Browsing by Subject "Underprestation"

According to statistics, girls generally outperform boys in school. This performance gap is especially distinct in the Western world. Boys’ longtime underperformance is a concern for society, and the gender differences regarding reading ability in particular, have recently widened further. Which factors actually lie behind boys’ underperformance in school? The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to examine which factors previous studies have identified as the reasons to why boys underperform in school. A special focus is on why boys today are unmotivated in the school environment. The study method used in this thesis is literature study. The results suggest that biological, individual and social differences may impact performance in school. The masculine ideal forms a considerable amount of the selected research material. The results also indicate gender differences regarding motivation, maturation and interest. Much of boys’ interest appear to be directed toward video games.