Boys'+Literacy

My main point of interest in researching boys’ literacy was in the form of a question: how does gender affect the way in which we learn—and more specifically—in what ways does it help or hinder boys’ literacy? I chose to interview one teacher, Laurie Abbott, to find out his own experiences and understandings of boys and their learning environment. What I discovered was that much of what Laurie had to say resonated with recent research that suggests a social construct in the way that boys perceive English and literacy. One of the most surprising elements of our conversation centered around the topic of why boys seem to be alienated in an English classroom. Laurie believes that “boys will learn with a female teacher (mostly), but they feel outside of the discourse, whereas with a male teacher they feel more included.” He also talked about boys seeing themselves becoming popular role models as they appear on TV: lawyers, doctors, high-powered CEOs…Batman… Essentially, boys don’t see male teachers as role models, because they see teaching as an “undervalued job.” This idea is connected to other research, which suggests that part of the problems with boys and reading has to do with gender construction and the assumption by boys that reading is “girly.” Not surprisingly, the author of //Boys and Books// tells us that “the models of manhood boys are exposed to are essential to this process—and this is where the first problems with reading reluctance occur” (45). Studies show that boys are heavily influenced by their peers and since masculinity is shown to be influenced by physical activity, this makes reading seem like an unlikely choice for a boy when there are other, more “manly” pursuits available. Considering “manly” pursuits, the culture of masculinity and “the boy code” is a key factor when we look at how boys learn. When I asked some of the boys in my year twelve English class whether they liked reading, most of the answers seemed to follow along the lines of “it’s boring, Miss,” or “it’s not as good as rugby;” when probed a little deeper, one boy said “there’s too many feelings, Miss.” If what Laurie postulated is true—that this culture of masculinity in New Zealand “is very combative,” this might explain some of the boys’ responses to reading, but it still leaves us to consider how we make reading and writing a more palatable experience for our guys. Another interesting point made during the interview was that boys seem to be more careful about what they say and that they “keep quiet” during discussions, but that introducing a structured debate or a competition related to something that has been read in class will spark male interest much more. Could it be that this type of learning is appealing to boys because it allows them to take part in a more combative approach to the reading materials? This makes me think that there is at least some truth in the argument that boys and girls learn in varied ways. Do boys and girls really learn differently? This is another question that has piqued my interest. In terms of motivation Laurie thinks that targets such as specific goals motivate boys, while girls are focused more closely on the abstract idea of success. If this is true then perhaps the ways that we are approaching reading with boys is causing trouble? Michael Gurian suggests that because boys’ brains have less serotonin they are more impulsive and are less able to sit still for the amount of time required to read a novel (//Boys & Girls Learn Differently…// xiii). What this suggests is that if boys are less likely to want to sit still, but they find greater success with smaller “targets” rather than thinking of the “big picture,” perhaps we should be thinking about ways to teach reading that include smaller steps than we have been taking. Some of the other solutions for working with resistant boys that I found included encouraging them to read movie scripts (because they often include lots of action) and accepting the writing styles of boys (which sometimes includes blood and guts). Most interestingly, Laurie’s favored method of helping boys get interested in reading was to work with them one on one or in small “reading groups.” During my time at Papanui, I was able to work with one of these discussion groups and as a result saw a difference in the boys who took part in this group. While at first the boys seemed reluctant to speak, having time to talk in a smaller group helped encourage them to discuss ideas more openly. This is interesting, because it links closely to a recent study, which showed that boys who work in an all boys environment tend to study better. During our interview, Laurie also suggested that there should be a separate space for boys to learn and that he had observed a change in boys academic progress in English during his time at an all boys school where the curriculum was more male-centered. Another way to encourage males to read in school, then, has to do with the content that they are being given to read and the peers that they encounter as much as it is related to gender constructs.

Little boys want to be Batman. Bigger boys –okay, men—want to be lawyers and high-powered CEOs (otherwise known as Batman in the real world). According to some key research, the truth of the matter is that boys are less interested in reading because they don’t see teachers as role models for future aspirations. So where does this leave us in terms of teaching literacy? It would seem that you can either be Batman or you can be girly and read a book. Is there a comfortable middle ground that we can settle on? What I’ve learned is that the issue of boys’ literacy is not simply about gender—it is also about the environment that we create and how we choose to present literary contents.

