'Watch out for the boys!': Boys in education: A species in trouble?

 In this Professional Practicum, I examine the primary school academic results in the semester report cards of both boys and girls in my previous school, my current school and a neighbouring school. 

Examining the academic achievements of boys and girls in English, German, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies at Year 7 in the previous school, a pronounced imbalance was found. Results showed that girls dominated the high achievement ratings (A & B). Whilst boys dominated the low achievement ratings (D & E) on the five point rating scale - A, B, C, D, E. 

Using the ACER TOLA 6 (Testing of Learning Ability), it was shown that the ability levels of the boys and girls were similar, but their academic results were not. The gender of the teacher who taught the students in the three classes was examined and the data showed this had no effect. Past Year 7 results were examined as were students' results in semester report cards for Year 4, 6 and 6. The same imbalance between boys' and girls' academic results was evident in all grades studied; girls were outperforming boys at all year levels 4 to 7. 

A strong awareness and inservice programme was commenced and classroom practices, beliefs and expectations were examined in readiness for another look at the report card achievement levels in 12 month's time.  

The re-examination was, on the surface, very positive with boys showing a marked improvement (especially in Year 7). 

However, further analysis of the data showed that new boy students to the school that year had skewed the result. It showed that an awareness of the imbalance in academic results and a positive attempt to change classroom practices to bring about equity in performance levels of boys and girls was not enough and had brought little change. The Practicum also looks at a beginning school, which opened in 1996, and the attempts of its staff to instil and embed a culture where both boys and girls felt encouraged to achieve at the highest levels. The staff's aim was to create an atmosphere and a tone in the school's culture where students of both sexes felt their successes, failures, efforts and contributions were supported. 

However, an examination of successive years Semester 1 academic results for Year 4, 5, 6 and 7 showed boys and girls were not achieving comparably, but girls were still dominating the high achievement levels and boys were dominating the low achievement levels. There were positive signs when the two -years' Semester 1 results were compared and showed that overall boys had an improved share of the number of students who achieved in the highest achievement level and a reduced share of the number of students in the lowest achievement levels. Examination of the involvement of boys in extra curricular activities was conducted in Semester 1 of the school's second year and it showed 49% of those involved were boys - so much had been achieved. 

Conclusions are made that using academic results as a starting point to bring about equity in boys and girls academic performance is not the correct beginning point.  Rather, those schools interested in creating an environment to bring about equity in academic performance of both sexes should not begin with academic data, but positively examine a whole series of other indicators and their school environment in general before dissecting academic performance. 

The conclusion is made that academic performance is one of the last indicators to 'move' whilst others can be changed overnight with simple decisions, effort, consultation and encouragement. Suggestions are made in Chapter 8 about how educators may go about examining data and student involvement in their school, and involving boys and girls in such examinations, to create an environment that is supportive and encouraging to both boys and girls. All this prior to examining academic results.