Abstract:

In the past, boys have performed better than girls academically, however, recent research conducted internationally indicates that girls are achieving better results than boys (1). A reason for this improvement could be the role that language plays in all learning areas and, according to scientific research girls outperform boys in language acquisition because the language area of the brain in girls develops before the areas used for spatial relations, whereas the opposite is true for boys (2). The link between all learning is language. To succeed in any learning, learners must have the ability to communicate effectively in the language of learning and teaching. A study conducted in Minnesota confirms this as it was found that students who performed better in language also achieved better results in other learning areas (3).

Francis and Skelton (4) state that there is a significant gap which favours girls in language and learning internationally. Epstein, Elwood, Hey and Maw (5) contend that girls’ most marked area of success at school has been in languages. According to the 2006 PIRLS, South African Grade 5 girls achieved 421 points in reading achievement, while the boys achieved 384 points, and in 2011 the girls obtained 434 points, with the boys scoring a lower 408 points (6). This trend was noted internationally in 2011, with girls obtaining 520 points, and boys scoring 504 points (7).

Gxilishe (8:p18) states that girls may be performing better than boys in language learning because in SA the societal norm views languages as “feminine” (a view that is reinforced by the fact that women teachers increasingly dominate language teaching), personality, motivation, verbal fluency and attitude. More recently, in a study conducted by Olivier and Olivier (9) amongst tertiary students, it was found that there was no difference in attitude towards writing between males and females. A key skill in the language classroom is the ability to express oneself effectively through written communication. An area in research that remains relatively unchartered is boys’ experiences in the writing classroom, which could contribute to our understanding of the underachieving boys’ phenomenon.

This study sought to explore how middle school boys perceive their experiences in the writing classroom, the writing curriculum and their teachers’ teaching approaches. For this exploratory case study, boys from 2 schools participated in this study. They completed an activity-based questionnaire, writing lessons were observed and a sample of their writing with their teachers’ feedback was analysed using document analysis. Lesson recordings were transcribed, and the transcriptions were analysed with the observation schedule using thematic analysis, as were the boys’ responses to the questionnaire. It was found that the participating boys did not view language learning negatively, and whilst some of them struggled in the writing classroom, they did not view writing negatively either. It was concluded that teachers should cater for boys’ different learning needs and styles when planning their lessons. Some ideas for doing this could be providing choice in topics, making their lessons more engaging and exciting for the boys by including competitions and movement, and selecting themes and topics that the boys in their classrooms find interesting and relevant.

Keywords:

Boys, writing, process-genre, differentiation.