As early as 8 years old, boys and girls start to have diverging priorities concerning what's important in life. Around this age, girls shift toward their peer group and begin to place a high value on cooperation, social interaction and artistic pursuits. Boy adopt a more individualistic pose and appreciate competition, investigation of the natural world and interaction with objects. Science teachers should include activities that accommodate each of these divergent strands of interest.
According to Dr. Diane F. Halpern and colleagues of the National Center for Education Research: "[G]irls, particularly as they move out of elementary school ... often underestimate their abilities in mathematics and science." The classroom environment awards attention-seeking behaviors, such as being the first person to raise one's hand or the first to answer all the questions on a test. Because these behaviors are generally more common among boys, girls usually experience a drop in academic confidence.
Girls and boys tend to have different methods of processing and communicating information. This is not simply a matter of cultural expectations. According to Dr. Renato M.E. Sabbatini: "[G]ender differences are already apparent from just a few months after birth, when social influence is still small." Elementary school educators need to remain aware of the various ways in which these learning and communication differences might influence boys' and girls' interest and performance in math and science.
Girls and women have recently begun to close the gap in math and science aptitude tests. Their increase in test scores has not been accompanied by an increase in female mathematicians and scientists. Part of this lag may be the early socialization experienced in elementary school, whereby girls begin to shy away from mathematics and science. Elementary school educators need to make a special effort to keep girls engaged in mathematical and scientific pursuits.