Teacher Cognition of Gender Gap in the English Language Literacy: A Malaysian Narrative

Literacy is an important foundation skill which is central to success in any learning area. The existence of gender differences in literacy is therefore of major concern and has spurred a large amount of research. In spite of the extant literature regarding boys’ language literacy underachievement, the topic has not yet become outdated. Gender gaps still persist with varying inconclusive beliefs and conclusions. This article tackles one of the many general causes of gender gap namely the school practices, with specific reference to teachers. The purpose of this study is to discover teachers’ cognition regarding second language literacy performance of boys and girls. Nine English language teachers with varied career experiences from four primary schools in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia were interviewed. Four major themes have emerged regarding Malaysian teachers’ constructions of gender gaps in L2 literacy, and from the findings, the researchers put forward the conception of L2 literacy gendered differences at the level of Malaysian primary schools through the lenses of English teachers which consists of four components: manifestation; admission; motives; and teacher sentiments. By understanding these components on how male and female students respond differently to activities performed in language classes, teachers can improve their engagement with learners from various backgrounds.