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Most Universities offer classes for aspiring teachers in the theories behind education, classroom management, lesson plan writing and the history of education. All of these classes and subjects are relevant in their own rights but one class that isn’t often offered is the differences between boy and girl brain development and what that means to education. Even when a fetus is formed, there are biological differences happening from day one that will create either a boy or a girl and will determine numerous differences between them.
This research is important and extremely relevant to understanding why boys are the way that they are and learn in the way that they do. Girls have traits that are tremendously different than boys and with the knowledge of this research, a teacher can tailor his/her instruction to fit all of the learning needs of their students. Neurological Differences Between Boys and Girls According to Gurian, Stevens, and King (2008b), the differences begin at conception when a Y chromosome is present or not present, determining the sex of the fetus.
When a Y chromosome is received, a male system begins with a secretion of testosterone resulting in a higher capacity for muscle mass as well as different calcium and iron ratios. Female offspring will also receive testosterone but in a smaller amount due to the estrogen-type hormones being released in her blood stream. These chemical differences affect the brain development and although they aren’t the only factors influencing how the brain will expand, they are the building blocks for future brain growth (Wasserman, 2007).
When researching the differences between boys’ and girls’ brains, it is important to note that neither brain is “better” but just unique in their strengths and weaknesses. Each has the potential to learn, grow, be productive and succeed but the method used in teaching in which we expect these brains to respond should correspond with the research presented. Research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was done by scientists to determine brain functionality when boys and girls are equested to perform the same task (Costello, 2008). The differences in brain development are biological and can be medically proven but the ways that boys and girls respond to these differences are generalizations and not absolute. The following research conducted by Gurian, Stevens and King (2008a) is a prime example of differences between the brain of most females and most males: •Corpus Callosum – The corpus callosum is the bridge that connects the nerves between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
A female’s corpus callosum tends to be larger and more dense than a male’s, resulting in a more acute ability to multitask. Girls can also verbalize their feelings more quickly than boys who often need time to process their emotions into words. •Brain Stem – The brain stem sends messages back and forth and the male brain has more fluid so these messages can move more quickly than a female’s. It also controls the “fight or flight” response so boys tend to respond more quickly when they feel threatened or emotionally charged.
This can be in a classroom or on the playground but either way, their reaction time to a situation is usually more impulsive. •Limbic System – This system controls sensorial and emotional memory which is more acute in females, resulting in increased emotional memory for females as well as the ability to read emotional cues better than most males. The key emotion center in the Limbic System is the Cingulated Gyrus. This area is larger and more active in women and also has more connections and conduction in and through the brain.
These connections are the reason that women have a natural tendency to make friends and nurture others while males don’t have the same drive to make connections with. •Hippocampus – This area of the brain allows one’s working memory to convert its information into long-term or permanent memory. The hippocampus is important in retention and connection-making in education. This area of the brain tends to be larger in females, resulting in larger memory storage. •Amygdala – Boys often show signs of increased impulsive responses relating to aggression, and this could be connected to the fact that their amygdale tends to be larger.
This small part of the brain processes emotions in regards to anger and fear. Researchers believe these emotions are “connected” to memories therefore when a memory is recalled, emotions can be conjured as well. •Cerebral Cortex – This area of the brain is extremely important for recall, speaking and thinking. A female’s blood flow can be up to 20 percent higher than a male’s, therefore the connections (which is also higher in females) between neurons fires faster. This often leads to females being “faster on their feet. In contrast, males have more neurons in this area of the brain but the speed of the connections is slower. Females have more neuropil, making the process for cell to cell communication easier and more efficient (Courten-Myers 2001, as cited at http://www. brainconnection. com/content/91_1). •Cerebellum – When boys move more, they tend to learn more. This is due to their cerebellum being larger than females, allowing their brains to speak to their bodies faster and more often. The Cerebellum is the “movement” area of the brain, firing impulses to the body to tell it to move.
When the cerebellum speaks to the body, the male’s movements are often in reaction to the brain’s impulses to move and be active instead of sitting and being calm. •Inferior Parietal Lobe – This area of the brain plays important roles in integrating sensory information from various parts of the body, knowledge of numbers and their relations, and the manipulation of objects. It is “generally larger in male brains after other factors are adjusted for. As it happens, the inferior parietal lobe is involved in spatial and mathematical reasoning, skills at which boys tend to perform better than girls” (Levine, p. ). Processing Differences In Gurian, Stevens and King’s research, it was found that not only is the development of the brain different between boys and girls but there are also substantial differences in how they use their brains (2008b): •Language Processing Areas – A female’s language processing area utilizes both hemispheres of the brain, making them more susceptible to learning language sooner than males. Boys’ part of the brain that controls language acquisition is only found in the left hemisphere.
