Do Innate Gender Differences Influence How Children Learn?

In a country that is striving toward gender equality, this is an important issue that needs to be addressed to avoid potential consequences for our citizens down the line. The educational system in the United States is seeing boys fall behind in their studies due to programs being aimed at girl’s success.

When it comes to the classroom, there are several differences between girls and boys. There are physical differences in the way their brains work, differences in the room temperature that is best for boys and girls, and differences in how girls and boys respond to various tones of speech (Sax, 2006). While girls prefer soft-spoken teachers, Sax (2006) notes that boys prefer to be spoken to “loudly and in short, direct sentences with clear instructions” (p. 195). According to Sax (2006), “the ideal ambient temperature for boys is about 69 degrees and about 75 degrees for girls” (p. 193-194). Further differences involve how boys and girls learn. McNeil states that “boys may learn better under pressure and when allowed to move around...while girls may perform better in group situations and with a lot of encouragement” (McNeil, 2008). Because of these many differences, it would stand to reason that boys and girls would benefit from being in separate classrooms. According to Hughes (2007), “the teacher would be able to concentrate on the learning-styles of each sex and use the styles to bring out the academic best in each students. Lessons and activities could be designed with a single-sex in mind” (p. 11). As Principal John Fox states, “the single-sex environment enables you to actually focus on the particular needs of each gender, and those needs socially and

An experiment at the University of California, Los Angeles proved interesting when a machine taught both boys and girls. The boys ended up scoring higher than when a woman taught them. I am wondering if girls scored higher than the boys did when male teachers teach them? I also wonder how the girls scored when taught by a machine; maybe they scored higher, too. At the secondary school level boys do perform better on technical or scientific subjects. Now this goes back to the first assumption that our brains work differently, or is it because more male teachers may teach these subjects? According to Mooney, teacher of the similar sex may have the "instinctive understanding that an adult will enjoy with a child who is going through a process which he or she went through too" (122). In other words, they can relate better with a child of the same sex. I am a female kindergarten teacher and also have a daughter who is six years old. I have no problem relating to the boys in my class. I think I can relate to any child who is five or six years old.

Throughout the years same gender schools have been an expanded issue. Many thought that it would benefit females, and increase their effort in the classroom. However according to Pros and Cons of Single-Sex Education, Jefferson Leadership Academies reversed its same sex curriculum. This was due to their unfortunate test scores. Also, in the real-world society is not divided into genders.

Do you believe that single-gender elementary classrooms are better for children’s education rather than traditional coeducational classrooms, or vice versa? There are many differences in boy brains and girl brains and according to these differences; it may be potential to have different learning techniques and environments. Some schools are adopting the newer curriculum of single gender classrooms to help children achieve a better educational learning environment that suits both boys and girls separately. Although it is not fully understood if it is a better education choice, a lot of studies show that single gender classrooms can be useful to help improve achievement. However, other experts may think otherwise because they do not believe that there is any significant evidence that prove it is necessary to separate genders since every single person is different or that it may even deny equal opportunities. A comparison of the single-gender classrooms versus traditional classrooms both shows the belief for higher education, but I believe single gender classrooms offer a positive alternative to the traditional mixed classrooms.

Boys and girls do perform differently if they are enrolled in single-sex educational programs rather than co-ed programs as shown in many scientific studies. Test scores for both genders were a great deal higher in the single-sex schools than they were in the co-ed schools. College entrance exams were given and the same things were found to be true regarding the students’ performance. The single-sex programs allow the teachers to use a curriculum that best suits and is geared towards the gender of students they are instructing. There are three categories of evidence based on grades and test scores which are major nationwide studies, “before and after” studies, and academic studies. Major nationwide studies involve a large quantity of students in countries where single-sex public education is widely available. “Before and after” studies compare schools before and after the implication of single-sex classrooms. Academic studies require scientists to attempt to control random variables. In all of these categories of evidence, the results supported the conclusion that single-sex education is more beneficial and

An article that was written about a school in Texas stated that more than 50% of boys and girls in single-gender classrooms cause disruptions, and they bring their behavior from home into the classrooms at school. In an article, it stated that “in October of 2006, federal regulations established the requirements for legally permissible single-sex schools and classes within the public system; nearly 200 schools in South Carolina have single-gender classrooms” (“Single-Sex Education Spreads” 2). Teachers’ interest often drives the attention of students to single-gender classes, and growing interest from their parents is also pushing more schools and districts as they hear about these classrooms (“Single-Gender Classrooms” 2). While teachers and administrators prefer this environment, boys and girls in single-sex classrooms are influenced to distract and be distracted by their friends, and the people around them. They seem to doodle, daydream, and lose their thought in the classroom because of their surroundings. In a newspaper article, “Should Children Be Taught in Single-Sex Classrooms”, the author says pupils fail to develop relationships with the opposite sex if they are taught in a single-sex environment because they both tend to be drawn into conflict amongst each other, they are distracted by what others are doing in the classrooms, and they are not themselves because they are being forced into an unfamiliar environment they do not

One of the most talked about topics in education is the widening achievement gap between male and female students. It has been debated for more than a decade of why male students are falling behind in the educational system. There is significant evidence to believe that this is a phenomenon. However, there is not a concrete answer as to why male students are lacking academically. This leads to two possible lines of thinking about gender gaps: Either they represent the innate biological differences in males’ and females’ abilities, or they represent the biases of how the school system treats male and female students. Both of these reasons are believed and argued to be the reason in differences academically.

