•  How did you feel experiencing the design of improved sustainable transport?

•  What did you enjoy most about the experience?

•   Why is it important to make transport more sustainable? How can this have a positive impact on 

people and the planet?

•  Has this activity changed in any way your perception about transport?

•  Can you imagine yourself working as a future engineer or scientist? Why?

•   What is the most valuable knowledge you gained from your experience and by listening to the rest of 

your classmates talking about their projects?

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•   If the sequence of steps is too long, the activity can be broken into two different parts and done in 
different sessions — one to explore the concept of sustainable transport and the other to develop a 
project on sustainable mobility.

•   Make a field trip to explore a given system together, such as the underground, followed by an 

interview with workers or transport representatives. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL98

ACTIVITY 22: TRANSPORT AND THE SDGS

TRANSPORT IN THE SDGS
It supports the achievement of at least 8 of the 17 SDGs (see below). In addition, as transport 
shapes people’s access to socio-economic opportunities, it plays an essential role in shaping 
equitable and inclusive societies and well-being. As such, transport has the potential to contribute to 
many other SDGs, including alleviation of poverty, gender equality, quality education, healthcare and 
other critical needs.

•  Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable 

agriculture.

•  Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. 

•  Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all.

•  Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

•  Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and 

foster innovation.

•  Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

•  Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. 

•  Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact. 

Source: SLoCaT (2019). Sustainable Transport: A Critical Driver to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved 
from: http://sdghelpdesk.unescap.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/transport_and_vnrs_2014-2019_final_version.pdf. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL99

VENN DIAGRAM

past

same

present

± 45 min.

Activity 23: 
Future transport 
jobs will be 
green and 
technological

Key focus and issues

The transport sector has always been shaped by technological developments, and 
technological innovations have been making the transportation of people and freight more 
accessible, safer and more efficient.79 By far, the most serious challenge facing the transport 
sector is to significantly reduce its emissions and become more sustainable. Changes in the 
sector, in particular those relating to automation and digitalisation, are creating many new 
challenges. Jobs in the transport sector, especially low- and medium-skilled jobs, may be at 
risk due to automation and moves towards greater sustainability.80 At the same time, the 
ongoing digital transformation presents new opportunities, such as an improved working 
environment and quality jobs that could become more attractive for women and young 
people. This activity takes a closer look at the new occupations that are already emerging in 
the transport sector, the responsibilities they entail and how they could attract more women.

Subject matter
Tutorship, career counselling, design and technology, ICT, social sciences, citizenship education, 
science and physics.

Expected learning outcomes

Learners will:

•   explore how the transport sector uses new technologies;

•   acknowledge the importance of technical and digital skills for the transport sector. 

79 

80 

 World Maritime University (2019). Transport 2040: Automation, Technology, Employment — The Future of Work. Reports. 
58. Retrieved from: https://commons.wmu.se/lib_reports/58. 
 European Commission (2020), Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy: Putting European Transport on Track for the 
Future. Retrieved from: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2020:789:FIN.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL100

Preparation and materials

•   Prior to the activity, consider revising relevant background information on the emerging occupations 
in the Activity 23: Background information for teachers as well as on the website of the Skillful 
Project.81

•   Activity 23: Emerging occupations in the transport sector to print, cut out and distribute to every 

group.

•   Activity 23: Data on emerging occupations in the transport sector to project in class.

•   Sheet of paper to draw Venn diagram for every group.

•  Learners divided into small groups of three or four.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
3 min.

Step 2
5 min.

Ask the learners to close their eyes 
and imagine themselves using some 
kind of transport. Invite them to 
visualise how that transport has 
changed over the past 50 or 100 
years.

Step 5
10 min.

In groups, ask the learners to compare 
and contrast transport in the past and 
transport in the future. Using the Venn 
diagrams, which they should draw, ask 
them to write 10 things in transport 
(e.g. jobs, characteristics) that existed 
in the past and no longer exist or have 
changed enormously, and 10 things 
in transport (e.g. jobs, characteristics) 
that are emerging because they 
will need to exist in the future. The 
intersection in the middle is for things 
that have not changed over time and 
presumably will not change (e.g. buses 
or cars will always have wheels). 

Step 3
7 min.

Step 4
5 min.

Draw a big Venn diagram on the 
board and elicit ideas from all the 
groups to fill it in. 

Ask the learners whether they can see 
any common characteristics in the 
ideas that have been elicited.

81  https://skillfulproject.eu/dissiminationmaterial.

Step 6
3 min.

Step 7
3 min.

Step 8
3 min.

Step 9
8 min.

Hand out to every group the nine 
expected emerging occupations and 
their corresponding responsibilities 
cut out from Activity 23: Emerging 
occupations in the transport sector 
and ask the learners to pair and rank 
them in order of expected demand in 
the future.

Project the complete Activity 23: 
Data on emerging occupations in 
the transport sector on the board 
and ask learners to compare their 
answers and the table.

