Communication 114

Communication

and

Learning

Instructed by Professor

Robert “Bob” Powell Ph.D.

Text

Chapter Four

Gender and Classroom Communication

Sex and Gender

• Sex- Biological

designation

• Gender- Social

psychological

Females

• Self-esteem

- Highest in ages 8-9- Decreases

until leave from H.S.- Biggest Drop occurs

between Elementary and Middle School

Females Cont.

• Eating Disorders

- Occur due to self-esteem issues - obsessed with looks (want to be thin) - Usually develop in Middle School

Females Cont.

• Interaction- “Girl Talk”

- construction of normative

behaviors- more

accepting of stereotypes- Girly-girls

and Tom Boys

Females Cont.

• Society- Society place

strict values on girls- Physically

attractive - Feminine- Passive

Males

• Behavior- Account for a

majority of behavior problems

- Less developed

-Large portion of Special Ed

Males Cont.

• Emotions- “Boy Code”

- Hide Emotions - Direct emotions inward

- “Act like a Man”

Males Cont.

• Separation from caregiver- Premature

Separation - Crying

- “A big boy” ,“Be tough” - Learn to compensate

Sex and Learning Style

• Males- Academic success = own

efforts - Academic failure = external factors

• Females- Academic success =

luck - Academic failure = internal factors

Sex and Intellectual Ability

• Males- Score higher in problem

solving - Score higher in physical sciences

• Females- SAT scores do not

reflect ability - Superior in speech production

Minimizing Differences

• Remove Sexist Language in the classroom

• Removal of reliance on peer groups

• Teachers need to adapt to the needs of both boys and girls in the classroom

Links to Helpful Sites

• Eating Disorders

• Adolescent Behavior and Education