Final answer:
It is false to claim that males inherently perform better than females in visual-spatial tasks, mechanical skills, and calculus in K-12 settings. The observed differences are greatly influenced by environmental factors and cultural expectations, rather than biological sex differences.
Step-by-step explanation:
In K-12 school settings, it is false that males tend to be slightly better than females at visual manipulation of objects in space, mechanical skills, and calculus. Research has shown that while there may be initial differences in spatial abilities, with practice, girls can increase their skill levels to become equal to boys, who do not show significant improvement with the same practice. Additionally, cultural factors, such as parenting styles, forms of play, and gender roles, have a significant influence on these abilities more than biological sex. Cross-cultural studies indicate that these spatial and mechanical skills can be shaped by the culture in which children are brought up, as evidenced by the Inuit, where no differences were seen between boys and girls, in contrast to the Temne of Sierra Leone.
Moreover, schooling and social conditioning play a role in how boys and girls are treated in educational settings, potentially affecting performance and interest in specific subjects. Therefore, perceived gender differences in certain cognitive abilities are more likely linked to environmental influences and cultural expectations rather than innate biological differences.