Gifted Girls vs Gifted Boys Different Gender Different
Gifted Girls vs. Gifted Boys: Different Gender, Different Instruction Created by Nicolette Edenburn OSU EPSY 5213 ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY Response to “Cognitive Sex Differences” Wk 11 Ch. 27
GIFTED GIRLS
PROBLEM • Girls tend to outperform boys in the fifth grade in math and science classes. However, there are significantly more men going into math and science professions. • Research shows that bright girls view difficulty differently than boys do. The higher the girl’s IQ, the more likely she is to give up when schoolwork becomes a struggle. Boys are more likely to see it as a challenge and work through it. How do we fix this?
MESSAGES ADULTS SEND GIRLS “You’re so smart. ” “You’re a wonderful student. ” “That was so clever. ” BOYS “If you apply yourself, you’ll do better. ” “You need to pay attention more. ” “Keep trying harder. ” RESULT: Girls internalize when subjects become more challenging that they must not be “smart” or a “wonderful student” anymore. Boys view it as a time to try harder since they received more specific feedback. SOLUTION: Give more specific praise to both genders at an earlier age.
Dr. Carol S. Dweck Mindset Fixed vs. Growth mindset Girls more likely to have a fixed mindset where intelligence is believed to be set Changing the mindset is possible Studies find best results come from explaining the brain’s plasticity—the more you learn, the more connections you make in the brain, causing heightened intelligence Therefore, teachers and parents are vital. Brainology workshop gives modules to teach students about the brain.
BRAINOLOGY EXAMPLE
Brainology Workshop www. mindsetworks. com
Dr. Sylvia Rimm—How Jane Won & See Jane Win Studies Researched/surveyed 1, 000+ successful women Developed 10 Research Findings and 10 Guidelines for Girls and Women
Rimm Finding & Guideline #1 Finding: Successful women respond well to healthy competition Both positive and negative experiences cited as shaping their desire for achievement Guideline: Risk-taking is critical to success Enter competitions where you feel like you will be successful to boost confidence Enter competitions where you feel challenged to help gain the real-world experience
Rimm Finding & Guideline #2 Finding: Successful women don’t always match their covers Women cited versatile characteristics as children, both emotionally and academically Guideline: Don’t be scared to be a smart, hard worker Find friends who accept you for who you are Find out what you’re good at and interested in early
Rimm Findings & Guidelines #3 & 4 Finding #3: Many women cite all-girls schools or female teachers with high expectations as having a positive influence in their lives Guideline #3: Seek out teachers who are a positive influence in your life and determine if boys are a distraction to learning if your family can afford an all-girls’ school option Finding #4: Peers can have a positive or negative influence Many successful women had a core group of friends growing up or felt isolated Guideline #4: Involve yourself in extracurriculars and find friends who support you and share your values and interests
Rimm Findings & Guidelines #5 & 6 Finding #5: Travel was cited just behind healthy competition as a positive influence for successful women Guideline #5: Study abroad, create a travel group at school, ask parents to go on outings Finding #6: Supportive parents are helpful Successful women generally had positive guidance from their parents, and those who did not cited positive mentors or role models via bibliotherapy Guideline #6: Don’t shut out adults Take parents’ advice when it is helpful Seek out mentors if parental influence is lessthan-perfect
Rimm Findings & Guidelines #7 & 8 Finding #7: Sibling influence is important Birth order does not show a tendency for success or lack of it Sibling rivalry can have a detrimental effect to pursuing an interest Guideline #7: Don’t allow birth order to dictate your life choices and don’t allow siblings to dictate what interests you pursue, even if “they are better” Finding #8: Successful women persevere through difficult times Guideline #8: Work through pitfalls, find a positive support system, and accept your flaws
Rimm Findings & Guidelines #9 & 10 Finding #9: Successful women have a drive and love for their work Guideline #9: Find what you’re passionate about and what works for you; don’t decide on something so quickly you won’t allow yourself to change your mind later Finding #10: There will be struggles balancing professional and personal lives Guideline #10: Create your own way of life that works for you; to be successful with both family and a career will take creativity
KERR (1994) • Came to same conclusions as Rimm after analyzing multiple successful women. • Added a few more attributes: • Avid readers • Spent much time alone • Accepted/knowledgeable that they had differences/giftedness • Received differentiated instruction • Refused to let gender hold them back
IDEAS FOR GIRLS IN PRESCHOOL Allow them to dress how they want; do not force them to dress “girly” or in stereotypical girlish colors Give them a wide range of toys that are gender-neutral Participate in Take Your Daughter to Work Day Avoid preschools that implement gender stereotypes Look for preschools with flexiblility on napping Seek preschools with literacy explorations Be mindful of stereotypes on TV Encourage and answer questions Allow her to pursue her interests
IDEAS FOR GIRLS IN ELEMENTARY Find activities that suit and challenge their areas of strength Encourage books that portray strong women (bibliotherapy) Encourage exploration and extracurriculars, but don’t schedule too many things that they don’t have time for creativity and imagination Openly accept and be willing to discuss her giftedness Find a nonparental female mentor Be aware of and patient with intensities Don’t be pushy with friendships Fight for challenge in the classroom
GIFTED BOYS
PROBLEM Gifted boys showing underachievement Girls are overtaking them in leadership roles Lack social skills Bullied Bored in the typical classroom Parents and teachers are confused how to encourage boyhood and also giftedness while avoiding teasing How do we fix this?