I agree that the Social Learning Theory explains the most differences in genders. The theory comes from observations. A child does not know what clothing or accessories to use without observing an adult of their gender. One cannot hide what the eye sees. Every scream or laugh was seen from a child’s perspective. The right and wrong are taught from a family member or peer. For example, the Bobo experiment was aggressive actions carried from the adult to the child. The child only terrorized the doll because the adult was. As a child, you are taught to repeat and carry yourself like a well-mannered human of society. For future reference, a child is always watching you.

To say every girl is the same and every boy is the same is ridiculous. Every single person is different. Single gendered classes could bring up so many different issues with students, schools and families. Imagine you are a 8 year old student, a girl, and your family takes it upon themselves to put you in a class filled with the same gender. They didn’t ask what you’d like, as if your opinion on the topic didn’t matter. Let’s also say you don’t like the class because you don’t get along with the other girls. You don’t dress in pink, you dress in blue. You don’t like all the same things they do. You don’t paint your nails. You don’t have long glorious hair. All your friends are boys. So now you’re forced into this class with not a single boy.

Boys and girls learn in two different ways. This reason is why having a single sex school is more rewarding than a co-ed school. According to Dr. Schlosser of Breckinridge County Middle School's (Kentucky) the difference between the way boys and girls learn are the type of weather boys and girls prefer.) Boys prefer to learn in a cool, dark room. When there are two different people wanting two different things its hard to please both sides. Boys also learn much slower than what girls learn, this could be a problem for girls in the same class as boys for girls would learn and to move on, but would have to cut back their learning to wait for the boys to learn the same material. Boys also are interested in different subjects than what girls like. Boys are most secretly interested in music, science, and math. According to GreatSchools.com says boys feel girls won’t like them when they know they are interested in other things such as music and math and not baseball, football, and soccer. Many boys won’t show interest in music in a co-ed school. When boys are placed in a single sex school they won’t have the feeling of impressing girls so more boys will show their interest in arts and music. Boys are much better with math and science than what girls are says NASSPE VIII. NASSPE Vlll is single-sex school out of Huston Texas. "The most profound difference between girls and boys is in any brain structure per se, but also in the sequence of

Education is a key part of people’s lives these days. Students around the world go to school to find out what their career should be, and to learn more about their job. You have to think from a student's perspective school is harder than it used to be. Now of days some kids have homework, projects, papers, and tests. A lot of times students have to work on their school work all at once. Not only has the subjects, tests, and assignments got harder. But learning if you're a different gender has a lot became harder. So it makes you think does gender impact achievement in education? Matter of face gender greatly impacts achievements in education.

In single sex schools boys and girls excel in subjects they usually would not. Single sex schools help children do well in subjects they usually would not be good at or subjects they would not usually try. For example girls do better at maths and science in all-girl schools; boys do better in languages and the arts in all boy schools. My first example to backup my point is a study by Cambridge University in 2006 where their research showed “boys improved in english and foreign languages in single sex classes, and girls improved in maths and physics. This proves girls and boys do better in subjects they usually would not do because they are more comfortable in a single sex school rather than a co-educational school. A second piece of evidence to help argue my point is a United States study that found boys at single sex

Boys and girls have diverse learning capabilities. The learning ways of boys and girls are like the types of weather. Boys prefer to learn in a room that is cool and dark. Similarly girls vary in their preferences with boys so to meet the needs of both the genders in one place in a single time is not possible so single sex schools are more rewarding. Learning of boys is slower than that if girls and this is the problem, which single sex schools have solved. The subjects that boys choose are far more different from those chosen by girls. Boys mostly show interests in mathematics, science and music while girls opt for science and art subjects. Boys are more interested in games like football and soccer. However, girls are more interested in textiles and cooking. Boys in single sex schools are more comfortable to choose their desire subjects because they do not have to impress anyone in single sex schools. It is the case with the girls. The brain structure of boys and girls are different and their brain developments are various. (Lee, & Bryk,

Unlike gay people, who seem mostly to strive for social acceptance, transgender people tend to strive for both social acceptance and medical treatment. Of course, as in the example of homosexuality, the discovery that transgenderism is caused by something innate would accelerate the rate of social acceptance. Unfortunately, as in the example of racism, despite domain specificity of the mind, it is unlikely that one single innate structure would serve the exclusive purpose of determining whether or not a person is transgender. Thus, consistent with the example of racism, studying the innateness of gender differences in general may be most valuable. Indeed, the study of innateness is important to this field as it may help guide treatments. Again, assume that research discovered no innate gender differences, this may guide treatment away from the physiological medical field, and more into a psychological or sociological field. Logical interventions may include mental health counseling or a larger-scale effort to decrease social gender differences. Some interventions that could aid this large-scale cause would be ensuring that there are policies in place to protect the equality of men and women (for example closing the wage gap), using educational practices that treat girls and boys equally or perhaps explicitly teaching gender equality in schools, and requiring toy stores (and toymakers) to stop gendering toys. Just as looking carefully at the nature of the innate