Author: Marth Duniya Shaibu (Nigeria) | Published on 18 April 2025
Question: How can we challenge gender stereotypes and broaden students’ career aspirations?
Answer: by using inclusive classroom activities that explore gender roles and encourage learners to dream beyond societal expectations.
In most typical African Societal structures, students are limited by Societal Expectations in their choice of career which greatly limit their potential and intellectual abilities. Here are 3 ideas to explore gender constructs in African society in relation to career prospects.
Discussion and roleplay
Students love to talk and share their ideas! We can support them by asking some prompt questions.
Here is an example.
Questions:
a. What are some common societal expectations that limit your career choices?
b. How can we challenge these expectations?
Once you have allowed students to discuss and respond to these prompts, then we can set up role plays.
Ask students to choose from the societal expectations they have mentioned.
Roleplay task: Imagine you are a career advisor; what advice would you give to a learner who wants to pursue a non-traditional career but is faced with societal expectations?
In pairs, one is the advisor, and one is the student. Give each pair 5 minutes to discuss and note down their solutions, then they swap roles. You can then ask them to swap partners and swap roles again. Invite learners to share the best feedback and guidance they received whole class and encourage them to use it in their lives.
Writing activity
Ask learners to express their thoughts on gender and non -traditional careers in writing:
All writing activities need clear scaffolding. You could offer prompt questions to guide their thinking as well as information as to how many words or paragraphs to include.
Here are some ideas for prompt questions you can use:
a) Are there equal career opportunities for men and women in your country?
b) Do you agree that men and women are equally capable of doing all jobs? Justify your reasons.
c) Which non-traditional career would you like to do and why?
Reading activity
You can choose an appropriate short passage for your learners to read. Here is an example:
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The Impact of Societal Expectations on students’ Career Choices In most African settings, students “Career Choices’ are limited by societal expectations. The family unit begins to socialise children from an early age, even before they start any formal education. As a result, preconceived expectations of gender roles are formed, which later influence students’ career choices. These stereotypes expectations limit the potential and intellectual abilities of students thereby, creating a future of young people who lack empowerment. Interestingly, some of these societal expectations include the assumption that women should not aspire to certain levels of education as their primary duty is to care for their children and husbands. Women are also discouraged from pursuing careers like medicine, engineering, law or military. On the other hand, men are also often discouraged from considering careers in fashion and design, culinary arts , teaching or nursing . However, students can challenge these expectations as they are the ones most affected. This can be achieved by educating family members about the limitations imposed by societal expectations on their career choice, engaging in peer to peer campaigns, creating community awareness in their locality and ultimately pursuing their desired career choices, which will gradually fade out career stereotype in African society. |
Skimming and scanning tasks:
Identify new vocabulary and look-up meaning of such words, in order to understand the passage
Key Vocabulary: empowerment, stereotypes, expectation.
Comprehension questions:
a. What are some common societal expectations that limit students’ career choices?
b. How can we challenge these expectations?
This can be scaffolded as a discussion first before the writing task and remember to allow learners thinking and planning time before they begin writing!
Ask learners to express their opinion in writing and go through their work to ensure it is on track Ensure you guide and support students throughout.