Explain the concept of ‘risk of gender 
imbalance’ and elicit the reasons 
for that gender imbalance from the 
learners.

Mention or show the title of the 
activity and ask them if they agree. 

Debriefing.

Tips and remarks
Do not show the title of the activity 
to the learners until the end to avoid 
leading their answers. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL101

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

•  Is it easy/difficult/fun to imagine the future of transport? Why?

•  Why do you think there are still so many differences between ‘jobs for men’ and ‘jobs for women’?

•  Do you think men and women have different professional interests? 

•  Do you think this might change in the future? Why?

•  Can you imagine yourself doing any of these jobs in the future? Which one(s)? 

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
 It would have an enormous impact on the learners to have one or some of these professionals visiting 
the classroom and talking about their job, and the impact on the girls would likely be even greater if it 
was a woman. The meeting could also take place online if the professionals cannot visit the classroom.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL102

ACTIVITY 23: BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

The greatest demand for a highly skilled transport labour force is in the area of software development 
and maintenance of digital and automated systems. If they are not addressed properly these 
occupations will also have the most significant gender imbalance in the future, as across not only 
transport but also other economic sectors these are occupations traditionally dominated by men.

There are several other occupations that in the future will be in increasing demand. The sector uses a 
traditional approach to marketing and customer service, and expects greater use of digital technologies 
in sales, marketing and customer care. Furthermore, as the labour force in transport is becoming more 
diverse, a need for diversity managers will also emerge. With regard to occupations at risk of gender 
imbalance in the future, engineering positions, as well as maintenance and driving roles are both 
currently and in the future at risk of not attracting enough women and girls to the transport sector. To 
sum up, the ongoing changes in the transport sector are as follows:

•   Different processes are becoming automated, digital or computer technology is being introduced or 

expanded and the use of alternative energy is becoming recognised.

•  A transition to greener and more sustainable transportation.

•  I n some sectors all these things are leading to better working conditions due to a reduction of dirty, 

dangerous and difficult tasks. 

•  Fewer jobs that require physical strength and more jobs that require higher technical competence.

•   The trend is also moving towards the growth of high-skill occupations and the loss of low- and 

medium-skill occupations. 

•   Some medium-skill subsectors that typically employ mostly women are already disappearing due to 

increasing automation and mechanisation. 

•   The occupations that are expected to emerge as the result of technological advancements and the 
shift towards greener transport can be broadly grouped into occupations in software development 
and maintenance of digital and automated systems, remote operation and alternative fuel 
distribution.

•   The greatest demand will be in the area of software development and maintenance of digital and 

automated systems. These areas risk significant gender imbalance if they are not addressed properly.

•   Engineering positions and maintenance and driving roles are also at risk of not attracting enough 

girls to the transport sector.

Source: European Commission (2021). Educational toolkits to help fight gender stereotypes based on the example 
of the transport sector: Final study report on the development of the toolkits. 
DOI: 10.2832/11827.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLACTIVITY 23: EMERGING OCCUPATIONS IN THE TRANSPORT 
SECTOR

103

Emerging occupation

Description of responsibilities

Experts on artificial intelligence (AI), digital 
technology, Big Data

Software engineers and developers

New transport/travel software development 
to customise travel and transport. Experts 
will apply machine-learning algorithms 
to improve efficiency by implementing 
autonomous data interpretation and 
control

Development of client-specific customised 
solutions

Automation and robotics experts and 
maintenance of automated systems

Development and maintenance of automated 
systems

Security (and cybersecurity) experts, 
legal services personnel and privacy 
protection specialists

Infomobility experts

Transport and mobility integrators

Responsible for safety policies

Responsible for connecting the transport 
services to the online network

Integrating mobility expertise with 
ICT capabilities and provision of new 
transportation solutions developed from 
forecast based on real data

Transport planners and tool developers for 
smart delivery

Operation of distribution vehicles for 
delivery to customers

Automated vehicle, drones and remote 
flying-object operators

Operation of highly automated vehicles, 
monitoring and control of automated fleets 
remotely, operation of semi-autonomous 
ships, vehicles, airplanes, drones, etc.

