Why do boys do better at math? Part 2
Although scientists are not certain, various answers might provide insight.
Last month, I discussed a large, well-designed study of early school math ability in girls and boys. At the start of Grade One, the study found no difference between boys’ and girls’ math abilities. Some girls and boys perform well, while others struggle, but girls generally match boys’ performance on standardized math tests. Yet four months (and one year) later, boys are doing better than girls. Why the difference? One thing is clear: it’s not an aging effect; while older children do better at the start of the school year, older girls and boys score the same at first. Something happens in school that favours boys.
One possibility is that social expectations – of people, parents or even teachers – lead to the difference we see as the school year progresses. We know that teacher expectations can have a large effect. In a famous study, researchers told teachers that some (randomly chosen) children were late bloomers. A year later these students were doing better than their classmates. The teachers’ expectations contributed to improved scores for these students. Similarly, it may be that the common social belief that boys are better at math than girls leads to the difference emerging over the school year. Teachers might encourage boys more than girls, ask boys more questions, or offer more help to boys. These effects might be subtle and largely unconscious and still have a big impact.
Another possibility is some other difference between girls and boys that, as a secondary effect, results in the difference. Maybe boys respond better to the structured, hierarchical classroom setting than girls. Or boys might have a stronger response (both positive and negative) to the authority of teachers, while girls might view teachers more relationally as friends. The finding in the same study that the sex difference in verbal ability at the start of school (girls score higher than boys) gets smaller over the first year suggests there may be something general in schooling that boys respond to differently than girls.
Their full potential
Two points strike me about this conundrum: First, note that one explanation is rooted in our understanding of the social construct we call gender, while the other is based on a possible biological difference between boys and girls. But whatever the explanation, the response in either case is to find ways to improve what happens in school so that both girls and boys have an equitable chance to flourish to their full potential. Second, this discussion focuses on distributions rather than individual ability, but perhaps the emphasis should be on helping each child flourish. Every child is different, uniquely made in the image of our God, and teachers do well to remember each child’s specific needs.
Why do boys do better at math? The answer is – it’s complicated, and we’re still figuring it out. While we do, we must strive to give every young learner the chance to flourish and reach their God-given potential.
