"We Owe to Our Sons What We've Given Our Daughters"

[kdmorris]

181. Looks to me like it depends on how it's done

Your links discuss how it doesn't work because they used "loud confrontational" teaching styles with boys and "softer" teaching styles with girls (basically, TEACHING them sexism) while the other link discusses teaching them the same way without having them in the same classroom. The information at the other link is still compelling - when my daughters were still in school, there was too much sexual tension with the boys for them to concentrate on learning chemistry and physics. They cared more about how they looked to the boys in their classes than what they were being taught. Of course, Florida is #49 in the country for education, too... basically our schools suck.

So - my goal is to determine what variables were used in your two studies to come out with such different data from the multitude of studies at the other link showing the opposite in the 5 years before my sons go to school.

By the way - I didn't say I was sold on the idea -just that I found it interesting.

While reading your links, I found these. This was my issue with my daughters... this does actually seem to be enforcing stereotypes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/9929672/Why-dont-more-girls-study-physics.html

The boys at Redland Green can explain the imbalance. “Boys are naturally adapted to be better at maths and space stuff, whereas girls are better at language and communication,” says one. “Which means – logically, according to science – boys should have a natural ability to understand physics a bit better.” His thesis provokes a murmur of unrest among the girls. Do they disagree? “I just think that — I dunno,” begins Molly, 15. “Girls are usually not doing physics not because they’re not good at it, but because they have other preferences to it. I think girls just find it more interesting to do other things.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/9609566/Girls-put-off-studying-science-in-mixed-gender-schools-says-headmistress.html

My daughters are out of high school now...my concern now is the education of my sons (5 years from now), but I have to tell you, I seriously wish that this option had even been available to explore down here when my daughters were in middle/high school.