Alternative fuel distributors and charging 
station operators and managers

Operators and managers of alternative fuel 
distribution

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL104

ACTIVITY 23: DATA ON EMERGING OCCUPATIONS 
IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR

Emerging 
occupation

Description of 
responsibilities

Experts on artificial 
intelligence (AI), digital 
technology, Big Data

New transport/travel software 
development to customise travel 
and transport. Experts will apply 
machine-learning algorithms 
to improve efficiency by 
implementing autonomous data 
interpretation and control

Greatest 
demand in 
the future

Greatest risk 
of gender 
imbalance in the 
future

65.4 %

46.8 %

Software engineers and 
developer

Development of client-specific 
customised solutions

44.2 %

46.8 %

Automation and 
robotics experts 
and maintenance of 
automated systems

Security (and 
cybersecurity) 
experts, legal services 
personnel and privacy 
protection specialists

Infomobility experts

Transport and mobility 
integrators

Transport planners and 
tool developers for 
smart delivery

Automated vehicle, 
drones and remote 
flying-object operators

Alternative fuel 
distributors and 
charging station 
operators and 
managers

Development and maintenance of 
automated systems

44.2 %

31.9 %

Responsible for safety policies

30.8 %

23.4 %

Responsible for connecting the 
transport services to the online 
network

Integrating mobility expertise 
with ICT capabilities and provision 
of new transportation solutions 
developed from forecast based 
on real data

23.1 %

6.4 %

25.0 %

21.3 %

Operation of distribution vehicles 
for delivery to customers

26.9 %

10.6 %

Operation of highly automated 
vehicles, monitoring and control 
of automated fleets remotely, 
operation of semi-autonomous 
ships, vehicles, airplanes, drones, 
etc.

19.2 %

40.4 %

Operators and managers of 
alternative fuel distribution

11.5 %

27.7 %

Source: European Commission (2021). Educational toolkits to help fight gender stereotypes based on the example 
of the transport sector: Final study report on the development of the toolkits. DOI: 10.2832/11827.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL105

 ± 25 min.

Activity 24:  
Transport is my choice

Subject matter
Tutorship, career counselling, design and technology, 
ICT, social sciences, citizenship education.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

•     discover the potential of the transport sector in 
offering diverse employment opportunities;

 •   acknowledge the potential attractiveness of the 

transport sector.

Preparation and materials

•    Activity 24: Questionnaire for all learners.

Key focus and 
issues

After the learners have been 
guided through several activities 
from Toolset 5: Transport and 
have gained knowledge about 
the transport sector (on the 
importance, diversity of the sector, 
the future prospects, etc.), they 
reflect on the adequacy of this 
sector to provide them with future 
job opportunities.

•   The questionnaire is answered individually, but it is 

better if students are sitting in groups of four for the follow-up (and even better if there can be a 
mixture of boys and girls in each group for the debriefing).

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
10 min.

Hand out the Activity 24: 
Questionnaire and ask the learners 
to fill it in individually. Help them to 
clarify any doubts that may come up.

Ask the learners to share the 
answers to question 14 in their 
group. 

Debriefing.

Step 2
5 min.

Step 3
10 min.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL106

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
Discuss the following questions:

•   Do you feel that transport could be your passion? 

Why?

•   If the answer is ‘no’, what should be different in the 

sector for you to answer ‘yes’?

•   Were the girls’ answers and the boys’ answers 
significantly different? Analyse the differences.

•   The previous two questions may help debunk some 

stereotypes about the transport sector:

•  The transport sector is dirty.

•  The working conditions are poor.

•  It requires physical strength.

•  You have to be separated from your family.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•   In pairs, learners can role play a work interview in 

Tips and remarks
This activity presupposes that you 
have gone through some of the 
previous activities in Toolset 5: 
Transport. Alternatively, you can 
integrate in the activity exploration 
of a whole diversity of current and 
future occupations in the transport 
sector, with the help of the Skillful 
Project posters aviation jobs from 
2020 to 203582, road jobs 202083 
and 203584, the future of rail 
and rail jobs from 2020 to 2035, 
maritime jobs 202085 and 203586. 
If this topic has raised interest 
among some of the learners, they 
should be given the opportunity to 
explore it further with the help of 
other teachers, follow-up activities, 
references, etc.

the transport sector. Each could learn all about the favourite job that they have chosen and be 
interviewed as a professional visiting the class.

•   In small groups learners can create a short advertising video about a transport company or design 

a job advertisement in the transport sector for young people.

•   If you realise that some learners are interested in any transport-related job in particular, help 
them find the relevant information about the career, including skills, training paths and career 
prospects.87 

82  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15223.
83  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15221.
84  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15222.
85  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15225.
86  http://skillfulproject.eu/ajax/DownloadHandlerFM.php/downloadFile?id=15226.
87 

 You can find a general overview in European Commission (2021). Educational toolkits to help fight gender stereotypes 
based on the example of the transport sector: Final study report on the development of the toolkits. DOI: 10.2832/11827. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL107

ACTIVITY 24: QUESTIONNAIRE

Write three things under each category: 

1. What comes to mind when you think about transport?

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

2. What comes to mind when you think about road transport?

3. Name three jobs in road transport:

4. What comes to mind when you think about rail transport?

5. Name three jobs in rail transport:

6. What comes to mind when you think about air transport?

7. Name three jobs in air transport:

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL108

8. What comes to mind when you think about urban transport?

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

a

b

c

9. Name three jobs in urban transport:

10. What comes to mind when you think about waterborne transport?

11. Name three jobs in waterborne transport:

12. What comes to mind when you think about transport logistics?

13. Name three jobs in transport logistics:

14. What is important for you when you think about your future job?

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL109

 ± 30 min.