The Interview:

Q: Do you think the gender of a teacher affects how students learn?

A: //Yes. Most English teachers in high school are women. To find a young man—a graduate of English and especially a teacher is not always an easy task. Males are not always attracted to a job that is undervalued…boys want to be lawyers and CEOs. Boys don’t want to do a low-paying job, because there is not a great sense of service in teaching to them the way being a lawyer or a doctor might seem. They don’t see a real sense of society. In terms of boys in a classroom, it depends on the male contact that they are given. My effect on the boys in the classroom would be minimal, because they already get all of their role models from TV.//

Q: In your experience, how do boys and girls learn differently?

A: //I don’t believe boys will learn worse with a female teacher. They’ll learn differently….they’ll learn in a more structured way. I’ve taught in a boys school and content was different, as was the atmosphere. Boys keep quiet and are not keen to speak in an English classroom. They’re careful about what they say, because they see it as girly behaviour. It’s up to us to show them that it’s different. Literature used to be a man’s world. Now they apply their intelligence to making videogames and they’re still using their literacy skills to build amazing worlds, but not in the same way. They use language to read a book or on the web, but they don’t necessarily have an understanding of how they are positioned in relation to the author and those kinds of understandings. …Boys will learn with a female teacher (mostly), but they feel outside of the discourse with a female, whereas with a male teacher they feel more included. It’s a 60/40 split here in New Zealand and in the future it will be less than a third of secondary school teachers who are male.//

Q: How do boys and girls differ in terms of what motivates them to achieve in school?

A: //Targets motivate boys. Girls are motivated by success. Of course, it’s different for different girls…// //Boys like clear lines and competitions.//

Q: How does the culture of masculinity (“the boy code”) affect student performance in your classroom?

A: //Boys like to be combative—the culture of masculinity is very combative. The key for this is to create a formal setting for them to structure those arguments, such as a debate. It’s about giving them the belief that their ideas have value. Ideas are seen as things that they are wary of. The good solid average kids are the ones that really need to be encouraged. In some ways I think that there should be separate schools or enclaves for students to learn in a more contained environment. For example Te Reo students could have a separate space to learn certain subjects with more of their culture and language being upheld. There should also be a separate space for boys to learn in the same way—a flexibility for all kinds of students to learn in different ways. …Girls aren’t affected by boys—they have that intellectual development. Boys go back to being like two-year-olds around girls…//

Q: What strategies do you use to work with resistant boys?

A: //Sit down with them one to one. Give them a chance to talk in smaller groups. That is one of the few ways it can work. The midband students need lots of scaffolding. Don’t ever just tell a boy to write something. Show them exactly what you mean. Set targets. They’ll work hard for a target. Be specific: “write in simple and compound sentences.”//

Q: What pressures do girls face that affect their performance?

A: //Anxiety. Seems to me that women have developed some of the unfortunate side effects of accepting a certain model of themselves. They’re expected to do everything and if they can’t do everything it’s threatening. Not that kind of healthy approach to things…they get wound up. Even the girls who are settled experience a little anxiety. It could have to do with experiences growing up. There are far fewer happy girls. I do see a lot more happy boys than girls.//

Q: What strategies do you use to work around the pressures that girls face?

A: //Think lots of positives. Don’t pretend to be a counselor, but focus around the work and the fact that they can do it. I definitely would not add to their anxiety, because they bring so much of it into the class with them already.//

//Some Resources://

Moloney, James. //Boys and Books.// Australia: ABC Books, 2000.

Martino, Wayne & Bob Meyenn. //What About the Boys: Issues of Masculinity in Schools.// Philidelphia: Open University Press, 2001.

Smith, W. Michael & Jeffrey D. Wilhelm//. Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men.// Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002.

Smith, Martha & Elizabeth Knowles. //Boys and Literacy: Practical Strategies for Librarians, Teachers and Parents.// USA: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.

Gurian, Michael. //Boys & Girls Learn Differently: A Guide for Teachers & Parents.// USA: Jossey-Bass, 2002.