Gender Matters

1. GenderMatters Boys and Girls Learn Differently By Trisha-Ann Matthew Education 702.22 Seminar in Applied Theory and Research 1 Spring 2010

2. Table of Contents • Abstract • Introduction -Statement of the Problem -Review of Related Literature -Statement of the Hypothesis • Method -Participants -Instruments -Experimental Design -Procedure • Results • Discussion • Implications • References

3. Statement of Problem The underachievement of elementary boys in literacy is a problem. The majority of boys at P.S. X are unengaged during literacy instruction. What is the cause of this problem? Do we blame nature, nurture, teachers and parents expectations or the boys themselves. This research will attempt to answer the questions: Does gender matters in teaching? Should boys and girls be taught differently in order to better engage boys?

4. Gender Differences Major Theorists • Michael Gurian “By introducing more boy-friendly teaching strategies in the classroom, the school was able to close the gender gap in just one year. At the same time, girls’ reading and writing performance improved”(Gurian & King, 2006, p.56). • Howard Gardner Theory of Multiple Intelligences-which tells us students learn in many different ways. • Dunn & Dunn Model of Leaning Styles “ students are not failing because of the curriculum. Students can learn almost any subject matter when they are taught with methods and approaches responsive to their learning style strengths”( Dunn, 1990, p.15).

5. Review of Literature • “regarding learning, the most effective teacher-pupil combination is female-female and the least effective is a female instructor and a male pupil”(Klein, 2004, p. 185). • The Gurian institute believes, “Schools are run counter to how boys learn and how their brains operate. The language of girls’ brains develop earlier, so reading and writing comes easier to them, while boys’ brains are better at spatial-mechanical tasks and males learn better when they are active”(Delisio, 2006). • South Carolina second grade teachers Garneau and Gamble are convinced that segregating elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement-in both genders(Kaufman, n.d.). • “Boys need to play an active role in the learning process or else their loose interest. Learning through action and involvement, rather than through traditional academic tasks such as reading, listening and copying”(Hodgetts, 2008, p. 468). • Twelve-year old Brett Landsberger, “ We can express ourselves better”(Rivera, 2006). • “Boys are achieving less because boys are resistant to the curriculum that is being taught, whereas the girls are compliant (Hodgetts, 2007). • “If you turn up the heat, the boys go to sleep, they get sluggish and their eyelids get heavy. If you keep it just a little chilly, the boys learn better”(Sax, 2006, p. 193). • “Being with more girls is good for everybody. Boys and girls do better when there are more girls in the class”(Science Daily, 2008). • “No significant difference in mathematics achievement that can be attributed to gender or class composition. However, scores in school-based English improved for students in single-gender classes. Improvement for girls in single-gender classes was greater than that for boys in single-gender classes” (Mulholland & Kaminski, 2004, p. 31). • “Girls are born with a sense of hearing significantly more sensitive than boys’, particularly at higher frequencies”(Sax, 2006, p. 191). • “Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way. The composition of the male eye makes it attuned to motion and direction. Boys interpret the world as objects in space. The teacher should move around the classroom” (Chadwell, n.d.). • “Boys are punished for homework and grades are lower because of behavior unrelated to learning and knowledge “(Coates & Draves, 2006, p.6). • “Girls are perceived as better-behaved, which gives them an advantage when teachers evaluate their achievement”(Extrom, 1994). • “Boys in poor and working-class populations are at an immediate disadvantage in school”(Wiens, 2006, p. 17). • “ There is a danger ahead for boys because many do not see men in their homes, their early childhood schools, or even their primary schools”(Lingard & Mills ,2009).

6. Research Hypothesis HR1: Implementing homogenous grouping of 21 fourth-grade students at P.S. X in Brooklyn, NY over a four week period will improve boys engagement in literacy, and increase their test scores in literacy.

7. Methods Participants The students selected for this action research attend fourth-grade in P.S. X in Brooklyn New York. P.S. X is a Title 1 school in Brooklyn New York. 21 students were selected for the research. Tests • Two literacy tests • Pre-test • Post-test Survey Pre-survey Post-survey

8. Research Design • Pre-Experimental Design: One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design. • Single Group: Single group is pre-tested (O), exposed to a treatment (X), and posttested (O). • Symbolic Design: OXO Groups are not randomly assigned.

9. Procedure

10. Threats to Validity

11. Results

12. Correlation Survey Question # I perform better in literacy when I work in groups with boys only. Rxy = -0.344 There is a negative correlation

13. Results

14. Discussion • There are theorists who believe that boys will be able to focus and learn better if they learning styles are at the forefront of teaching. • “ students are not failing because of the curriculum. Students can learn almost any subject matter when they are taught with methods and approaches responsive to their learning style strengths”( Dunn, 1990, p.15). • Research Results • Students were allowed to seat for literacy instruction according to their preferences. • Either with a group or by themselves. • The boy’s tests averages experienced a slight increase. • Which concludes that putting boy’s in homogeneous groups does in fact increase their literacy tests scores.

15. Implications • More research will prove valuable. • A longer time frame will yield better results.