Activity 25: Three plus three

Subject matter
Tutorship, career counselling, design and technology, ICT, 
social sciences, citizenship education, science.

Expected learning outcomes
Learners will:

•   analyse the work done in the toolkit and reflect about 

their ideas and thoughts; 

•   improve their metacognitive skills as they explore what 

they think and communicate it in the classroom.

Preparation and materials

•   If the work done with the toolkit has been discontinuous, 
consider revising briefly the activities selected for Toolset 
5: Transport and the work done with them prior to the 
activity.

•   Learners divided into groups of four.

•   A sheet of paper for every learner and post-it notes.

Key focus and 
issues

By means of this thinking 
routine, which is an adaptation 
of the +1 Routine,88 the 
learners will have a chance 
to reflect on the previously 
discussed issues and share 
and contrast their views with 
their classmates. This activity 
also provides an opportunity 
to further explore any other 
issues of interest to them.

•   The Activity 25: Three plus three worksheet to distribute to all learners.

LESSON DIRECTIONS

Step 1
3 min.

Briefly revise the 
activities done in Toolset 
5: Transport with the 
learners.

Step 2
3 min.

Ask the learners to individually think 
about and write down the three most 
important ideas related to transport they 
recall, or feel are relevant in their lives.

88 

 This thinking routine was developed as part of the Visible Thinking project at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of 
Education. See more at: https://pz.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/%2B1%20Routine.pdf.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL110

Step 3
4 min.

As they are sitting in groups of four, 
ask all the learners to pass their piece 
of paper to the learner sitting to their 
right, who will read what is written 
and add one important idea from their 
own list to that of their teammate. This 
will be repeated twice more until all of 
them have been able to read all the 
lists in the group and add one item to 
each of them.

Step 4
4 min.

Ask learners to compare and discuss 
their lists, which now have six items. 
They should explain to the other 
members of the group why their three 
initial ideas were the most relevant for 
them, and will have to decide if they 
would like to include any of the ideas 

shared by the others in their new ‘top 
three’ and explain why. The learners 
can mark their final top three ideas 
in the Activity 25: Three plus three 
worksheet.

Step 5
4 min.

Ask the learners to write down concepts 
or ideas that need clarification on a 
piece of paper or post-it notes. 

Step 6
6 min.

Collect the notes and read one of the 
questions aloud. Help the learners 
find possible answers. Ask if any other 
learner would like to answer it. If no 
one can answer, then answer the 
questions.

Step 7
6 min.

Debriefing. 

IDEAS FOR DEBRIEFING
•  Develop questions for debriefing stemming from the learners’ notes.

•   In general terms, if this is used as the closing activity of the toolset, it would be interesting to ask 

girls and boys whether and how their perception of transport has changed.

VARIATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
•   Apply this thinking routine to any other issue.

•   Consider bringing in more integration, for example, have learners share their top three concepts 

about transport in an online poll and project the word cloud on the screen.

•   The activity can also be used as a closing activity of the whole toolkit with the necessary 

modifications. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL 
ACTIVITY 25: THREE PLUS THREE WORKSHEET

Write out your top three ideas.

111

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL112

TOOLSET 6: CONTINUING 
TEACHERS’ SELF-ASSESSMENT

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL113

In this toolset, we invite you to reflect on the experience of having worked with the toolkit in class, and in 
what ways this experience has changed your perceptions about gender-sensitive pedagogy and all the 
other issues raised in the toolkit. You are encouraged to explore any of the three self-assessment tools, 
or all, provided below, following the use of the learning activities in class.

Continuing self-assessment tool 1: 
The retrospective starfish

MORE 
OF

KEEP 
DOING

LESS 
OF

START
DOING

STOP
DOING

Focus of the tool

•  This is an intuitive, simple and yet powerful tool borrowed from the business world, which invites 

retrospective reflection and change.

•  There are five categories you can think about in relation to your teaching practice and the work done 

in the toolset.

To take into account

You do not have to answer the questions in writing if you do not feel like it. The self-reflection can be 
done mentally. However, use of a printed sheet and pen invite for a deeper reflection.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL114

1. Keep doing the things with which you are fully satisfied:

a.

b.

c.

2. Less of the practices that need improvement:

a.

b.

c.

3.  More of the practices that you like and that maybe you are not taking full advantage of:

a.

b.

c.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL115

4. Stop doing those practices that you find unsatisfactory:

a.

b.

c.

5.  Start  doing  the  new  things  you  have  learned,  and  you  think  might  give  your  teaching 

practice added value:

a.

b.

c.

Continuing self-assessment tool 2: 
How ‘smiley’ are you?

