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FAIRBANKS, Alaska — A recent education survey that included local high school seniors reports many boys have unrealistic goals for their future, especially compared to the more grounded girls in their classes.
University of Alaska Fairbanks psychology professor Judith Kleinfeld's study, “No Map to Manhood,” showed boys were less likely to have college plans, and often had goals for long-shot careers like movie directors. She said many thought they would land a high-paying career out of college and didn't realize how difficult it was to get a good job.
“They had the craziest ideas about the labor market. … They were just kind of drifting,” she said.
It was a stark contrast to her interviews with girls, Kleinfeld said. They were not only much more likely to have college plans, but also seemed to better understand how to pursue a career. Kleinfeld surveyed 99 randomly selected high school seniors in Alaska, with the participants divided between one high school in Fairbanks and one in Anchorage. The schools were not identified to maintain anonymity, Kleinfeld said.
The study results were published recently in the journal Gender Issues. Kleinfeld's psychology students at UAF were asked to survey high school friends and acquaintances, and received largely similar results. Kleinfeld acknowledged that the sample size of her interview subjects is small and geographically limited.
But she believes the responses
“Virtually no one had asked why these kids were making the decisions they were making,” Kleinfeld said. A gender gap was mirrored in her survey participants — 64 percent of girls were planning to go to college, compared to only 40 percent of boys. Of the boys who didn't plan to go to college, few were interesting in pursuing careers in the trades as an alternative. Kleinfeld said fewer than 15 percent were planning to head in that direction.
Kleinfeld said girls seemed to be influenced by the women's movement. Most had a strong desire to make their own living and be capable of supporting themselves. The boys, on the other hand, didn't seem to be influenced by those factors at all. One of the most common responses she received was that boys simply didn't enjoy their education and were ready to move on.
“I don't think you can overemphasize the fact that they didn't like school,” Kleinfeld said. Kleinfeld believes there isn't a simple reason for the disparity between boys and girls. Parents and teachers have long pushed girls to achieve, she said, sometimes because of a misperception that they lag behind academically.
She also said school counselors need to do a better job of communicating the realities of the job market. Kleinfeld said methods that interest boys, such as boosting activity, structure, humor and adventure, aren't explored often enough in schools.
“A good job is being done with the girls,” she said. “It's the boys that are being failed.”
Wayne Gerke, the assistant superintendent for secondary schools in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, said it's hard to generalize about student goals and achievement, although it has become more evident that boys and girls learn differently.
He said the district recognizes more needs to be done to prepare both boys and girls for life after high school. Gerke said students have been meeting with high school counselors in eighth grade to help them evaluate their goals. He said efforts to reform secondary schools, such as the use of individual learning plans and a new career development program among counselors, is aimed at improving those areas.
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