Thread by @Positivteacha

🧵 Boys and Bullshit 🧵

Bullshitters are people who 'claim knowledge or expertise in area where they actually have little experience or skills.'

Boys are excellent bullshitters, and teachers need to know this.

Allow me to explain...

In this study👇from 2019, researchers used PISA data to assess the extent to which students bullshit.



A 2012 PISA test from asked 15yos to rate their knowledge of 16 mathematical concepts. For example, 'Exponential function', 'Divisor' & 'Vector'docs.iza.org/dp12282.pdf

3 of these 16 mathematical terms were in fact made up: 'Proper number', Subjunctive scaling' and 'Declarative fraction.'

Boys were far more likely than girls to say they knew these made up concepts well, or that they understood them, or, in other words, more likely to bullshit.

Interestingly for teachers, bullshitters are also far more likely to have higher confidence levels in their ability to solve problems in comparison to non-bullshitters, even when they are of 'equal academic ability'.

What does this mean for teachers?

1. Always check for actual understanding.

Test the SAME knowledge using DIFFERENT questions and contexts.

2. Avoid competitive elements in the classroom.

The social pressure boys often feel to be good at EVERYTHING means they could say things they don't really mean like, 'Yes, I understand.' Use low stakes quizzing and remove peer marking to reduce risk of public exposure

3. Create a classroom culture of failure

Repeatedly live modelling and making mistakes and edits in front of the class can help instil the idea that the finished product doesn't happen at the click of a space bar but as part of a process of trial and error.

@threadreaderapp unroll please