Focus of the tool

This rubric aims to make you reflect on some of the aspects that have been dealt with in the toolkit. 
Four aspects and four ‘performance levels’ will help you to find your place in this map.

To take into account

In each one of the different aspects analysed, you should try to challenge yourself to reach the next 
‘performance level’ (i.e. you should ask yourself what you could do to move towards the left side of the 
rubric).

Possible variations

Below there is a self-assessment scale. It may be easier for you to tick the appropriate box in the chart 
than to find your place in the rubric. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL116

I recognise 
gender 
stereotypes at 
school.

I can clearly rec-
ognise gender 
stereotypes in the 
school context and 
I always try to neu-
tralise them.

I think I can recog-
nise most gender 
stereotypes, but I 
have realised that 
there is still some 
room for improve-
ment.

I am not sure I 
could recognise 
some of the gender 
stereotypes men-
tioned in the activ-
ities and how they 
affect girls’ and 
boys’ development. 

I do not think I 
could recognise 
gender stereotypes 
at school. I was sur-
prised with some of 
the activities. 

There is no 
hidden or null 
curriculum in 
my teaching 
practice.

I always make a 
conscious stand 
against the hidden 
or null curriculum 
in my teaching 
practice.

Most of the time I 
consciously revise 
my language, the 
way I address boys 
and girls or my 
expectations about 
them, but it is diffi-
cult to watch these 
things all the time.

These things may 
be important, and 
I sometimes think 
about them, but it 
is not always easy 
to do it. 

With all the re-
quirements asked 
from teachers, I do 
not really have the 
time to think about 
these things. 

Stereotype-
free education 
would largely 
contribute to 
stereotype-free 
career choices.

A career path 
in the transport 
sector sounds 
as appealing for 
girls as it does 
for boys.

I think that if 
schools, curricula, 
teaching practic-
es, etc. were not 
so influenced by 
gender stereo-
types, there would 
be more women 
engineers and more 
men nurses in our 
society.

The transport 
sector provides 
excellent job oppor-
tunities for girls as 
much as for boys. 
The skills, attitudes 
and knowledge that 
the sector will re-
quire in the future 
can be developed in 
girls and boys alike.

Boys and girls have 
different curricular 
interests simply 
because they are 
different. 

I think that even 
if we had gen-
der-stereotype-free 
schools, there are 
still many other 
factors that affect 
people’s career 
choices.

School, families 
or society at large 
may influence boys’ 
and girls’ career 
choices and paths, 
but the ultimate 
reason is that girls 
and boys have 
different interests 
in life. 

The transport 
sector may provide 
good job opportu-
nities for boys and 
girls, but there are 
many stereotypes 
to deal with there 
too.

I think that the 
school system can 
educate girls and 
boys in the same 
way, but girls will 
naturally be less 
inclined to this kind 
of work. 

There may be 
women working in 
the transport sec-
tor, but the kind of 
attitudes, skills and 
knowledge required 
are more proper of 
men. 

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL117

I recognise 
gender 
stereotypes at 
school.

There is no 
hidden or null 
curriculum in 
my teaching 
practice.

Stereotype-
free education 
would largely 
contribute to 
stereotype-free 
career choices.

A career path 
in the transport 
sector sounds 
as appealing for 
girls as it does 
for boys.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL118

Continuing self-assessment tool 3:  
A series of statements

Focus of the tool

The most successful teacher professional development activities are those that are extended over 
time; self-assessment is a meaningful source of information for evaluating teaching. Teachers who 
periodically repeat and record the results of self-assessment recognise both the effectiveness and the 
improvement of their practice.

To take into account

A core element underlying the pedagogical approach of the toolkit is the notion that teachers’ 
professional development is linked to learning through their own experience and reflecting on this 
experience, which supports teachers critically improving their further teaching experiences.

A series of statements to reflect on my practice

Yes 

Not 
sure

1.

I respect the dignity of each learner.

2.

I encourage all learners to feel safe in the school and voice their own 
opinions, ideas and values.

3.

I make sure I give all learners constructive feedback.

4.

I respect each learner’s point of view even though I may disagree with it.

5.

I stimulate learners to develop empathy towards others. 

6.

I do not approve of ridicule and sarcasm in class.

7.

I try to discreetly correct improper behaviour.

8.

I try to build self-confidence in each learner.

9.

I try to be accessible and sympathetic to learners’ needs.

10.

I try to involve every learner in the activities of the class.

11.

12.

I avoid too much ‘teacher talk’ and am aware that I communicate both 
verbally and non-verbally.

I am conscious that the tonality of my voice and the way I move affect 
learners’ motivation.

13.

I am conscious of and attentive to gender stereotypes and sexisms.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL119

Yes 

Not 
sure

A series of statements to reflect on my practice

14. My teaching aims to promote learners’ personal development.

15.

I come into the class with enthusiasm.

16.

I advocate that a job worth doing is worth doing well.

17.

