| There are many issues that affect how students learn such as teacher level of experience, quality of instruction and curriculum, and socioeconomic status. Another important factor that impacts learning is gender. According to Leonard Sax (2008), "Fewer men are entering fields such as psychology, journalism, and foreign languages, while fewer women are entering fields such as computer science, physics, and engineering" (Sax, 2008, p. 36). In addition to the prevalence of gender stereotypes with regards to fields of study that men and women pursue, there are also inherent biological and cultural differences in the way that boys and girls learn. New brain imaging technology shows that there are structural and physiological differences in the brains of boys and girls. These differences affect both the way that boys and girls behave in the classroom and how they learn mathematics. Further, there are many educational issues that affect boys and girls differently. For example, more boys and minority children are retained in grade or placed in special education classrooms, while very few girls are encouraged to take science and mathematics courses. Therefore, in this paper we will analyze the current research on biological and structural differences in the male and female brain. After analyzing such differences, gender-sensitive lesson plans and classroom activities will be developed with the different educational needs of boys and girls taken into consideration. |
