Girls in class boost boys’ academic results

HAVING more girls in class could help boost boys’ results, a study has found.

Researchers found that schools with more girls than boys, and which had educated parents and graduate teachers, scored better on a global reading test.

“Boys, particularly, seemed to be positively affected by a high proportion of female students in a school,” the study said.

Characteristics more commonly associated with female pupils, such as higher concentration levels and motivation to perform well, may help to explain their positive influence in the classroom, the research added.

Lead author Dr Margriet van Hek, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, told the Press Association: “We propose that girls find it easier to concentrate in class, but also that they are more motivated to read.

“Studies have shown that girls like reading more, are better readers and read more often in their spare time. In schools with more girls, both girls and boys are surrounded by students that lift up their reading performance.

“In short, girls make for a more stimulating learning environment.”

The study, published in the School Effectiveness and School Improvement journal, analysed the reading scores of more than 200,000 15-year-olds in mixed schools around the world.