ABSTRACT
In the younger years, there is often a separation between the gender groups: Girls and boys often prefer to be with their own gender. For both boys and girls, however, their social identity and being popular with their classmates is imperative during this period. Almost everything else becomes secondary – and this obviously affects the energy they have for learning in early adolescence. The author's approach to learning has its roots predominantly in a psychoanalytical tradition, where it makes more sense to use terms such as 'energy' and 'desire'. He focuses on the children's emotional, social and cognitive stage of development. The students' social and cultural background also has an influence on how gender patterns are expressed in a class. The same applies to the specific composition of the students in the class that is the student collective in the class.
