Helen Reardon
Tackling Gender Underachievement in Literacy and Numeracy
January 2004
Introduction
In recent years there has been much research into gender learning issues and the apparent learning disparity between boys and girls. Such research has included investigations into boys' underachievement in literacy and girls' underachievement in mathematics. The aim of such research is to recognise key reasons why such trends are occurring and perhaps more importantly, to address these within the classroom.
Since the introduction of the National Curriculum, national testing and assessment has provided a comprehensive account of attainment at all key stages, especially in the key areas of numeracy, literacy and science. However, such results should not be used exclusively when discussing gender learning difference. It is also important to consider the role of gender stereotyping, attitude and classroom behaviour, and consider how these affect the learning process.
In this essay I will discuss the key issues and the reasons behind this underachievement, the ways these can be addressed at school level and the impact these have within the classroom.
Boys and Literacy
It is a common belief that historically girls perform better in English than boys. Past and present research support this theory as the table below illustrates.
(www.dfes.gov.co.uk)
In the 1998 OfSTED (Office for Standards in Education) Report Recent Research on Gender and Educational Performance the figures showed that at Key Stage 1 girls were already outperforming boys in reading with 83% of girls at the expected level and only 73% of boys (OfSTED, 1998). More recent research indicates that this trend still holds true in Key Stage 2, the OfSTED Report The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the Primary Curriculum states that the gender gap in English "is one of the most worrying aspects of the results." (2003: P8). The chart below illustrates their findings.
Percentage of pupils achieving Level and above in
English tests at Key Stage 2: boys and girls
(OfSTED, 2003:P9)
The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CPLE) has extensively studied gender differences in learning. One such area of their research is the Gender and Literacy project investigating 4 London schools and their findings are now being used to tackle the underachievement of boys in literacy education.
Social stereotyping is believed to play a major part in the child's learning (Head, 1999), and such role reinforcement will affect that child's attitude and motivation towards classroom education. It is normal for young children to spontaneously play in single sex groups and this can be considered as an early introduction into the single sex peer groups that will dominate in later life. Such group play may be simply due to a common, shared interest, but the need to conform to group dynamics and the need for group acceptance may reinforce stereotyping. Within the school environment boys tend to adopt an "anti swot culture" (Bradford, 1996:P1), Head states that "the swot is derided and one should be 'cool' about school work. Boys cannot be seen as taking this work too seriously." (1999:P65). The DfES (Department for Education and Skills) offer advice to teachers as part of the Gender and Achievement website, of the 25 hints and tips about teaching approaches 18 are dedicated to the negative aspects of boy culture (www.dfes.gov.uk). It is therefore essential to understand how such peer pressure will affect learning. Social roles will extend to the playground with boys commonly observed in physical play and girls more likely to be engaged in passive activities such as reading (Brown and Fletcher, 1995). This active nature of boys will again create a perception that reading and writing is 'boring' or 'uncool' as it is passive (and usually individual) in nature (Bradford, 1996). Ghaill (1994) cited by Bradford (1996) further explains that boys wish to be considered macho and that academic work is perceived with an inferior effeminacy. "Boys perceive the literacy experience as female because from an early age, reading and writing are associated with feminine forms of expressions, especially the exploration of personal experience and feelings in stories and poetry" (OfSTED, 1998:P29).
Tackling Gender Underachievement in Literacy and Numeracy
January 2004
Introduction
In recent years there has been much research into gender learning issues and the apparent learning disparity between boys and girls. Such research has included investigations into boys' underachievement in literacy and girls' underachievement in mathematics. The aim of such research is to recognise key reasons why such trends are occurring and perhaps more importantly, to address these within the classroom.
Since the introduction of the National Curriculum, national testing and assessment has provided a comprehensive account of attainment at all key stages, especially in the key areas of numeracy, literacy and science. However, such results should not be used exclusively when discussing gender learning difference. It is also important to consider the role of gender stereotyping, attitude and classroom behaviour, and consider how these affect the learning process.
In this essay I will discuss the key issues and the reasons behind this underachievement, the ways these can be addressed at school level and the impact these have within the classroom.
Boys and Literacy
It is a common belief that historically girls perform better in English than boys. Past and present research support this theory as the table below illustrates.
(www.dfes.gov.co.uk)
In the 1998 OfSTED (Office for Standards in Education) Report Recent Research on Gender and Educational Performance the figures showed that at Key Stage 1 girls were already outperforming boys in reading with 83% of girls at the expected level and only 73% of boys (OfSTED, 1998). More recent research indicates that this trend still holds true in Key Stage 2, the OfSTED Report The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the Primary Curriculum states that the gender gap in English "is one of the most worrying aspects of the results." (2003: P8). The chart below illustrates their findings.
Percentage of pupils achieving Level and above in
English tests at Key Stage 2: boys and girls
(OfSTED, 2003:P9)
The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CPLE) has extensively studied gender differences in learning. One such area of their research is the Gender and Literacy project investigating 4 London schools and their findings are now being used to tackle the underachievement of boys in literacy education.
Social stereotyping is believed to play a major part in the child's learning (Head, 1999), and such role reinforcement will affect that child's attitude and motivation towards classroom education. It is normal for young children to spontaneously play in single sex groups and this can be considered as an early introduction into the single sex peer groups that will dominate in later life. Such group play may be simply due to a common, shared interest, but the need to conform to group dynamics and the need for group acceptance may reinforce stereotyping. Within the school environment boys tend to adopt an "anti swot culture" (Bradford, 1996:P1), Head states that "the swot is derided and one should be 'cool' about school work. Boys cannot be seen as taking this work too seriously." (1999:P65). The DfES (Department for Education and Skills) offer advice to teachers as part of the Gender and Achievement website, of the 25 hints and tips about teaching approaches 18 are dedicated to the negative aspects of boy culture (www.dfes.gov.uk). It is therefore essential to understand how such peer pressure will affect learning. Social roles will extend to the playground with boys commonly observed in physical play and girls more likely to be engaged in passive activities such as reading (Brown and Fletcher, 1995). This active nature of boys will again create a perception that reading and writing is 'boring' or 'uncool' as it is passive (and usually individual) in nature (Bradford, 1996). Ghaill (1994) cited by Bradford (1996) further explains that boys wish to be considered macho and that academic work is perceived with an inferior effeminacy. "Boys perceive the literacy experience as female because from an early age, reading and writing are associated with feminine forms of expressions, especially the exploration of personal experience and feelings in stories and poetry" (OfSTED, 1998:P29).
