I'm doing a project on failure in schools and alot of the statistics I've found show girls get better GCSE etc results than boys. Does anyone have any good theories to explain this? Thanks
2007-02-05 02:20:47 · 19 answers · asked by rollergirl83uk 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
We know that an education is better than chasing boys...
2007-02-05 02:23:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Girls tend to develop a left-sided brain preference as they get older and boys become more right-sided (daydreaming, experimenting, etc). Teaching and assessment have traditionally favoured the left brain, so boys are at a disadvantage. Also, boys are far more susceptible to peer pressure and self-esteem issues (ie learning is not 'cool').
2007-02-05 09:04:02 · answer #2 · answered by Sandy H 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have a theory: boys are generally distracted, and tend to be less focused than girls in school. During adolescence, boys' hormones surge, and they tend to be more focused on girls, sex, or other outside activities (eg. sports), rather than their studies. That is probably why they do not excel as much in school, and probably why they do not get better grades.
2007-02-05 02:26:27 · answer #3 · answered by wespectmyauthoritah 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think it evens out later on, but boys mature later and won't work as hard. Many also seem to need different methods of teaching to those provided by the average school.
2007-02-05 02:24:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Boys do better than girls, overall. You are looking at a skewed statistic that is valid only in a certain region and over a certain period. And, either way, there is no explanation. It is just a matter of chance.
2007-02-05 02:23:54 · answer #5 · answered by Anpadh 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Evolutionarily, the first 20 or so years of a boy's
life was to learn to hunt to bring in the protein.
Girls, during that same period stayed around
the compound/cave/home and helped out with
child care and gathered vegetables.
Therefore, guys tend to be MUCH more physical
and girls tend to be much more social at that
stage of their lives.
Most of school is set in a sit-down-and-talk
atmosphere (or at least sit-down-and-take-test)
which little girls will evolutionarily have a leg up on.
Note that if the issue was hunting down the
local deer, we would consider guys more
mature than girls - but society is a ... social
thing, and therefore girls have a leg up.
This will continue to be true as long as schools
aim primarily at social skills. It may be that
society has passed by the skills that men
bring to the table. This is clearly visible
as lowering test scores and entrance
to colleges, etc.
However, I think not. There is too much
conflict, too much bravery and risk for the
sake of king and country to exclude on the
basis of that genetic difference.
Read "Are Men Really Necessary" by
Maureen Dowd - it covers a host of topics
but touches on the evolution side of this
at least briefly.
All that being said, there are some things
that make it worse than genetics would
indicate. For instance, our society really
mocks guys who are intelligent - far more
so than girls. Indeed, intelligence can be
considered a detrement - consider that
Kerry came off as an egg-head while
Bush came off as "one of the people".
When we have utter foolishness as an
icon for little boys to aspire too (you too
can be President), it tends to push back
on the urge to progress scholastically.
Yea, Girls sometimes play stupid in order
to get the guy they want - but that is usually
so that they don't intimidate the guy by
being more intelligent than he is. That is,
the assumption is that he is stupider.
However, in the long run, these things
are cultural - while the tendencies of genetics
exceed the particular culture and have
longer term effects.
2007-02-05 02:22:42 · answer #6 · answered by Elana 7 · 1⤊ 5⤋
girls seem to concentrate more and are in less trouble than the boys who seem to fight and playfootball all the time or mess about in class but all said and done its down to the individual child
2007-02-05 04:26:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know but my experience shows all the most intelligent of the classes are boys
2007-02-05 02:23:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
i think that guys tend to goof off/ muck around more than girls. it mite have something to do wth the fact that girls are more mature at that age than guys are. hope it helps. xxx
2007-02-05 02:26:58 · answer #9 · answered by [alagaesia] 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Boys are easily distracted, by girls, sport, passing fancies, hobbies and other pursuits rather than study.
2007-02-05 02:23:36 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