Abstract

Education promotes gender equality, positioning it as a fundamental human right and a driver of societal change. This paper examines the attitudes towards. student-teachers (B.Ed) towards female teacher educators in Imphal, Manipur, with a focus on gender-based disparities. The research employed a descriptive survey design to collect data from a sample of 200 student-teachers (100 male and 100 female) across four accredited B.Ed. colleges, comprising two government institutions and two private colleges. Attitudes were evaluated using a quantitative questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale, demonstrating reliability with an alpha coefficient of 0.84. Results demonstrate a generally favourable disposition towards female educators (M = 69.18, SD = 6.19, p The female student-teachers achieved a higher mean score (M = 72.40) than their male counterparts (M = 65.96), a difference that was statistically significant (t = 6.07, p < 0.01). While the findings exhibit signals of hope toward inclusivity, nearly one-third of respondents expressed unfavourable opinions and did not share this sentiment. The research underscores the imperative for gender-sensitization curricula and legislative initiatives to foster an equitable environment and support female educators in the realm of teacher education.