The Feminization of Teaching and Principalship in the Israeli Educational System: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study focused on the extent of feminization of teaching and principalship in Israel. Referring to the queuing model, it examined the interaction effect of the local authority and school contexts on two interrelated dimensions of feminization: the percentage of women teachers in schools and the probability of having a woman as a school principal. On the basis of a sample of 1,240 primary and secondary schools in 111 local authorities, a two-level hierarchical linear model was used. The results show that feminization occurs gradually and at different rates according to school structure and the characteristics of the local authority. The findings support the queuing model and suggest that different economic, sociocultural, and organizational contexts are associated with different patterns of intraoccupational gender segregation.