Gender

The issue of Equal Opportunities for Girls is important, but the key issue currently in the gender debate is boys' under-achievement.

Points Arising from Research

• Boys perform less well than girls in national assessments
• Boys and girls tend to have different preferred learning styles
• Boys tend to interact socially in different ways from girls, affecting their education
• Boys may have different attitudes to education
• But researchers stress that there is no clear boy/girl divide.   It is more a case of “Which boys? Which girls?”
• The emphasis is therefore on teaching all pupils appropriately.   Much advice elsewhere in the Toolkit will be relevant here.   But much of the advice below is particularly relevant to the education of boys
• Many gender issues have a whole-school dimension

Key Elements of Gender

Curriculum

• Girls should be positively encouraged to become involved in “boys’ subjects”
• Literacy strategies for boys are important.  Boys tend to like non-fiction material, but also fantasy, adventure, and monster stories
• Ensure that teaching materials are appropriate for both boys and girls
• Promote cross-curricular initiatives
• Offer elements of choice in the curriculum to improve motivation
• Consult pupils about the curriculum and respond to the consultation
• The purpose and targets in curricular blocks need to be fully understood by pupils
• High levels of course-work assessment tend to favour girls.

Assessment

• Boys need positive personal feedback. Consider use of boy’s name in written and verbal comment.
• A sense of success should underpin assessment
• A range of assessment strategies should be used (eg oral questions, written answers, multiple choice, general observation of group work)
• A target group of boys may be focused on to monitor assessment
• Questions and assessment items should be clearly understood by both boys and girls
• Boys benefit from being allowed to discuss responses before committing themselves to an answer
• Boys often do not write as much as girls. Allow for this and focus on quality not quantity
• Structured support should be given in formative assessment, particularly for boys (eg Writing Frames or “scaffolding”)
  Learning styles
• Boys tend to find kinaesthetic approaches effective, eg. role-play and drama
• Boys tend to like information presented in a visual way (video, OHP, ICT , models etc)
• Boys like information to be delivered in small chunks, with short-term goals
• Curricular activities with competitive elements are likely to suit boys
• Boys, particularly the less able, tend to respond well to ICT work

Behaviour and attitudes

• Positive role models for boys should be promoted in education generally
• Positive role models for girls should be highlighted in relation to “boys’ subjects”
• Whole school support should be considered for pupils who need to amend their behaviour
• Peer support schemes such as mentoring and buddy-reading can help
• In the classroom anti-social personal remarks or behaviour should be dealt with firmly, using well established procedures
• “Anti-swot” remarks or behaviour should not be tolerated
• Involvement in the wider life of the school should be encouraged

Organisation

• Boys’ performance can be a standing item on dept./school agendas and in parent organisations
• Under-performing boys (or girls?) can be targeted for monitoring and support
• Single-sex classes may help in secondary, especially for the less able (though research is inconclusive on this matter)
• Structured organisation of classroom seating is helpful, and gender is a factor in this
• Boy-girl pairing can help for planning and mutual support in written work
• Gender balance is important in pupil councils etc
• Boys should be actively encouraged to care for and enhance the school environment
• Attempts may be made to involve parents/carers/relatives in school life 

Reflection and Discussion

How well do boys in your school/dept. perform in assessments?

How well do you cater for boys?  And for girls?  How do you deal with the issues listed above?

Are there any ways in which you could improve your provision for boys?  And for girls?

Some Activities Relating To the Issue of Gender