This limits the amount of brain capacity that boys use towards language as well as the number of words that boys typically use in their vocabulary. Since language is the building block to all education, this could be the primary reason that girls often are faster readers and better writers early on in elementary school. •Spatial Processing Areas – The differences between the male and female brain in the area of spatial relations is significant in gross motor skills, abstract reasoning, mathematics and spatial reasoning-mental manipulation of objects.
Males are found to have more neural connections in the right hemisphere because of the increased amount of testosterone in their brains and bodies. The right hemisphere in a female’s brain doesn’t usually have the same amount dedicated to spatial relations. Boys often need more space in order to function and feel comfortable in their surroundings while learning whereas girls can sit for longer periods of time and concentrate. Science and technology often come easier for boys although this is not to say that girls can’t do well in science and technology but they often need more encouragement in these areas. Sensory Systems – Our senses are an essential aspect to learning, reading and writing. The senses in a female brain are frequently more keen as they often see, hear, smell better and take in more information tactilely. This has large implications in the classroom as girls usually use more detail in their writing and conversation and boys tend to need more guidance with sensory descriptors in their writing. According to Baron-Cohen (2003), boys and girls actually taste things differently with girls gravitating towards sweet while boys are attracted to salty flavors.
Sight – Males and females actually see different things when looking at the same object or scene. Because of the increased number of cones in the eyeball of a female, they tend to see more colors than men. Peripheral vision is another area where boys have less of a range than girls. This can be an issue in determining where to place children in the classroom for maximum learning potential. Hearing – Females have a greater density of nerves surrounding the part of the brain that processes language and comprehension.
According to Purcell (2003, as cited in Larimore, 2008), girls listen with both sides of their brain as boys listen with only one. This helps explain why females can usually listen to and comprehend up to seven different auditory inputs. This lends to the fact that boys often have trouble multitasking when there are more than one sounds happening simultaneously. Smell and Taste – A male is better able to discern salty and sour tastes although females have more taste buds and can taste bitter and complex flavors more effortlessly.
Smelling is a sense that females are far superior than males and can affect the placement of desks in a classroom. For example, if a girl is sitting near a trash can that has a banana peel in it, her concentration can be severely altered whereas if you place a boy in that same seat, he probably won’t even notice the odor. Chemical Differences Although boys and girls brains are different in their development from conception they do have many chemicals in common, but the volume and use for these chemicals is often different between genders.
It is known that the main hormone in boys is testosterone and in girls it is estrogen but many people are not aware that these hormones are present in the opposite gender as well, just not at the same volume. The following explanation of the brain chemicals helps to clarify why boys and girls are the way that they are: •Testosterone – Boys are generally more aggressive than girls and their testosterone levels fluctuate depending on whether they win or lose at sports and activities.
Boys’ testosterone levels are twice that of girls which leads to higher levels of aggression, self-assertion, competitiveness and self-reliance (Gurian and Stevens, 2005). •Serotonin – Boys secrete less serotonin into the body, making them more impulsive as well as fidgety. Girls moods are often calmed by high levels of serotonin and the higher level of this hormone also makes them more suitable for child care and conversation (Larimore, 2008) •Oxytosin – When a child cries, the level of oxytosin that is released in a female is much higher, giving them more of a sense of empathy and concern for others.
This also indicates that females are more likely to continue relationships with their peers and teachers long after advancing in age in order to keep those ties. This can affect the way that students work in groups as females will work to continue relationships while males will simply use the relationship for the purpose of the assignment and move on (Willis, 2008). •Estrogen – This chemical is what controls the female hormones and determines her mood and sex drive. This chemical also makes the female brain more alert and sensitive to stimuli.
This chemical is present in men but at a much lower amount as testosterone is the chemical that affects their moods and sex drive (Larimore, 2008). • Progesterone – This is another hormone that is specifically for women only and affects nurturing and an overall feeling of well-being and contentment. As with any hormone or chemical in the brain, too much or too little can alter the activity level and/or ability to perform different tasks (Larimore, 2008). •Dopamine – This “feel good” neurotransmitter can affect our behaviors such as pencil tapping, leg jiggling, and the inability to sit still.
This chemical is present in both genders but when boys are excited about something and get their bodies moving in response, it is often more difficult for them to calm themselves than it is for girls (Sternberg, 2008). Other Brain and Behavioral Differences Gore (as cited in Gurian, 2002) has found that the resting female brain is as active as the activated male brain. In other words, the female brain is never sedentary. It is always working and firing neurons and has a true learning advantage.
