Boys, Literacies and Schooling : The Dangerous Territories of Gender-Based Literacy Reform

Current debates about boys and schooling in many Western nations are increasingly characterised by a sense of crisis as government reports, academic research and the day to day experiences of teachers combine to indicate that:* boys are consistently underperforming in literacy* boys are continuing to opt out of English and humanities* boys represent the majority of behaviour problems and counselling referrals* boys receive a disproportionate amount of special education supportThis book responds to the complexity of the current debates associated with boys, gender reform, literacy and schooling by offering a clear map of the current context, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the various competing solutions put forward, and outlining a range of practical classroom interventions designed for dealing with the boys/literacy crisis. The authors consider the ways in which particular views of masculinity, gender reform, literacy, technology and popular culture can either open up or close down new conceptualisations of what it means to be a boy and what it means to be literate.

Chris Bigum is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education and Creative Arts at Central Queensland University.