Differences between the Written Work of Boys and Girls

Abstract

Most teachers recognise differences between the written work of girls and boys. When asked to list features that they consider to be typical of the written work of each sex, 85% of a sample of science teachers responded. Furthermore, nearly three‐quarters of them claimed that they can generally distinguish between the written work of girls and boys. Nearly all the teachers who listed differences commented that girls’ work tends to be neat and well presented, while that of boys is often untidy and poorly presented. The quality of the work produced by each sex was mentioned by approximately half of the respondents. The findings suggest that either substantial differences do exist between the work of boys and girls, or that popular cultural stereotypes concerning the characteristics of boys and girls and their work are accepted by most teachers.