AEG5137 Inclusion & Diversity

Assessment task 1(c) Essay Final

Gender Based developmental differences through Childhood and Adolescence.

Do gender based developmental differences effect learning?

Boys will be Brilliant: Understanding Boys Needs to Provide Equitable Education.

David W Collins
Victoria University

It has been well documented that Australian boys are under performing against their
female classmates in a number of academic areas (Anderson, 2015). Lower grades, specifically
within the Language subject areas (English, Literature and Poetry studies) may impact the future
career choices and educational pathways for these boys. The purpose of this Essay is to provide
an overview of the current discourse surrounding education for boys; outline some of the gender
based differences in Brain development within early adolescence, highlight some of the Physical
and Biological differences between boys and girls and to suggest some simple management
techniques for educators which may help improve the educational outcomes for the boys in their
classrooms.

Current research has indicated that gender effects how individuals learn. Whilst this does
not mean that there is a right way for both boys and girls to learn, it does suggest that there are
significant differences between the sexes in relation to brain development. One study (Kaufmann
and Elbel, 2001) found that one part of males' brains, the inferior parietal lobe, is generally larger
than in women. That lobe is involved in spatial and mathematical reasoning, skills that boys tend
to perform better than girls. Conversely; Gabriel and Schmitz (2007) found that the left
hemisphere of the brain, involved with verbal and written language (key skills in subject areas
where girls are shown to perform better than boys), develops earlier in females. Evidence that
these developmental differences effect educational outcomes can be found by looking at further
education enrollment statistics, such as those provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics
(2015). The study found that females were more likely to be enrolled in study than males, more
interestingly, their study of University Bachelor degree enrollments saw higher percentages of

females undertaking qualifications within the social and cultural fields and males grossly
overrepresented in the fields of engineering and related technologies. Do these findings merely
suggest that boys and girls like different things or is there more to the equation? Do boys and
girls excel in particular disciplines due to observable cognitive and behavioral differences?

In her 2015 article, Virginia Bonomo cites a 2007 study (Lenroot et al, 2007) into brain
development. The study undertaken by the National Institute of Health (U.S) indicated that the
brain development of boys takes a different path to that of girls, rather, it develops in a different
order and at different times than girls brains. These differences are focused within the areas of
language, spatial memory and motor co-ordination. Language and fine motor skills reaching
maturity on average, six years earlier of girls; while boys have an earlier maturity of targeting
and spatial memory skills (Hamilton, Thatcher and Cline, 1999). Furthermore, there are a
number of important gender based brain differences that have implications for educators. For
example, Sax (2006) comments on the fact that girls have more developed cortical areas within
the brain (those areas that are neither motor nor sensory, but thought to be involved in the higher
processing of information. Sax (2006) also acknowledges notable differences in the volume of
various neurotransmitters such as serotonin and oxytocin between boys and girls. The former
being connected with mood regulation, the latter often known as the love hormone and linked
to human bonding and trust. The decreased prevalence of these hormones in boys can help to
explain from a cognitive perspective, why boys often struggle to remain focused during class and
frequently act more impulsively than their female classmates.

Gender differences play a role not only in brain development, but also with defining
differences in sensory-perception ability. Bonomo (2015) notes that not only are there differences
in the way auditory information is interpreted by boys and girls, there are in fact structural
differences within the ear that result in girls having hearing which is more finely tuned for
discerning speech. Corso (1963) (cited in Bonomo 2015), explains that the differences in hearing
are due to girls possessing a shorter, stiffer cochleae which provide greater sensitivity to changes
in frequency, and it is suggested that these differences increase with age. In addition, Gurian
(2003) also highlights a number of brain based genetic differences that typically distinguish boys
and girls; he noted that boys tend to utilize more of their primitive brain than girls in decision
making tasks but find it more difficult to multi-task and transition between tasks more slowly
than girls.

Numerous other studies have been published in recent years outlining a myriad of gender
based differences in brain function, physiological responses to stimulus and sensory-perception
ability (Casey, Getz & Galvan, 2008). It seems, however, that policy makers and educators have
been slower in realizing the potential impact and value these studies have in terms of improving
academic achievement for boys. One school, taking up the challenge is St. Aidans Christian
Brothers Primary school in Belfast. The school aims to create learning environments that take
into account the latest research into how boys can learn more effectively. The schools
curriculum is set within the framework of an Interactive Learning Model which comprises of
three elements, the first of which is Cognition; the act, or process of knowing. A learners
cognitive aptitude can be seen through the display of one or several of Gardners Multiple
Intelligences in combination with the learners life experiences. These Intelligences may include:

Linguistic. The ability to use spoken or written words.

Logical-Mathematical. Inductive and deductive thinking and reasoning abilities,

logic, as well as the use of numbers and abstract pattern recognition.

Visual-Spatial. The ability to mentally visualize objects and spatial dimensions.

Body-Kinesthetic. The wisdom of the body and the ability to control physical
motion

Musical-Rhythmic. The ability to master music as well as rhythms, tones and

beats.

Interpersonal. The ability to communicate effectively with other people and to

be able to develop relationships.

Intrapersonal. The ability to understand ones own emotions, motivations, inner

states of being, and self-reflection.

Fig 1. Gardners multiple Intelligences.

