Do boys and girls learn differently?

By MoHAN DHAll

of great interest to educators and parents is the issue of whether boys and girls learn differently. This is an important question to ask because if there are differences, this can affect how students are supported at home as well as in their schooling choices.

It is common for parents to believe that boys and girls learn differently, simply on account of their being different. There are also a huge number of myths that emphasise these differences. For example, one of the most prevalent myths is that of ‘holding boys back.’ Another commonly asserted gender-based difference is that ‘boys mature slower than girls.’ In addition to this, we hear that girls like essay writing and boys like activity-based learning. Parents are also told to have different expectations of their sons and daughters.

While some of these ‘myths’ may be true, each needs to be challenged.

Should boys be held back?

Early in the educational process a myth was created about holding boys back. This myth is so prevalent that if you ask most parents about when their child will go to school many will say, “I know boys should be held back”. The effect of this is that many classrooms now have boys a year older than the girls in the same year. Unfortunately, there is no educational validity to this myth.

This myth is based on a belief that girls mature faster than boys and by holding them back, boys will be better behaved and more settled in class. Issues about maturity and being socially settled imply that classrooms cannot cope with restlessness or movement. Compliance to a certain degree is to be encouraged. All students learn to adapt to the expectations within a classroom, but for boys to begin formal education being defined as ‘immature’ and ‘restless’ does not bode well for their education. After all, teacher expectations are shown to have a large impact on the class.

Girls are teacher pleasers

It is common for girls to be socialised to look out for others, nurture and manage the feelings of others. In the context of the classroom this can manifest as girls being ‘teacher pleasers.’

This can take the form of them being more interested in presenting work perfectly and being ‘right.’ However, the cost of such behaviour can be that girls become conservative in their learning and find it hard to do work when there are open-ended responses required.

It is common for parental and educational expectations to be different for boys and girls. Boys are often encouraged to be cheeky and defiant and are given more latitude in their behaviour. Girls are often in trouble if they behave like their brothers.

The question educators and parents must ask is: do we want girls to be passive and lose their capacity for feisty debates, innovative thinking, or questioning? Sometimes a bit of cheekiness, a little defiance and a little academic risk-taking are necessary for girls to learn to set their own limits, and learn to speak up when they need to do so.

Boys procrastinate and are minimisers

Procrastination is said to be commonly observed amongst boys. This can be seen to be the ‘flip side’ to teacher pleasing, that is, rather than overdoing things, they underdo them. The strength of procrastination is that academic work is not overwrought. The weakness is that those who procrastinate (boys and girls) tend to make a minimal effort on their academic work. The effect of this could lead to underachievement.

All students should be encouraged to structure and plan their academic work. Making an early start on assignments and homework can mean deeper understanding and time to reflect on, and refine work. Note that procrastination is not gender-based, it is ‘priority-based.’ All children need to be guided to learn what to value, and what can wait.

Girls are creative, boys are logical

An alternative rendition of this myth is that ‘boys are visual learners and girls are literary.’ The problem with this type of characterisation is that it robs girls of logic and robs boys of creativity. In reality, all children can demonstrate both types of thinking and therefore need to be exposed to both. However, some children show a preference towards particular types of thinking.

Logical thinking requires an understanding of causal relationships. Creativity requires a capacity for unconstrained thinking and a suspension of pre-judgement. This is necessary for academic problem-solving and managing in the world outside of school.

Boys and girls both benefit from being exposed to creative thinking tasks, as well as being required to think logically. In regard to whether boys are visual learners and girls are not, this is absolutely not true. All people of all ages learn through the visual medium. Moreover, any academic matter that is presented verbally (so that it can be heard through auditory processing), visually (so that it can be seen) and also kinaesthetically (so it can be demonstrated and practiced) is highly likely to be understood by both girls and boys.

Boys learn through movement, girls learn through stillness

Boys are said to be kinaesthetic learners who ‘learn to do, by doing.’ Girls are said to learn through thinking and reflecting. However this is not true. Ask yourself, will a 17-year-old girl learn to drive from a book?

All students need to learn to be still and to reflect on academic work covered. This means that distractions arising from electronic media need to kept out of a study space. It also means that girls can be allowed to be active in their learning, balancing movement and stillness, just as boys can.

Boys fight and forget, girls gossip and resent

This myth suggests that boys deal with and forgive a grievance quickly, but girls do not. This is a silly myth and is simply untrue. Boys and girls both can feel afraid of conflict, can have their selfesteem affected by personally directed criticism, can be deeply affected by loss and change, or not know how to find friends or fit into a group.

All children need to be heard, validated, guided and supported to understand themselves and resolve conflicts with maturity and care.

Different types of exam questions suit different genders

Boys are said to be better at multiple choice questions and questions with visual stimulus, and girls are said to be better at written tasks such as essays.

Different types of test questions require different types of thinking. Children find some question types easier than others.

I have taught boys and girls who are just as good as each other at multiple choice questions, interpreting visual stimulus easy, and understanding detailed written tasks.

I have also taught those who struggle with these tasks. All children can be taught to be confident with different types of questions, and should not be encouraged to turn away from being open to learning.

Maxims for boys and girls

At every age the following maxims can be applied to parenting and to the child’s education:

• All students respond to respect. Respect builds trust and fosters safety.

• All students enjoy humour and respond to praise.

• All students need certainty and predictability when learning. This can come from planning and regularity.

• All students can perform well and will, if given ownership over time.

• All students grow in an environment of high expectations, but not unreasonable expectations.

• All students need to know their parents and teachers encourage them to learn.