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Friday, September 3, 2010

Study: Stereotyping boys contributes to gender gap

The use of phrases such as "silly boys" and "schoolboy pranks" can reinforce the view that boys are more likely to misbehave than girls, according to a study by a University of Kent researcher in the United Kingdom.

The study said children's beliefs could become a "self-fulfilling prophecy" and influence their achievement in the classroom. Teachers were warned against employing stereotypical language or separating classes into "boys vs. girls" to avoid adding to children's preconceived ideas about the gender divide. Data from the Department for Education showed that 24% of boys in England failed to reach the standard expected for their age group in writing compared with just 13%of girls.

The study was released at the British Educational Research Association annual conference at Warwick University on Wednesday. Read more in The Telegraph
online.

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