KERR AND COHN (2001) Key Points from Research • Not a gender war; just trying to avoid stereotypes on both sides • Girls aren’t “beating” the boys; challenge is to build viewpoint that female involvement doesn’t downplay certain involvements • Testosterone does not control men • “Masculinity” is a social and cultural construct that can be changed • Androgyny is beneficial to both gifted girls and boys
UNDERACHIEVEMENT Tendencies: Often intense emotional/social and intellectual asynchrony exists, resulting in immaturity with peers May exhibit emotional problems (depression, anger, mood swings) and underachieving exacerbates problem Antisocial tendencies Negative attitudes towards self Potential Reasons for Underachievement: IQ Score does not match ability Bored in class Hiding talents Peaked early Benefitting socially from underachieving
IDEAS FOR BOYS IN PRESCHOOL Encourage reading and read to boys Allow for expression with clothing, and do not chastise for curiosities with female clothing Allow older playmates if share interests Do not over-indulge violent, stereotypical male toys Accept overexcitabilities and intensities Allow imaginary friends and creative outlets Be aware gifted boys tend to be quite active, so avoid hasty ADD/ADHD diagnoses Avoid “redshirting, ” or keeping boys at home an extra year, before Kindergarten
IDEAS FOR BOYS IN ELEMENTARY Many boys appreciate hands-on learning opportunities Promote math and science early on Parents should provide activities that they are interested in outside of school Watch for “Bartleby Syndrome” (boys stop doing homework due to lack of interest) Allow networking with imagination games and safe groups on the Internet to connect with other gifted kids Allow involvement in athletics and fine arts of interest, but do not overschedule Guide, but don’t force social skills Use role play and give strategies to overcome bullies Find a positive adult male role model Take on outings, involve in spiritual life, and take to work
COUNSELING AND TEACHING GIFTED MALES—BURTON (2012) More visual-spatial than verbal (as opposed to females) Trouble with asynchronicity, especially with “Boy Code” variance with intellectual age and motor skills—impacts athletics Overexcitabilities, especially emotional, can lead to trouble or teasing with peers Suffer extreme frustration when teachers: Do not challenge them sufficiently Focus on their weaknesses and not their strengths Lack knowledge on subjects they are interested in Take a goal-seeking or problem-solving approach with boys Create a male-friendly environment Humor (especially with tone of voice), integration of pop/tech culture works well More difficult to engage, genuineness is key and more likely to talk about thoughts than feelings With older males, examine course descriptions to see if the style works for them Integrate activity and not just talking Benefit from positive male role models
WOLFLE (1991) Gifted males often underachieve in the sense that they don’t achieve as much as they possibly could Many lack the social skills needed for leadership, especially in high school organizations Many young gifted males work quietly and fail to interact, and this goes unnoticed by teachers Teachers more focused on academic advancement than social Males have more trouble coping with simultaneous problems than females, especially in adolescence, and society expects them to just deal with it Encourage cooperative learning and group work
FINAL OVERVIEWS OF GIRLS VS. BOYS
NEIHART, REIS, ROBINSON, & MOON (2002) Girls are more sensitive to teacher and parent criticisms Girls are less likely to accept they have academic abilities, called “academic modesty” Girls tend to find ways to fit in rather than show off talents Teachers tend to stereotype gender roles and abilities Only 5% of boys feel both sexes should provide for a family and work to care for the family together Young achieving women strive for independence and often avoid relationships with boys early on Most research has been focused on needs of gifted girls; little focus has been on needs of gifted males High levels of self-efficacy and belief in themselves have been cited as reasons for success in gifted males Males feel most successful when their emotions are acknowledged “Psychological androgyny” allows for more wellrounded gifted males Positive male mentors have proven beneficial Community service opportunities are helpful for gifted males as an affective outlet
WHAT TEACHERS CAN DO TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD Give constructive “process” praise to both girls and boys Avoid only giving girls timed or speed tests; boys tend to perform better on those Consciously call on both genders equal amounts, including shy students Allow students the opportunity to think before creating Give constructive criticisms to both genders Bring in both male and female role models as examples of success Make advance math and science classes required as students get older Create support groups for gender issues When grouping students, mix genders sometimes and provide single-sex grouping opportunities at times
Alexander, P. A. , & Winne, P. H. (2006). Handbook of educational psychology. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Burton, M. G. (2012). Talk is cheap: Exploring alternative strategies for counseling gifted adolescent males. Gifted Child Today, 35(3), 208 -214. Damour L. (2011). Teaching girls to adopt a growth mindset. [PDF]. Center For Research On Girls At Laurel School, Shaker Heights, OH Retrieved June 23, 2013 from Google. http: //www. laurelschool. org/about/documents/CRG_GRWTHMNDSET. pdf Dweck C. S. (2008). Mindset and math and science achievement. [PDF]. The Opportunity Equation, New York, NY Retrieved June 23, 2013 from Google. http: //opportunityequation. org/uploads/files/868 cea 31 -5888 -4 e 45 -a 83262 b 4377 dbbfb. pdf Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine. Halvorson H. G. (2011). The trouble with bright girls. Psychology Today. Retrieved June 23, 2013 from Google. http: //www. psychologytoday. com/blog/the-sciencesuccess/201101/the-trouble-bright-girls Kerr, B. A. , and Cohn, S. J. (2001). Smart boys: Talent, manhood, and the search for meaning. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press. Kerr, B. A. (1994). Smart girls: A new psychology of girls, women, and giftedness. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press. Neihart, M. , Reis, S. M. , Robinson, N. M. , & Moon, S. M. (2002). The social and emotional development of gifted children. A service publication of the National Association for Gifted Children. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press. Rimm, S. (2001). How Jane won. On Raising Kids, 11(3), 1 -8. Robinson, A. (2006). Best practices in gifted education: An evidence-based guide. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press. Wolfle, J. A. (1991). Underachieving gifted males: Are we missing the boat? . Roeper Review, 13(4), 181. REFERENCES *** All images found on Google ***
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