Teaching girlsTeaching girls

Plus ca change?Plus ca change? Good teaching is good teachingGood teaching is good teaching

Diversity of learning stylesDiversity of learning styles Variety Variety PacePace ChallengeChallenge Assessment for Learning approachesAssessment for Learning approaches Good questioningGood questioning Opportunities for discussionOpportunities for discussion Quality feedbackQuality feedback Regular review of materialRegular review of material

Male and female brains

What are the What are the differences?differences?

Common (mis)conceptionsCommon (mis)conceptionsBetter at exams?Better at exams?Which subjects?Which subjects?

The female and male The female and male brainsbrains

Possible causes for Possible causes for concern (1)concern (1)

Does school success Does school success

mean success in mean success in

later life?later life?

Pupils’ approaches to thinking and learning

Attitu

de to

th

inkin

g

Attitude to learning

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

PASSIVE

ACTIVE

Possible causes of Possible causes of concern (2)concern (2)

The The

course workcourse work

approachapproach

Possible causes for Possible causes for concern (3)concern (3)

Ongoing inequality in the Ongoing inequality in the workplaceworkplace

Barriers to success 1 : risk Barriers to success 1 : risk avoidanceavoidance

“Children need risk to thrive as adult“Children need risk to thrive as adults” – Dragons’ Den judge articles” – Dragons’ Den judge article

TES article on risk and challengeTES article on risk and challenge Surprisingly low self confidenceSurprisingly low self confidence What are we telling them? (Dweck What are we telling them? (Dweck

article)article) What are we praising?What are we praising?

“Students are not fools. If

regurgitation and getting the “right” answer are what bring high marks, then that is what

they will try to do.”

McPeck, “Teaching Critical Thinking”

“We need to encourage children to push themselves, to go beyond their limits, in order to build a nation of bold and confident people … Helping children to experience risks in a managed

way is not only key to their general development but also to

bringing on the next generation of entrepreneurs, to the benefit of the economy and society as a

whole.”Simon Woodroffe, founder of Yo! Sushi, judge on BBC’s Dragons’ Den and supporter of HTI’s Go4it award

Barriers to success 2: Lack Barriers to success 2: Lack of creativityof creativity

Prefer to repeat Prefer to repeat other people’sother people’s

ideas than ideas than generate owngenerate own See this asSee this as

safest route tosafest route topraise and schoolpraise and schoolsuccesssuccess

Schools killing creativity? Ken Robinson talkSchools killing creativity? Ken Robinson talk

X

Barriers to success 3: Low Barriers to success 3: Low resilienceresilience

When we and others look at bright girls in our studies, we find that they are the group

with the greatest vulnerability to helplessness. They are more

likely than boys to hold an entity theory of their

intelligence (i.e. that their intelligence is fixed and can’t be changed, for example by effort or experience), they are more likely to want tasks they are sure they can do well at and they are more likely to blame

their abilities and show impairment when they encounter difficulties.”

Prof Carol Dweck, Self Theories, 2000

Gifted girls need to “learn that the

hallmark of intelligence is not

immediate perfection, but

rather the habit of embracing new tasks

that stretch your skills and build your

knowledge.”

Prof Carol Dweck, Self Theories, 2000

Building habits for Building habits for successsuccess

Activities to raise awareness Activities to raise awareness

of habits and their applicationof habits and their application Strategies for rewarding Strategies for rewarding habitshabits

Focus on the Focus on the dispositionsdispositions which we which we wish to promote – show what we value wish to promote – show what we value – give them responsibility – report – give them responsibility – report writingwriting

Provide quotations and role modelsProvide quotations and role models

Teacher behaviours which Teacher behaviours which help (and hinder) help (and hinder)

How we labelHow we label How we give How we give

feedbackfeedback What we praiseWhat we praise How we plan How we plan

our lessonsour lessons How we become How we become

role modelsrole models

“… one factor in the development of …

(helpless) patterns may be bright girls’ early

successes which undoubtedly bring them

acclaim from their teachers and parents for

their intelligence and goodness. This may teach

them a framework that can limit their later

achievement.”

Dweck, Self Theories, 2000: 124

“ … teachers may be over-indulgent in

their praise of girls’ intelligence, as a

means of overcoming harmful stereotypes

and encouraging girls’ achievement.”

Dweck, Self Theories, 2000: 125

“… these experiences can encourage an entity

theory, performance goals, challenge avoidance and

helpless responses to later difficulties. The diet of

early success and praise may even make girls eager

to buy into the entity theory and now we have a

recipe for trouble.”

Dweck 2000

“Analysis suggests that, while on the outside bright girls may

appear industrious, well-integrated, responsible and

successful, a paralysing instinct drives them to avoid the unknown – an undeniable sign of a lack of

confidence and belief in their own intellectual abilities. A self-

reinforcing cycle is set up and perpetuated in which girls become increasingly less likely to develop their strengths and more content

to hide within the confines of what is known and safe.”C J Simister, Bright Girls who Fail,

Gifted Education International, 2005

Study strategies & Study strategies & classroom tools to develop classroom tools to develop

deeper understandingdeeper understanding Lesson planning: content – disposition – Lesson planning: content – disposition –

thinking/learning skillthinking/learning skill Diamond 9Diamond 9 Information mappingInformation mapping MandalasMandalas Odd one outOdd one out Jigsaw methodJigsaw method MysteriesMysteries ““Teach it”Teach it”

Study strategies and Study strategies and classroom tools to develop classroom tools to develop

deeper understandingdeeper understanding What is the question?What is the question? Random limitsRandom limits Spot the mistakeSpot the mistake Waynflete!Waynflete! Personal challenge awardPersonal challenge award Summarising (in 20 words)Summarising (in 20 words) What’s always true about …?What’s always true about …?

Study strategies and Study strategies and classroom tools to develop classroom tools to develop

deeper understandingdeeper understanding The main problem withThe main problem with 10 ways to do X10 ways to do X Oxbridge questionsOxbridge questions What if/just suppose … ?What if/just suppose … ? De Bono “Thinking hats”De Bono “Thinking hats” Ten steps to independent thinkingTen steps to independent thinking Alternative explanationsAlternative explanations Persuade me that …Persuade me that … Patchwork thinkingPatchwork thinking