I accommodate learners’ interests in discussing unplanned topics and/or 
current events.

18.

I prepare my activities, and make sure learners understand the purpose and 
content of each activity. 

19.

My materials are organised and used efficiently (i.e. the board is organised, 
worksheets are easy to read, etc.). 

20.

I clearly highlight the important points of an activity.

21.

I encourage learners to take action to counter gender stereotypes and 
improve the school environment.

22.

In all contacts with learners, inside and outside the classroom, I encourage 
attitudes and behaviours that foster gender equality.

23.

I use learners’ efforts and achievements in countering gender stereotypes and 
improving the school environment to assess my effectiveness.

24.

I am receptive to learners’ suggestions regarding the promotion of specific 
attitudes and behaviours to foster gender equality.

25.

I recognise the interdependent relation of the school and the parents and I 
notify parents in advance of learners’ out-of-school activities.

26.

I have invited members of the community with professional expertise 
or experience in occupations related to the transport sector to talk with 
the learners and motivate them to consider lesser-known occupations, 
irrespective of their gender.

Total

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL120

FINAL REFLECTION

Am I doing what I should do?

What am I doing well?

What could I do to improve my practice?

Should I involve learners in assessment of my practice? Why?

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL121

TOOLSET 7:  
TO GO ONE STEP FURTHER

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL122

This toolset provides you with the opportunity to personally explore further, if you wish, all the matters 
that have been tackled in the whole toolkit. It offers a range of supporting resources, including glossaries, 
gender-sensitive language guides, additional teaching materials and further information and reading.

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

1. Glossaries on gender equality
Gender Equality Glossary (Council of Europe) — Definitions of concepts based on the definitions and 
terms of Council of Europe instruments and standards.

Gender Equality Glossary (UN Women) — Online tool that provides concepts and definitions with gender 
perspective.

Gender  Equality  Glossary  and  Thesaurus  (European  Institute  for  Gender  Equality)  —  Specialised 
terminology tool fostering a common understanding of gender equality terms across the EU.

2. Gender-sensitive language guides
Gender-Inclusive Language Guidelines (UN Women) — Promoting gender equality through the use of 
language.

Gender-Sensitive Communication Online Toolkit (European Institute for Gender Equality) — Easy-to-
use guide on how to use more gender-sensitive language.

3. Information on gender equality in education and training
Gender  Statistics  Database  (European  Institute  for  Gender  Equality)  —  Comprehensive  knowledge 
centre for gender statistics and information on various aspects of (in)equality between women and men 
in the EU.

A Guide for Gender Equality in Teacher Education Policy and Practices (UNESCO) — Tool to introduce 
the  gender  perspective  to  all  aspects  of  teacher  education  and  training,  notably  policy  and  planning, 
budgeting,  curriculum  development,  pedagogy  and  instructional  materials,  support  services,  and 
monitoring and evaluation.

Relevance of Gender in Education and Training (European Institute for Gender Equality) — Discussion 
of the key gender issues in education and possibilities for change.

4. Information on the transport sector and occupational choices
Drawing the Future (Education and Employment) — Report providing an overview of how various social, 
cultural and economic factors impact children’s career aspirations, based on a survey of children from 
all over the world.

EU Transport in Figures (European Commission) — Annually updated statistical pocketbooks.

Jobs Split Along Gender Lines (Eurostat) — Compilation of statistics for all EU countries about gender 
segregation in the labour market.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL123

The LEARN! Project (European Transport Safety Council) — Useful resources and information on traffic 
safety education. 

Skillful Project (Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories Knowledge Centre) — EU-
funded project offering a variety of resources to explore the development of skills and competences of 
future transportation professionals at all levels.

Transport EU Statistics (Eurostat) — Compilation of transport statistics for all EU countries and related 
resources.

Transport Infographics and Maps (European Commission) — Fascinating facts on various themes and 
issues related to transport and mobility.

5. Online teaching resources on gender, education and/or career aspirations
Apprenticeship Toolkit #STEMappkit (WISE, Semta and the Institution of Civil Engineers) — Collection 
of  best  practice,  expertise  and  case  studies  to  attract,  engage,  support  and  retain  women  in  STEM 
apprenticeships.

Babble Dabble Do: Connecting Through Creativity (Make My Day: Visions LLC) — Collection of creative 
and STEM projects for children.

Boys in Care Work (Dissens - Institute for Education and Research) — Tool that aims to assist teachers 
and  youth  workers  in  career  counselling,  enabling  them  to  provide  stereotype-free  career  advice  and 
support boys in atypical vocational pathways.

BREAK!  (Estonian  Gender  Equality  and  Equal  Treatment  Commissioner’s  Office)  —  Cross-media  EU-
funded project, including learning materials for teachers on how to talk about (gender) stereotypes to 
learners in different classes and age groups.

Breaking the Mould (National Education Union of the United Kingdom) — Series of resources that support 
nursery and primary phase teachers to think about what books they are using in their classrooms.

