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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Boys are better at physics then girls ...

81 replies

SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 11/05/2011 13:31

according to dd1s science teacher.

I was at her parents evening last night and we were discussing why in some modules dd1 does brilliantly and in others she does adequately. It just so happened that in the module she scored most highly was a biology one and from that he said ''this might sound a little bit sexist but girls are better at biology, and boys do better at the physics side of things''.

No you arsehole, that was a lot sexist - I didn't say that but I thought it but I did point out to him that there is a lot of cultural conditioning which pushes girls towards biology while trying to dissuade them from doing anything mathematical and physics related. He then quickly changed the subject.

I'm really tempted to speak to the head about this, would that be an over-reaction?

OP posts:
Original poster
SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 11/05/2011 13:32

Bah, that should have been ''boys are naturally better at physics then girls''.

OP posts:
chibi · 11/05/2011 13:35

do it please

i am a science teacher and i hate that crap

these crappy attitudes need challenging, especially maybe when they are coming from people who otherwise 'mean well'

queenofthecapitalwasteland · 11/05/2011 13:36

Shock what an idiot! if that's the attitude he's teaching with, it's no wonder boys do better, he probably focuses on them!

Straight2Extremes · 11/05/2011 13:45

I don't think he is doing any children he is working with any favours rather than helping them in their weaker subjects he he explaining it as girls do better in biology, boys do better in physics.

meditrina · 11/05/2011 13:45

If you think his attitude is reflected in his teaching, or is widespread in the school, then yes I think you should speak to the head. The more the school can do to combat this, and raise expectations all round, the better.

But I found OP interesting. It's possible the teacher is describing (accurately, sadly) what he sees by the time the children are that age (I'm assuming well into secondary school). This means that the conditioning you refer to in the 2nd paragraph of OP has already happened, and that therefore the place to counteract it is somewhat earlier in the school career. Another reason to go to the head of science or head teacher - this may be better tackled in years 6-7.

Original poster
SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 11/05/2011 14:24

Ok, I bit the bullet and phoned the school. The head will be calling be back some time tomorrow as he isn't in school today, so I have plenty of time to prepare.

Ultimately what it comes down to is that I don't want my daughter to be allowed to struggle in a class because it's thought that as she's a girl she's just not good at that particular subject. I don't know if this teachers attitude is reflected in his class, or if it's widespread in the school but I am going to find out.

OP posts:
VoteAV · 11/05/2011 14:28

OMFG that makes me very angry. If she is not doing well in Physics I have no doubt this arse is the reason. Angry

Original poster
SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 11/05/2011 14:44

She's not doing badly actually. She's a clever girl and across the board she's above average. Geography and maths are her two best subjects and they're ones you supposedly need a penis in order to do well in.

OP posts:
nocake · 11/05/2011 14:46

A bloke chipping in... boys are only better at physics when you have people with blinkered views teaching them. Because he is biased he will treat her differently in the class, which may prevent her developing her skills and knowledge in the same way as the boys in the class. You are absolutely right to complain to the head teacher.

If the head teacher doesn't take action can I suggest that you direct him to Lise Eliot's book "Pink Brain, Blue Brain" which covers the subject very well.

SardineQueen · 11/05/2011 15:33

That's an appalling attitude for a teacher to have.

GetOrfMoiCase · 11/05/2011 15:35

I think you should certainly complain. What a ridiculous attitude to have.

thisonehasalittlecar · 11/05/2011 15:41

When I was a teenager my school did some experiments with splitting the boys and girls up for maths and science classes (it was more to see if everyone did better in single-sex classes overall). I am happy to report that my physics class outperformed the boys (though not much helped by me, it must be said Blush )

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 11/05/2011 16:31

Good on you for complaining. He's not helping boys or girls with that attitude. What an idiot. Wonder if they taught him that at teacher training college?!

SybilBeddows · 11/05/2011 18:15

Good on you for complaining.

Takver · 11/05/2011 19:48

I would absolutely be there complaining.

I still remember being told by my (primary) head-teacher that 'girls just can't play chess as well as boys' Angry

Just one reason I was glad to go to an all girls secondary school where we didn't get any of this crap.

dittany · 11/05/2011 19:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

harecare · 11/05/2011 19:55

I was great at physics as it was logical and mathematical. To me chemistry and biology may as well have been voodoo.
It's worth complaining as he shouldn't be making such comments. Completely unnecessary.

igggi · 11/05/2011 22:20

I'm reading Cordelia Fine's book Delusions of Gender. She writes about pyschological tests where, if candidates are told beforehand they will be bad at whatever the test is on, they actually do badly - another group who are told they will do well, do do well.
This applies when women are given the spatial type tests that we are supposed to do "badly" at - if women are told "women usually do better in these tests", their results surpass the groups told they are expected to do badly. Unfortunately, although you have actually heard this sexist attittude from the teacher, many many more will think it.
(Many years ago now, but my bf's physics teacher actually visited her house to tell her parents she should NOT be allowed to go to uni to study physics - fortunately she ignored this)

Original poster
SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 11/05/2011 22:48

Great, I'm glad I popped back to read this. I had a bit of a wobble earlier when I was talking to friends who think I'm completely over-reacting, nice to see that I'm not from the planet Zog after all.

OP posts:
igggi · 11/05/2011 22:56

or maybe you are...

Guacamole · 11/05/2011 23:00

Uummmm I'm a girl and I'm a Physicist. Thankfully none of my teachers ever had this attitude! I would definitely have words with said teacher!

darleneoconnor · 11/05/2011 23:07

I was much better at physics than biology at school. I was best in the year at chemistry but was discouraged from taking any science post-16.

It sucks.

Original poster
SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 11/05/2011 23:34

''Uummmm I'm a girl and I'm a Physicist.''

Surely such a thing cannot be Shock

OP posts:
magicmummy1 · 11/05/2011 23:50

This thread brings back angry memories. Years ago, my school encouraged me to do biology instead of physics, for no reason other than the fact that I might have been the only girl in the class. I was good at physics and found it interesting, whereas I hated biology. I chose physics in spite of the warnings and subsequently endured two years of extreme and blatant discrimination. I was infuriated by it at the time but was terrified of saying anything because I knew the teacher would be marking my coursework. I so regret now not kicking up more of a stink.

Good on you, OP, for reporting this. The teacher probably thought he could get away with it by prefacing his comments with the lame "this might sound sexist but...", but if it sounds bloody sexist then why say it? Arsehole.

Please come back and let us know how the head responds to your complaint. Stereotyping like this is simply not acceptable and should not be tolerated.

PenguinArmy · 12/05/2011 03:47

I'm a physicist too (well more of a materials scientist now adays)

I had a maths teacher like this. We had a year the sexes were split (turned out females excelled and the males did worse so they abandoned it). The following year she taught the now mixed top set and kept going on about wonderful the boys were. I think all of us that got A's bar one were male (she took us for both yrs 10 and 11) and she eventually gave me the award for maths (even though I was the laziest in the class by far) so we won her round eventually.

I hated biology, no idea why I took that with the other sciences and Maths at A-level. I think it's because physics clashed with geography and electronics was dropped.

anyway I'm most impressed you complained. I still can't get over my authority thing.