According to Gurian (2008), the male brain doesn’t use all of its capacity for problem solving and other needs. When a male is working on a problem, they will often stay the course even when the course doesn’t seem to be working, often leading them down the wrong path. Females will often reevaluate their methods to differentiate the most effective way to accomplish the task at hand. In Larimore (2008), it is discussed that even though a male’s brain is ten percent larger than the average woman’s, the intelligent level doesn’t necessarily correspond with size.
According to Gur, (as cited in Larimore, 2008), “women’s brains appear to be more efficient than men’s in the sense that an equal increase in volume produces a larger increase in processing capacity in women than in men” (p. 34). Male brains also have more gray matter which is known as the “thinking matter” while females have a larger concentration of white matter, also known as the “processing matter. ” This indicates that females are more apt to have better communication between their hemispheres, therefore resulting in better overall communication skills (Larimore, 2008).
There are times when all of the systems in the brain are working properly and accurately and other times, there can be issues with timing and responses. According to Levine (2002), neurodevelopmental functions are “the various implements for learning and for applying what’s learned” (p. 10). A dysfunction in this area often includes the inability to assign proper muscles to particular tasks such as writing, reading, speaking and thinking. Unfortunately, a neurodevelopmental dysfunction goes undetected most of the time, leaving a diagnosis of lazy, unmotivated or even that the student is not very smart (Levine, 2002).
According to Levine (2002), there are an endless number of combinations that are made through the synapses or nerve linkages within the brain that can misfire or fail. These failures can lead to attention deficit, memory lapses, language issues, spatial awareness issues, and many other behavioral and cognitive concerns. According to Eliot (2008), girl’s brains are an average of 9% smaller than boy’s and stops growing a year or two before boys’ do. According to Eliot (2008), research has found that girls have a more active frontal lobe, a more mature language center than boys and more connections between the two hemispheres in the brain.
Research conducted at the Radford University Center for Brain Research concluded that male brains develop from the back and work forward while females start in the front and work back thus making the process of brain development a completely different process between boys and girls (Radford, as cited in USA Today, 2006). Stress is a factor in everyone’s life even small children experience stress. The way our bodies and brains deal with stress is different, depending on our gender. Because of the brain connections that transport emotional responses, girls tend to think before acting.
Boys often find it difficult to think things through before reacting to a situation. Stress about things at home or issues in the classroom can change the way a boy concentrates, listens and reacts. Boys are wired to react first and ask questions later (Larimore, 2008). This can explain why a male student can become aggressive when things don’t go their way. Intuition is the state of being aware of or knowing something without having to discover or perceive it (Tileston, 2005) and often females have this ability more readily than males.
A girl can “read” another person’s body language and intentions while boys don’t often notice anything different about people. This contributes to the relationships that girls will have with their teachers as they sometimes will get a “feeling” about a teacher or mentor and not have the ability to concentrate as strongly. Without this keen sense of intuition, boys will usually listen with the same level of respect to all of their educators (King, 2001). Simply put by Baren-Cohen (2003), “The female brain is predominantly ard-wired for empathy. The male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems” (p. 1). Empathy is the act of putting yourself in another’s shoes. To feel what they are feeling and to think the way they do. This behavior is more suited for girls as they tend to be more in tuned to other’s feelings and needs. To systemize is to understand and build a system. This “system” can be a machine or it can be any input-operation-output relationship like a sport or game.
Boys tend to be better at these tasks than girls, making science more interesting for more boys than girls. Educational Implications There are numerous differences in neurological growth between boys and girls yet as educators, we often are not aware of these vast differences and the consequences behind educating boys and girls exactly the same. If more teachers and education professionals were versed in the biological differences between boys and girls, their teaching styles would likely be severely altered to accommodate the differences in learning.
This research is extremely relevant in the education profession and should be further studied and taught in the University setting. According to Gurian, Henly and Trueman (2008), to create the ultimate classroom, a teacher needs to make a safe and generous environment for both boys and girls. It is important to change the classroom structure to create a learning space to cater to both genders. Every grade level requires different innovative, creative methods in order to differentiate learning for every student.
What works for one grade level, will not necessarily work for another grade so being flexible and able to accommodate the student’s needs is an essential aspect of differentiating instruction for all students. There are many different strategies that can be used to help boys and girls reach their full potential in the classroom. One idea that Gurian, Henley and Trueman (2008) have is to teach boys sewing and bead work to help with small motor skills. Again, it important to remember that not all activities will work with all grade levels.
