The course, Teaching to Reach Boys, exposes participants to instructional approaches that encourage boys to learn and effective strategies for building the confidence of boys. The course provides concrete examples of pedagogy and instructional strategies that have been proven to be effective at engaging boys. Participants in the course will identify underlying principles to be observed when designing lessons for boys and will use these principles to develop and examine boy-friendly lessons and learning activities.
The course is opened to all teachers, though those who teach at the upper primary or secondary level are particularly encouraged to participate. The course will adopt a task-based or a collaborative learning approach - participants will work in small groups to develop authentic learning activities that could be used to engage boys. The major learning from the course will be derived from the process of developing, reviewing and reflecting on these boy-friendly tasks.
Participants will be expected to complete all aspects of the course assessment in order to receive a certificate of competence. Teachers who complete the course will be invited to implement an Action Research in their school/classroom for an additional certification.
Throughout the course, we will:- Examine the differences between boys and girls and what these mean for teachers.
- Explore teaching strategies that can be used to engage boys effectively.
- Identify activities and opportunities to enrich the curriculum that boys experience.
- Look at the nature of the classroom environment that enables the optimal engagement of boys.