in literary achievement
allowing boys to feel competent
in the language arts classroom
Boys need to feel like they are and/or can be successful before they have the motivation to follow through. Because boys feel as though literature is a female-dominated field, they don’t expect themselves to flourish in it, taking away any possibility of success.
strong points
within the response
further questions that are not answered
encourages confidence in an otherwise, stereotypically self-conscious area
what issues arise if boys are conditioned to believe they should only participate in something if they are going to be good at it?
points out the disconnect between confidence while reading outside of school (on the Internet, video games) and reading inside of school
if boys can employ literacy in areas of competence, like sports, why isn't school an area of competence?
supported by Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory regarding positive and optimal experiences as motivation for learning
why is language arts class the only area boys feel they cannot be competent?
what are the implications for boys' schooling in general if they are only motivated if they are already competent?
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