ABSTRACT
The previous chapter argued that a conservative gender code was reflected in the schools’ management of option choice, with firm boundaries maintained between masculine and feminine areas of the curriculum. I wanted to examine whether the gender codes of individual teachers were equally conservative or more progressive than the general ethos of the school, and therefore undertook an extensive series of interviews and observation. Both schools claimed to support the principle of equal opportunities, although no policy statements had ever been drawn up, and I was particularly interested to see how teachers actually interpreted and mediated this policy.
