Objective Comparison of Male and Female Students - Case Study Example

Girl versus boy If one takes a close look at the world around us, one can not help noticing that it is full of contrasts. What is more interesting is that these contrasts form pairs. Indeed, there is day and night, light and darkness, life and death. The list can go on almost forever. However, there is one particular pair that is of great importance for the whole mankind: men and women. Just like the previously mentioned pairs, this one represents the universal division of the world into two halves which are equal, yet absolutely different. It would not be a mistake to argue that these differences are seen in various fields of human activity. One might suggest that this is seen rather explicitly in the field of education as well. Thus, any teacher who has had even small experience of teaching groups that consisted of students of different genders is able to prove that the approaches of a woman’s as well as a men’s mind towards education might be quite different. This paper will provide a fair as well as objective comparison of male and female students, carefully examining every point. First of all, it would be rather important to point out that men are often praised for their ability to see the broad picture of the things. Indeed, in most cases people who could draw connections between things that do not seem to be connected at all were man. For example, numerous generations has witnessed the law of gravity in action and did not even think about this mysterious force, but considered it to be a given condition of our world; however, it was Isaac Newton who became particularly interested and wanted to understand why the world operated in a way as we knew it. The same situation is with male students. When the teacher discusses the particularities of the topic, many male students are not interested since this level of detalization is not considered to be important by them especially at the early stages of research. Metaphorically speaking, men tend to climb up the hill in order to try to see the horizon instead of staying in the valley. It is obvious that the situation with women is absolutely different. Continuing the analogy which was used in the previous paragraph, females are not likely to climb up the hill in order to see the general order of things. They are rather satisfied with the perspective of the valley. In turn, this allows them to pay more attention to the small details that men tend to overlook. Indeed, while male students are rather good at making connections and generalizing, female students like to elaborate on details and might be rather successful in this. Ironically speaking, “women can see extremely small quantities of dirt” (Kennedy, Kennedy and Aaron 231). While “dirt” might have negative connotations, it is clear that in this case it means aspects that the majority of man might find to be insignificant. It would not be a mistake to argue that this allows female students to achieve high results especially in the fields that require high concentration as well as heavily rely on the detailed analysis. This might be an explanation why female students tend to score better on tests: the read carefully every question and spend more time answering them. Another aspect that should be involved while considering the differences between male and female approaches to performance in the educational process is the way they achieve the goals which was set previously. Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to argue that when a male student is not able to understand a particular topic, he is likely to spend a considerable amount of time, but will not give up until he understands the topic completely. This might be called “born fighter’s refusal to give up as long as he can still remain on his feet and lift his two fists” (Kennedy, Kennedy and Aaron 240). While this comparison might introduce some aspects that distract attention from the main topic, it surely conveys the primary principle of the men’s attitude towards problems: “Do or die”. In spite of the fact that the educational process is not able to set people in such dramatic conditions, it is understandable that even in such circumstances male students may show their desire to fight until their last breath with their inability to comprehend. This is particularly seen when a male student comes across a difficult topic that needs certain preparation to master. In case one is not able to comprehend it right away, one will do one’s best to understand it, spending as much time as needed. Contrary to that, women do not feature such a desire to fight until the end. Historically speaking, there were few occasions that they had to fight with men side by side in situations when only persistence was able to ensure victory. In the majority of the cases, women are not comfortable with open confrontation, but prefer to fight in other ways. This might be considered to be one of the most characteristic features of their natures: ability to find a different way. If one would compare this to a different activity, one can not help suggesting the following situation. Having discovered a door and found out that it was locked, men would rely on their physical force in order to open it, knowing that this is the exact way which will ensure they will be able to reach their destination. On the other hand, having tried the door for a couple of times, women are likely to look for a different door. This might be projected on to educational process as well. Thus, female students might not put a considerable amount of efforts in one particular activity, but will try to be able to perform similar actions in a different way that is known for them. Finally, there is another aspect that should be noted while considering the differences between male and female students. Since educational process is rarely carried out independently, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that the male and female students tend to see their role in the group differently as well. For example, men would like to be leaders. They would like to understand everything first and them explain it to their friend. They feel comfortable when they lead the way and step into the darkness, hoping to bring light to it. However, one of the most important points that should be noted in particular is that while doing so they do not pay much attention towards the others. In other words, their desire to learn more and achieve the goal that they have previously set does not do them good team players. What is more important is that while there may be a limited number of leaders, those individuals who are not as lucky or ambitious enough still tend to think about their personal performance. One would make no mistake suggesting that female students tend to behave quite differently in the exact same situation. From a considerable number of examples that are taken from history it becomes rather clear that women are far more concerned with the well being of the entire group and each of the members in particular than of their own state. Obviously, it does not mean that females tend to deny their own wishes and desires, but they are not willing to take up leading positions if the price for that is becoming a poor team player. This is particularly seen in the field of education. The majority of female student tend not to boast with their academic performance and are likely to spend time explaining other what they have already understood so that the whole class would be able to move forward together as one group. It is clear that such position is incompatible with the one that is developed by the male students, but one can not say that it is less effective. Having examined all the evidence, one is able to point out that male students feature a considerable number of differences in various areas of educational process. First of all, men tend to pay more attention towards the general perspective, trying to draw connections between elements instead of analyzing them precisely. Women, on the other hand, tend to do quite the opposite. Secondly, male students are usually interested in devoting a considerable share of their time mastering new skills and do not give up easily after first failures. Contrary to that, women would like to find a different way in case the method that they were trying to master is difficult. Finally, men tend to compete in order to become leaders in every activity that they are engaged in and do not pay attention towards the other members of the group while they are on their quest to become leaders. Women are concerned with quite the opposite: they are not chasing after the leadership, but would like to contribute to the well being of the group. Works cited Kennedy, X. J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron. "Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out." The brief Bedford reader. 11th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 231-233. Print. Kennedy, X. J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron. "Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrast." The brief Bedford reader. 11th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 237-240. Print. Read More