“Sitting in the same classroom, reading the same textbook, listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive very different educations.” (Sadker)

Gender plays a role in many parts of education: grades, test scores, behavior, special education referrals, discipline referrals, bullying, expectations, social behavior and more.

Gender is one area where students can face inequity at school and in their communities. In addition to race, culture, religion and socioeconomic status, a child’s gender has a huge influence on their identity formation and their perception of the world.

The truth is that boys and girls learn differently, act differently, and are treated differently.

In this next series on our blog, we will be exploring the topic of gender. We want to know what makes boys and girls different. How do they learn? How are they treated by adults? How does gender bias come into play? We’ll also talk about topics such as sexism, sexuality, transgender issues, and social issues related to gender.

You may be surprised to learn that:

Women are more likely to receive a bachelor’s degree than men. Source

Boys are more likely to be referred for special education services than girls. Source

Boys with the same behavior problems as girls tend to complete fewer years of schooling. Source

Boys are more likely than girls to have a growth mindset related to math. That is the belief that math ability can be developed through learning rather than the idea that a person is born with innate talent. Source

Fourteen percent of young women entering college choose a science-related field (compared to 39 percent of men). Source