Myth Or Fact: Which of These Statements Do You Believe to Be True?

Myth or fact: which of these statements do you believe to be true?

1 / All girls now achieve well at school and boys are more likely to underachieve. / Many boys achieve highly, and conversely many girls underperform.
2 / Girls underachieve in science, technology and mathematics. / Girls broadly match boys in achievement at maths and science.
3 / Girls’ educational performance suffers because the existing school curriculum doesn’t meet girls’ interests. / There is no evidence to suggest that the content of the curriculum reflects particularly gendered interests, or that such interests equate with attainment.
4 / Boys are ‘naturally’ different to girls, and learn in different ways. / There is little evidence to suggest that neurological (‘brainsex’) differences result in boys having different abilities/ways of learning to girls.
5 / Boys and girls have different learning styles, which teaching needs to match. / Learning styles as a concept are highly contested. There is no evidence that learning styles can be clearly distinguished one from another, or that these learning styles are gender specific.
6 / Girls do better with classwork and tests favour boys. / Classwork and tests have had little impact on gendered achievement patterns.
7 / Girls prefer female teachers. / For the majority of boys and girls, the teacher’s gender has no bearing on their preferences for a teacher.
8 / Boys benefit from a competitive learning environment whereas girls prefer a more cooperative learning environment. / Competitive learning practices may actively disengage those boys and girls who do not immediately succeed.
9 / Single-sex classes are the best means to improve boys’ and girls’ achievement. / Single-sex classes have very mixed results, and have not been shown to be the decisive ingredient in lifting boys’ achievement, but have, in some cases, improved girls’ achievement.
10 / Changing or designing the curriculum to be ‘girl-friendly’ will increase boys’ motivation and aid their achievement. / Designing a ‘girl-friendly’ curriculum has not been shown to improve girls’ achievement.
11 / Girls are naturally better at reading and writing. / Boys are naturally better at mathematics.

Taken from:Gender and Education – Mythbusters: Addressing Gender and Achievement: Myths and Realities