Bea Amanda S. Balbarona
University of Baguio Senior High School
ABSTRACT
News reports featuring modules with misleading information about gender expression and gender stereotypes drew attention to the public. From the report, the contents showed gender assignment to toys and personality, enforcing toxic beliefs about the roles of women and men. With these pieces of evidence and the scarcity of research related to this issue, the student-researcher sought to determine the insights of selected UBSHS about the gender studies they had received in elementary and secondary level on their observations of gender-based discrimination (GBD) in community and gender-based harassment (GBH) in school. The student-researcher used purposive sampling technique to gather key informants and virtual focus group discussion to gather data. Five questions prepared by the student-researcher approved by the tool validator and were used for the FGD. Inclusion criteria were also set for the key informants: must be eighteen years old and above, currently enrolled at UBSHS, and received gender studies in their elementary and secondary levels. However, the research was open for all gender identities and sexual orientation as long as they fit into the criteria. In total, there were six key informants who agreed to participate in the research. From their answers, the student-researcher used thematic analysis; sixteen themes were extracted and two themes for each objective were identified. After analysis and discussion, the findings were the following: It was found that the gender studies the key informants received in elementary and secondary levels do not promote both GBD happening in the community setting and GBH in the school setting. Rather, it is the outside factors that promote GBD and GBH such as influences of family, peers, culture, and beliefs, people’s mindsets, and lack of information. The findings of this research recommend that the gender studies of the current K-12 curriculum should be improved and explore the mentioned and relevant topics further.
Keywords: Gender studies, gender-based harassment, gender-based discrimination, UBSHS, insights