Compass: Manual for Human Rights Education with Young People — Focus on Gender (Council of 
Europe) — Explanations of key gender-equality concepts.

Education  Guide  for  Gender  Equality  and  Citizenship  (The  Commission  for  Citizenship  and  Gender 
Equality, Portugal) — Aims to support teachers in mainstreaming gender-equality perspectives across 
their school curriculum and challenging gender stereotypes.

Gender in Education Network in Asia-Pacific (GENIA) Toolkit: Promoting Gender Equality in Education 
(UNESCO)  —  Introduces  key  concepts  and  theoretical  debates  and  outlines  practical  approaches  for 
mainstreaming gender equality throughout the education system and within education policy.

Gender  Loops:  Tools,  Resources  and  Strategies  for  Gender-Sensitive  Early  Childhood  Education 
(Dissens - Institut für Bildung und Forschung e.V.) — Set of practical material to deal with gender issues 
for teachers in early childhood education and teacher trainers.

Gender-Responsive  Pedagogy:  A  Toolkit  for  Teachers  and  Schools  (Forum  for  African  Women 
Educationalists) — Equips teachers with knowledge, skills and attitudes to empower them to respond 
adequately  to  the  learning  needs  of  girls  and  boys  by  using  gender-aware  classroom  processes  and 
practices.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL124

Guidelines for Teacher Unions for Tackling Gender Stereotypes in Education (European Trade Union 
Committee for Education) — Provides a set of recommendations for teacher unions (national and EU 
level) on possible social dialogue and collective bargaining actions to challenge gender stereotypes in 
the education sector with the wider objective of having a significant impact on gender segregation in the 
labour market.

Hypatia’s  Toolkit  (Hypatia  project  partners)  —  Digital  collection  of  innovative  activities  aimed  at 
teenagers with a central focus on gender-inclusive ways of communicating STEM, empowering teenagers 
and exploring the range of skills that are needed for a great variety of STEM studies and careers open 
to young people.

Let  Toys  Be  Toys  —  Campaign  challenging  gender  stereotypes,  including  resources  for  teachers  and 
practical tips to use in the classroom. 

Peers for Equality T-Kit on Tackling Gender-Based Discrimination (Ofensiva Tinerilor et al.)— Provides 
practical information to facilitate group work, discussions and peer education on gender inequality and 
stereotypes.

A Resource Pack for Gender-Responsive STEM Education: Training Tools for Curriculum Development 
(BE-UNESCO)—  Guidance  for  broader  understanding  of  the  theory  and  practice  of  gender-responsive 
STEM  education,  in  order  to  support  its  effective  development  at  the  policy,  school,  classroom  and 
community levels.

Resources from Welcoming Schools (Human Rights Campaign Foundation) — Project offering lessons 
to understand gender to support inclusive school climates around gender identity, gender expression and 
preventing gender stereotyping.

STING Project: STEM Teacher Training Innovation for Gender Balance (Elhuyar Foundation) — Toolkit 
and online resources promoting the integration of gender into STEM education.

TWIST: Towards Women in Science and Technology (Science Learning Center of Science Center NEMO) 
— Guide to help teachers develop the professional skills necessary to promote gender awareness in the 
classroom by providing information, best-practice examples and practical tips.

From  Where  I  Stand:  A  Gender  Equality  Project  for  the  Global  Goals  (World’s  Largest  Lesson)— 
Creative project for educators and action-focused learning experiences for children and young people 
that build skills and motivation to take action for gender equality as one of the sustainable development 
goals (SDGs).

6. Visual materials on gender stereotypes, transport and/or career aspirations
100 Years of Women in Transport (Transport for London)— Online video celebrating the work of women 
transport workers and the even bigger contribution they can make to transport in the future.

Gender Stereotypes (Fawcett Society)— Video and literature review providing an overview of the ways 
to fight gender stereotypes in early childhood.

Making the Case for Women in Aviation (European Cockpit Association) — Article and video that shows 
women  pilots  in  this  traditionally  male-dominated  field.  The  material  raises  awareness  about  gender 
stereotypes and showcases women role models in aviation.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL125

Meet the 22%: Women Talk about Careers (Diversity@Eurocontrol)— Video showing women working in 
the aviation sector. It aims to promote visibility and representation of women, as well as provide insights 
into careers and motivations.

Mujeres Operarias del Transporte Público de la Ciudad de México [Women Workers in Public Transport 
of Mexico City] (CENFES)— Online video about the everyday life of women taxi drivers in Mexico City.

No  More  Boys  and  Girls:  Can  Our  Kids  Go  Gender  Free?  (Episodes  1  and  2)  (BBC2)  —  Two-part 
documentary on setting primary school free from gender stereotypes. It provides a useful example of 
challenging gender stereotypes in practice.