Tailoring your instruction and strategies to age appropriate activities is essential for maximum productivity. According to Gurian (2008b), if all educators taught to the strengths of boys, girls would learn as well but most often students are taught in a way that is more conducive to girls learning and that doesn’t address the issues boys have in learning. It is important to note that simple differences in teaching techniques can make all the difference in finding equality for both genders. Boys respond to movement and tend to learn when moving so moving around the room during learning time can benefit all learners.
Movement does not have to mean a full game of kickball or football, but small movements can make a difference in getting the blood flowing and encouraging the brain to be more productive. Keeping things visual can spark brain connections that listening to a lecture can’t do. The use of graphic organizers is an efficient way to display knowledge of a particular subject. There are numerous graphic organizers that can be used for various purposes to better represent the material being presented. Another approach to reaching all students through instruction is to use more drawing and symbol making (Gurian, 2008b).
Have the students draw what they already know about a subject and then explain their drawing to another student. This will use their creativity, previous knowledge, and communication skills all in one simple lesson. “This exercise allows the visual-spatial learners to shine and challenges your more verbal learners, often your highly verbal girls, to expand their own playbook-thinking and expressing differently than they are used to” (Gurain, 2008a, p. 49). Technology is a very hot topic in education with smart boards and video cameras being used daily in classrooms so it is imperative that it is used to stimulate minds and motivate learners.
Computers offer drawing and painting software for students to create and use hands on methods to look at information differently. Applications like PowerPoint allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in a format that helps to take the focus off of the presenter and onto the material. This can help the shy student who doesn’t feel they can be in front of a class presenting. There are countless examples of technology uses for the classroom that can assist all students in being creative, concise, explorative, innovative and challenged. Educators know there are different kinds of learners who respond better to different types of teaching.
One approach is kinesthetic which allows the students to use their sense of touch in order to explore and learn their material. Boys tend to need to use their sense of touch more in learning as this keeps both hemispheres of the mind working and communicating. Gurian (2008a) suggests putting more of the decisions regarding the methods of learning in the hands of the students because boys tend to need to know the purpose of activities they are required to participate. When students participate in kinesthetic activities, it is easier to put some of the responsibility in their hands.
Giving students a choice works because according to Gurian (2008b) all humans have a need to contain some control. This control can be over what they eat for breakfast or it can be over how they go about completing a task. Either way, giving each student some responsibility allows them to take ownership in their education. Topics for literacy in the classroom is something that teachers need to analyze as it can make the difference in a motivated writer and a student who has no interest in reading and writing. Boys tend to favor topics like sports, monsters, intense weather, cars and Army stuff.
Girls tend to favor topics like fairies, animals, poems, feelings and family. When a teacher gives a subject that boys have no interest in, this can immediately turn them off to exploring literacy. If a teacher is sensitive to the interests of the students, this can improve the motivation of all students. It is understood that choice isn’t always an option when teachers need to cover the state and national curriculum but when it is possible, choice should be incorporated in a students’ day. Social interaction between students is often the reason both boys and girls are motivated to attend school.
Using this aspect of social behavior, which is natural for most humans, is a great motivator and can offer a break for students and can rejuvenate their brains (Gurian, 2008b). In literature circles, students read literature together and then discuss what they have read and learned. In Gurian’s research (2008a) he found that “students actively engaged in reading through making choices, discussing, and constructing meaning” (p. 91). This collaborative method of learning and discussing allows the students to “run the show” and be in control of the conversations instead of sitting and listening to a teacher talk everything through.
Study groups are another technique that emphasizes thinking critically, writing and reading about a topic. This method also puts the control in the hands of the participants, as it allows for individual input and it can lead to critical analysis of a given topic with many heads working together. Conclusion Differentiating instruction is when, according to James (2007), “you change how you present information and what you ask students to do in response to their individual needs” (p. 221).
It would be extremely improbable for every student in a classroom to have the same skills, strengths and educational backgrounds, therefore, to teach to all students so that they have an equal chance at understanding and retaining the information, an educator needs to differentiate instruction and have knowledge of different teaching methods. Every student is different and has specific educational needs but knowing that boys and girls are night and day in their brain development can at least give an educator a head start to understanding what changes they need to make in their instruction and classroom.
Boys and girls are different in so many ways, including their brain development, chemical make up, developmental stages and educational strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge is essential to all professionals who work with children, especially those in the education field as these differences determine how children learn, process information and retain what is taught to them. REFERENCE Baron-Cohen, S. (2003). The truth about the male and female brain. New York: Basic Books. Costello, B. (2008). Leveraging gender differences to boost test scores. The Education Digest, 5/2008. Eliot, L. (2008).
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