Education Differences Between Men And Women

There are education differences between men and women, but this could be changed with a few simple techniques.

Men and women are not the same, well, it’s a good job really, it would be a boring old world if they were, but though in many ways they are different, in others, perhaps they’re not quite so different after all. Many of us have grown up with the deep inert belief that ‘boys are good at science’ and ‘girls are good at reading and writing’. Why should that be? Scientists have told us (male scientists probably) that the male brain is different to that of the female, making it more spatially aware which is critical for math and science problems. But is it down to nature, or does nurture take more of a role in this development than we care to admit?

Education Differences between Men and Women – Nature vs. Nurture

In order to be confident in the hands-on world of science and math problems, boys are often much better prepared for what lies ahead than girls, well before they even start at pre-school. By the time they reach the lab, hands-on type of environment, many boys have had years of experience playing with building blocks, Legos, cars, video games and other technology which involves problem solving, whereas many girls have played games which emphasize growing up and relationships, playing with dolls, playing ‘house’, or drawing and painting. Girls are, therefore, much less well equipped to manipulate problem solving tools and equipment. This can put them at a real disadvantage at the start, and make them feel uncomfortable and unable to compete with the boys in such an environment.

There are studies which suggest that girls who have been given the opportunity to play with such toys (for example, girls with brothers of a similar age who have access to these things) can cope just as well as the boys can, given half a chance.

Education Differences between Men and Women – Confidence

Evidence suggests that some boys tend to exaggerate their abilities (no surprises there then) and girls tend to minimize their own. his can leave many girls lacking in confidence, when they are actually just as prepared and talented in the field as the boys are. In a study of Carnegie Mellon Computer Science PhD students, it was found that even when the grades of the male and female students were comparable, the females reported that they felt less comfortable. A massive 53% of the males considered themselves to be ‘highly prepared’ whereas none of the female students admitted to such a feeling.

Bridging the Gap

So what can be done to bridge the gap between male and female education

• Build Confidence – By practicing with the hands on techniques which the boys find second nature, the confidence in the female students can grow considerably, and quickly too, especially with adequate support from the teaching staff. Introducing female role models to the class can also sometimes inspire the girls to believe in themselves – if she can do it, so can I.
• Appeal to the girls – by appealing more to female interests, robots don’t always have to be exploding monsters or fast cars, by using robots involved in performing arts, for example, can make it a much more interesting topic for the girls in the class. Very often the girls are interested in how the technology is used, whereas boys are more interested in how big the hard drive or the engine is, and how fast the processor runs.
• Group dynamics – watch the group dynamics carefully. Teachers should be aware that when working in groups, very often the boys will take over the equipment and the girls will end up watching, or taking the notes. Boys and girls need to have an equal opportunity for hands on experience.

These are just a few of the ways in which the gap can be closed in education differences between men and women.