ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at three prevalent boys’ engagement myths, which are not just flawed but actually contribute to boys’ poor academic outcomes. There are: boys like competition, make learning relevant to boys’ interests and boys have different learning styles. The logic behind this boy-friendly strategy is simple: boys like competition making activities competitive will make them more motivated to learn. The resulting engagement was evidence that boys were spurred on by a traditional battle for victory. Martin Covington has argued that in Western cultures, “ability” is a “commodity” that has a widespread value and as such carries high status. In schools, Covington contends, academic ability is prized above other abilities. The particular emphasis placed on “intellectual” ability has a profound impact on an individual’s self-worth. Male pupils are more likely to do less work through a desire to fit in with the peer group. But they also, according to Covington, withdraw from academic work as a “self-worth protection” strategy.