Pilots  Answer  50  Most-Googled  Passenger  Questions  (Captain  Joe)  —  Engaging  video  of  pilots 
answering the most commonly asked questions about being a pilot and the aviation industry.

#RedrawTheBalance  (Education  and  Employers)  —  Online  video  challenging  occupational  gender 
stereotypes with primary school children, who are asked to draw a firefighter, fighter pilot and surgeon; 
then they meet the real women.

Yes, She Pilots! (Yes, She Pilots!) — Blog of a woman pilot who shares her personal story of becoming a 
pilot and discusses various issues related to the aviation industry, including how the industry has become 
increasingly more women-friendly.

Sunny Swift: Flight Instructor (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) — Various materials, such as 
flyers, posters and comics, providing information about general aviation and flight safety delivered by a 
woman instructor.

Women in Maritime (International Maritime Organization) — Project offering various materials, providing 
information about gender diversity in the maritime sector.

Women in Motion (Ferrovie dello Stato) — Project promoting women’s careers in technical areas (e.g. 
maintenance, infrastructure, etc.). It offers a collection of resources for students about work in the rail 
sector.

Women in Transport: Meet … (European Commission) — Videos provide insights into motives for working 
in different transport sectors. They feature women that are logistic consultants, air pilots, truck drivers 
and marine pilots.

FURTHER READING
Culhane, L. and Bazeley, A. (2019). Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood: A Literature Review. London: 
Fawcett  Society.  Retrieved  from:  https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/gender-stereotypes-in-early-
childhood-a-literature-review. 

Eliot, L. (2009). Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps — and What 
We Can Do About It. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

European Commission (2021). Educational toolkits to help fight gender stereotypes based on the example 
of the transport sector: Final study report on the development of the toolkits. DOI: 10.2832/11827.

Frei,  S.  and  Leowinata,  S.  (2014).  Gender  Mainstreaming  Toolkit  for  Teachers  and  Teacher  Educators. 
Vancouver: Commonwealth of Learning. Retrieved from: http://oasis.col.org/handle/11599/566.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL126

Henderson,  E.  (2014).  Gender  Pedagogy:  Teaching,  Learning  and  Tracing  Gender  in  Higher  Education. 
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Illeris, K. (2002). The Three Dimensions of Learning: Contemporary Learning Theory in the Tension Field 
Between the Cognitive, the Emotional and the Social. Leicester: NIACE.

Kashefpakdel,  E.,  Rehill,  J.  and  Hughes,  D.  (2018).  What  Works?  Career-Related  Learning  in  Primary 
Schools.  London:  Careers  and  Enterprise  Company.  Retrieved  from:  https://cica.org.au/wp-content/
uploads/What-works-in-Primary.pdf.

Mompoint-Gaillard,  P.  and  Lázár,  I.  (2018).  TASKs  for  Democracy:  60  Activities  to  Learn  and  Assess 
Transversal Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (2nd ed.). Pestalozzi series no. 4, Huber, J. (ed). Strasbourg: 
Council of Europe. Retrieved from: https://rm.coe.int/tasks-2nd-edition/16807860c1.

Organisation  for  Economic  Co-Operation  and  Development  (OECD)  (2017).  The  OECD  Handbook  for 
Innovative Learning Environments. Educational Research and Innovation. Paris: OECD Publishing. Retrieved 
from: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264277274-en.

Rodríguez, M. E. S. (2010). La igualdad también se aprende: cuestión de coeducación. Madrid: Narcea 
Ediciones.

Schleicher, A. (2018). World Class: How to Build a 21st-Century School System, Strong Performers and 
Successful  Reformers  in  Education.  Paris:  OECD  Publishing.  Retrieved  from:  https://www.oecd.org/
education/world-class-9789264300002-en.htm.

EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT TO HELP FIGHT GENDER STEREOTYPES IN SECONDARY SCHOOL127

REFERENCES

Ananiadou,  K.  and  Claro,  M.  (2009).  21st-Century  Skills  and  Competences  for  New  Millennium 
Learners  in  OECD  Countries.  OECD  Education  Working  Papers,  41.  Retrieved  from:  https://doi.
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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU

In person

All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct information centres. You can find the 
address of the centre nearest you at: https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en 

On the phone or by email

Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union.  
You can contact this service:
– by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls),
– at the following standard number: +32 22999696 or 
– by email via: https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en

FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU

Online

Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on the Europa 
website at: https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en 

EU publications

You can download or order free and priced EU publications at: https://op.europa.eu/en/publications. 
Multiple copies of free publications may be obtained by contacting Europe Direct or your local informa-
tion centre (see https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en).

EU law and related documents

For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1952 in all the official language 
versions, go to EUR-Lex at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu

Open data from the EU

The EU Open Data Portal (http://data.europa.eu/euodp/en) provides access to datasets from the EU. 
Data can be downloaded and reused for free, for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.

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doi: 10.2832/283111