Researchers Explore the Role of Gender in the Classroom

Research shows boys and girls learn in different ways. Supervisor Sherry Whitson with the Missouri State University Field Experiences Office says she found male vision is drawn to movement, while female vision responds more to faces. Her research also shows boys like subdued earth-tones, while girls like vibrant colors. She adds hearing plays a factor, claiming girls have more acute hearing than boys. Whitson says providing a better learning environment for both genders is just a matter of adapting to these findings. She disagrees with some education experts who think instructors should modify the classroom with gender segregation. She says these differences simply mean teachers should modify their lessons to accommodate both approaches to learning.