The second element is known as Conation, and can be defined as the degree of pace and
autonomy that a learner displays when undertaking a task. It can also determine how effectively
a learner uses their own personal learning tools (planning and Organisational skills, writing
eloquence, abstract thinking, etc.) when engaging in a task. Finally, the third element is
Affectation. This can be seen as the learners perceived level of confidence for a completing
particular task. When all three elements combine the result is an increase in the individuals
desire to learn.
The complex interaction of these three elements forms four distinct patterns of learning
behavior: sequential, Precise, Technical and Confluent. Johnson (1998).

The teachers at St. Aidans found that the majority of boys were more Technical and Confluent
dominant in their learning dispositions and often lacked structure in their work. The teachers
actively sought to provide greater support to the boys by creating more structure and scaffolding
in their curriculum through the increased use of mind maps and other tools posted around the
classroom. They also identified a number of areas in which their school environment was
hindering the attainment and success of the male students. For example, the school found that
through small manipulations of the classroom environment, such as lowering the room
temperature, they saw an increase in boys attention span. This was due to the fact that research
suggests that boys learn better in cooler temperatures, not helped by the fact that the majority of
their teachers are female and generally prefer warmer classrooms. This is just one example of
how schools can create more equitable environments for their male students. Other changes were
made at various year levels throughout the school that included strategies designed to minimize
the developmental differences between boys and girls, from relatively simple things such as
games designed to help boys develop their fine motor skills to larger scale projects like setting
up a Reading Shed where boys can go during designated class time to read in private. One
Australian high school study, (Carroll & Beman, 2015) looked at developing an inquiry learning
approach for a group of year 10 English students at an all-boys school. The study found that
choice and agency are powerful motivators and that the boys responded positively to real time
achievement and having purposeful goals. Furthermore, the boys motivation, engagement and
willingness to further their own learning was improved through careful curriculum planning,
sound teaching practice and careful use of the Understanding by Design model.

In conclusion, it has been shown that a large body of evidence exists which suggests that
boys and girls do in fact, learn differently. There are also numerous examples of Schools and
individual educators not only acknowledging this issue, but making efforts to create positive
change. I feel that our educational system is intrinsically flawed and fails to address some of the
major developmental differences between boys and girls. I also believe that the education
department should be reviewing its testing and exam policies to reflect the volume of scientific
study that continues to illuminate these issues surrounding the education of boys. In and Pre
service teachers need to better understand the learning predispositions and developmental
differences of boys, thus tailored professional development options should be made available.
Without an increased understanding of these issues it will always be a challenge to foster the
development of boys with a love of learning and provide them with the equitable education
experience.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/6227.0,

viewed on 28th May, 2016

Anderson, R., 2015. Grade repetition risk for boys in early schooling in Queensland, Australia.
Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, Vol. 40, No. 4, Dec 2015: 87-95.

Bonomo, V., 2010, Gender Matters in Elementary Education Research-based Strategies to Meet
the Distinctive Learning Needs of Boys and Girls, Educational Horizons, Vol. 88, No. 4, 2010,
pp. 257-264, Phi Delta Kappa International

Carroll, J, & Beman, V, 2015. 'Boys, Inquiry learning and the power of choice in a Middle
School English classroom', Australian Journal of Middle Schooling, vol. 15, no. 1, p. 4.

Casey, B., Getz, S., & Galvan, A. (2008). The adolescent brain. Developmental Review: DR,
28(1), 6277.

Corso, J., 1963, Aging and Auditory Thresholds in Men and Women, Archives of Environmental
Health, vol. 61, pp. 350-356

ESAGS.TV 2013, Raising Boys Attainment, viewed 01 April 2016,

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgTMpMMxYpQ, >

Gabriel, P., and Schmitz, S., 2007. Gender Differences in Occupational Distributions among
Workers, Monthly Labour Review, June 2007.

Gardner, H., 1993, Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice, Basic Books,
New York

Gurian, M., and Stevens, K., 2005, With Boys in Mind, Educational Leadership, November
2005.

Gllareva, I., Halilaj, B., Gjinovic, B. and Morina, B., 2015, Anthropometrical Status and Gender
Differences At 12 Years of Age, Sport Mont, vol. 43-45, pp. 201-205

Hamilton, H., Thatcher, R. and Cline, M., 1999, Gender Differences in the Development of EEG
Coherence in Normal Children, Developmental Neuropsychology, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 479-506.

Johnson, C., 1998, Using the Learning Combination Inventory, Educational Leadership, vol. 55,
no.4, pp. 78-82

Kaufmann, C., and Elbel, G., 2001, Frequency dependence and Gender effects in Visual Cortical
Regions Involved in Temporal Frequency Dependent Pattern Processing, Human Brain Mapping
14 (1): 28-38.

Lenroot, R., Gogtay, N., Greenstein, D., Wells, E., Wallace, G., Clasen, L., Giedd, J. (2007).
Sexual Dimorphism of Brain Developmental Trajectories during Childhood and Adolescence.
NeuroImage, 36(4), 10651073.

Sax, L., 2006, Six Degrees of Separation: What Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging
Science of Sex Differences, Education Horizons, vol. 84, pp. 190-212.

Smith, L. D. (2015). Male gender disparity gap: does gender impact education. Unpublished
Certificate of Advanced Study Thesis, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT. Retrieved from
http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/edl/7