under or low ?

Underachievement and low achievement, what does these words mean? Underachievement is where the student has the capability of passing but he/she is lacking on interest. While low achievement is a small amount of people achieving minimum skill to pass the subject; this situation usually occurs to boys other than girls.

Why are boys not passing examinations? Or achieving very low minimum grades in school compared to girls that are excelling? This is because of the type of learning styles that are not interesting enough for boys to cope in class. The subjects offered are more towards literacy, while boys are more capable in application subjects like mathematics. It is stated that this method is highly gendered because only girls can adapt and absorb to these kind of learning, boys have a lower attention span.

Other than that, the percentages of female teachers are very high in school until there’s a label of ‘feminism’ in school. It is assumed that female teachers are instilling feministic values during lessons. With the lack of male role model in their lives, these male students have less respect towards their female teachers. Although there are no concrete evidence, but it is clear that this field of studies are more favorable towards female, while males are driven to pursue science streams to become doctors or engineers.

     To overcome this gender issue, an international comparative test was held. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is done to collect and assess differences in academic performances. According to page 130 from the Education Textbook, the mean of boys and girls performances in 2001 is somehow similar according to states. This gives the perception that, although boys are not doing as well as girls but they are catching up because the gap of mean is very low.


-Wily