Question

A boy receives a B+ on his English paper with the teacher's comment, "Brilliant insight, but you're lacking focus and have some typos." How is this typical of the way schools treat boys?

a.Boys are given more challenging assignments than girls.
b.Boys are more likely to be punished for horseplay and hyperactivity than girls.
c.Boys are judged mostly on the basis of their effort.
d.Boys are more likely to receive praise for the intellectual quality of their work than girls.

Answer 1

The teacher's mixed feedback to the boy on his English paper may reflect educational trends where boys are praised for their intellect but might lack focus or attention to detail, representing broader gender biases in schools.

Step-by-step explanation:

The feedback from the teacher to the boy who received a B+ on his English paper indicating "Brilliant insight, but you're lacking focus and have some typos" is reflective of trends in education where gender biases may influence the treatment of boys and girls. Research, such as that by Sadker and Sadker (1994), has shown that teachers praised male students more than female students and gave them more opportunities to expand on their ideas. In contrast, girls were often interrupted more and received less encouragement for intellectual efforts. This suggests an academic culture that reinforces competition over collaboration and allows boys more leeway in rule-breaking and minor deviance. It's important to note that while the teacher's comment was a mix of praise and constructive criticism, it may echo wider educational tendencies where boys are acknowledged for their intellectual quality, even though further focus and attention to detail might be necessary.