Issue 5: Creating “boy-friendly” classrooms
Boys are on average behind girls in reading, writing, and school grades. Boys are less likely to do their homework or say they enjoy school. Boys’ dropout rates are higher and they are more likely to be suspended or expelled. Many researchers and educators locate major sources of boys’ underachievement in classroom practices that do not take into account 1) biological differences between boys and girls, such as gender differences in the maturation of particular areas of the brain, 2) differences in boys’ interests, such as preferences for more action-oriented and less relationship-oriented reading materials, 3) differences in boys’ learning styles, such as preferences for competitive as opposed to cooperative classroom practices, greater need for real-world applications of academic content, and higher performance under stress, and 4) the greater importance to boys of physical activity inside and outside the classroom.
Some argue that schools are “feminizing” boys by not allowing activities which boys enjoy, such as rough and tumble play at recess, and by rewarding behavior that comes more easily to girls, such as turning in neat homework. Boys have come to believe that “school is for girls,” and that teachers do not like or respect them as much as girls. Others point out that changes in schools, such as bullying programs, school harassment programs, and the testing mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act, have had especially negative effects on boys.
Research and Policy Questions
These explanations make sense to many parents and educators but their effectiveness has not been tested by impartial research. Which of the recommended changes in classroom practice to make school more boy-friendly actually make a difference to boys’ success? How do such changes affect girls? Do boys actually believe that “school is for girls”? Such research needs to go beyond quantitative measures, such as test scores, and include qualitative research, such as focus groups and classroom observation of how boys (and girls) respond to different instructional practices.
Another needed area of research centers on teacher preparation. To what extent are university teacher training programs and school inservice programs including education in the distinctive problems and educational needs of boys as well as girls? Do teachers make use of this knowledge in the classroom? Do teachers appreciate the energy and creativity characteristic of boys or do they see such qualities as creating discipline problems?
How can parents and educators concerned with boys exert influence on schools to make classrooms more boy-friendly and prevent the excesses of bullying and sexual harassment programs?
Key Sources:
1. Gurian, M. & Stevens, K. (2005). The minds of boys: Saving our sons from falling behind in school and life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
This book identifies strategies to make educational environments, from preschool through high school, more boy-friendly. Early learning environments for boys, for example, should encourage physical movement and bright lighting. Elementary and high schools should provide reading materials that boys enjoy, those that emphasize excitement, mystery and showdowns between good and evil. Boys benefit from multimedia techniques, spatial and graphic ways of teaching, teams and competition, play and humor, music, and experiential learning, particularly outdoors.
2. Sax, L. (2005). Why gender matters: What parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. New York: Doubleday.
This book argues that boys and girls are more apt to thrive in different kinds of educational environments. Boys tend to do better in educational settings, for example, that provide danger and risk and opportunities for the rough and tumble play that promotes male friendships. Boys tend to hear less well than girls, and teachers working with boys need to speak louder and seat boys closer to the front of the room. Boys typically respond better to strict discipline and power assertion. Boys prefer shoulder-to-shoulder work with teacher which avoids direct eye contact. While girls have little difficulty asking teachers for help and see teachers as allies and friends, boys typically prefer not to do so and some use disruptive behavior to raise their status in the eyes of other boys.
3. Smith, M. W., & Wilhelm, J. D. (2002). “Reading don’t fix no Chevys”: Literacy in the lives of young men. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
In order to find out how to engage boys in school literacy, the authors look at the literacy habits of 49 boys from different backgrounds. The boys kept literacy logs, were interviewed on reading preferences, and used “think-aloud” approaches to provide their thoughts on what they were reading. The authors use Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of “flow” to encourage teachers to concentrate on creating experiences in class which provide challenges that boys can meet, focus on the intrinsic rewards of the experience, set clear goals, provide immediate feedback, and create a sense of competence and control. They emphasize genuine inquiry experiences where boys go beyond what the teachers know. In a subsequent book, [Smith, M.W. & Wilhem, J.D. (2006). Going with the flow: How to engage boys (and girls) in their literacy learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann] the researchers suggest that video games create flow experiences, that the standardized testing mandated by No Child Left Behind Act undermines flow experiences, and offer practical strategies teachers can use to develop literacy inside and outside of school.
4. Fletcher, R. (2006). Boy writers: Reclaiming their voices. Portland: Sternhouse Publishers.
The largest achievement gap between boys and girls occurs in writing. Teachers should allow and reward writing that boys enjoy, including violence, action, video games, tough characters, fantasy worlds, physical challenges, and subversive humor. Encourage boys to draw as a way of increasing their interest in writing and their writing skills. Recognize that writing is changing, that keyboarding skills are becoming more important, and that communication in the virtual world uses not only words but also visuals such as videos, flash animation, interactive chatter.
5. Penrod, Diane. (2007). Using blogs to enhance literacy. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Citing research suggesting that adolescent boys tend to write somewhat more on blogs compared to girls and use a wider vocabulary, Penrod suggests that the virtual environment offers an interactive arena which engages boys and develops competence in communication skills in ways that traditional school environments do not. This book contributes to the growing literature arguing that gaming and virtual environments can accomplish educational purposes in a richer, more interactive, and more challenging way than traditional educational methods.