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"While sex differences are real, and likely honed by cultural training as much as evolution, it’s also the case that differences within sexes are far more significant than the differences across genders."
If teachers expect boys to behave worse than girls, since they do so on average, "they may miss girls’ behavior problems entirely or treat well-behaving boys as anomalous." That can distort teachers' expectations and support for the children. Much focus on sex differences also obscures other important variables like age, physical maturity, mental-health issues, and home environments, etc. (Christakis, 2013).
Most of the teachers do not differentiate instruction in the classroom for the behavioral and performance differences between boys and girls, which they often report as the results of nature or nurture. Boys are more physical and not as good as reading and writing as girls, and they need more space to learn. On the other hand, girls produce more drama, tend to multitask better, and write with more detail. So, Catholic Education Resource Center recommend separating the sexes and using appropriate teaching methods for each sex, which they sum up as 'letting boys be boys,' instead of prescribing medications to boys to treat attention problems.
The “different learning styles” should better be described as 'gender stereotypes' and those who advocate separate education for boys and girls deal with 'stereotypes,' instead of solid pedagogy (Cohen, 2012) and science does not support what they say. A recent study acknowledges that there are sex differences in children’s brains, but it debunked the idea that these differences have a significant impact on learning. While the Science piece did not find appreciable advantages to same-sex education, it did identify serious downsides. Separating students by sex, it said, 'makes gender very salient,' which 'reinforces stereotypes and sexism.' It has the same problems as segregation by race or income. 'Any form of segregation undermines rather than promotes equality.' (Arizona State University, 2011)
Same-sex public education is often called illegal since 'it relies on groundless preconceptions about the sexes that interfere with educational opportunities.' ACLU (The American Civil Liberties Union) has got the 'Teach Kids, Not Stereotypes' campaign arguing that public schools cannot 'teach boys to be active and aggressive by shouting at them, spanking them, and allowing them to toss a football in class. While, they simultaneously pamper girls, use soft voices, and encourage them to talk about their feelings, and give them untimed tests to create a less stressful environment' (Bohm, 2012).
However, my experience of studying in a girls' school is quite different than an outsider always expects. No matter it is a girls ' or boys' school, every institution has all its systems and oppressions practiced in a structured way. And girls' schools are not 'charity homes' and thus, no exceptions! However, "In any case, dividing up boys and girls and teaching them in this way is a rare form of bias. It is not simply discrimination against girls or discrimination against boys. It is discrimination against both. Educators should acknowledge differences and then teach positively" (Cohen, 2012).
If we acknowledge that boys and girls have different learning and behavior management needs, then we must also acknowledge, we need to differentiate for those needs. But less than 1% of the elementary school teachers have a 'gender instruction methods' training, although one of the foundational blocks of good teaching is to know as much as you can about your students and to have the skills to meet the needs that knowledge reveals. Our teachers need the training to acquire deep knowledge and skill to meet the learning and behavioral needs of the male and female students (Coniglio, 2018).
Teachers:
- Perhaps, instead of dividing classes by sex, should consider dividing by learning style.
- Should take a long, hard look at what we think boys need if they wish to erase the achievement differences between boys and girls at school we. 'Doing more of what we’re already doing won’t be the answer.'
- Of course, cannot ignore gender in all situations. Children will frequently comment about gender themselves, and some curriculum content is related to gender. It is appropriate for teachers to discuss gender barriers that have been broken — the first female astronaut, the first female U.S. senator and so on.
(Bigler, 2005)
Parents:
- Should avoid passing on pessimistic attitudes about learning by simply watching their language (“I’m hopeless at math”). They can jump into the subject they once feared with both feet, using their children’s education as an opportunity to brush up on their basic skills.
- Should learn along with their kids, and they may find that math and science, or writing and spelling, are not so scary for their children too.
- Should let their kids know that it’s always possible to change and improve our abilities.
- Should play games with their children designed to teach letters and number concepts, sing songs and regularly read to them, take them to the library and provide them with art and craft equipment to do well in school.
(Paul, 2012)
Arizona State University. (2011). Single-sex schooling does not improve academic performance and can lead to gender stereotyping, study finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 20, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922141902.htm
Bohm, A. (2012). Teach Kids Not Stereotypes.Link: https://www.aclu.org/blog/speakeasy/teach-kids-not-stereotypes?redirect=blog/womens-rights/teach-kids-not-stereotypes
Bigler. R. (2005). 'Good Morning Boys and Girls': https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2005/good-morning-boys-and-gi
Carter, A. (2016).Teaching boys. e-Teaching. Link: http://www.acel.org.au/acel/ACEL_docs/Publications/e-Teaching/2016/e-Teaching_2016_31.pdf
Cohen, A. (2012). Ew, Boys: The Brewing Legal Battle Over Same-Sex Education. http://ideas.time.com/2012/07/16/ew-boys-the-brewing-legal-battle-over-same-sex-education/
Coniglio, R. (2018). Why Gender Matters in the Classroom: The Differences Between Boys and Girls. Teaching Hub.com. Link: http://www.teachhub.com/why-gender-matters-classroom
Paul, A. M. (2012). Do Mothers Hamper Their Daughters in Math? Time. Link: http://ideas.time.com/2012/05/30/do-mothers-hamper-their-daughters-in-math/
Scott, C. (2014). Educating boys – and girls. Teacher. https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/articles/educating-boys-and-girls
Zenit. (2005).Teaching Girls and Boys Differently. Link: https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/education/catholic-contributions/teaching-girls-and-boys-differently.html
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