Building a Boy Friendly School

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BUILDING A BOY FRIENDLY SCHOOL
The Educational Needs of Boys and the Implications of School Culture
A Case Study
MARK A MERRY
B.Ed., M.Ed.St.
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of
Doctor of Education
School of Educational Studies
Faculty of Education
Latrobe University
Bundoora, Victoria 3086
Australia
December 2008

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Table of Contents
Statement of Authorship……………………………………………………….……5
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………..6
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………….…...7
Chapter One: The Problem with Boys.........................................................…...9
1.1 A growing awareness that male students are falling behind…………………….....9
1.2 Reasons for the inequity in outcomes between boys and girls………….….........11
1.3 The implications of the failure of boys’ education……………………………….…15
1.4 The wider costs of alienation from the educational process………………….......16
1.5 Marcellin College strategic plan: A case study………………………………….....18
1.6 The school wide approach…………………………………………………………...21
1.7 The significance of leadership…………………………………………………….....23
1.8 Structure of the Thesis …………………………………………………….….24
Chapter Two: Boys in schools: A case for intervention in the education of
boys..............................................................................................................…...26
2.1 Boys in education: A tale of underperformance…...............................................26
2.2 Learning styles and teaching methodology……………………………….….….…26
2.3 Motivation and organisation…………………………………………………...…..…28
2.4 School culture and connectedness…………………………………………..….…..32
2.5 Government research and responses to the underperformance of
boys……………………………………………………………………………………..34
2.6 The purpose of this research…………………………………………………..…….38
2.7 Marcellin College as a microcosm of boys’ education………………………….…39
2.8 Marcellin College: Perceptions of performance and the need for
change………………………………………………………………………...………..42
2.9 The cultural approach to the needs of boys………………………………………..49
2.10 Strategic planning as a tool of school reform……………………………….……...51
2.11 Law and order………………………………………………………..........................51
2.12 Belonging and connectedness…………………………………………………..…..54
2.13 Consistency and standards…………………………………………………….….…57
2.14 Teaching pedagogy and learning…………………………………………………...59
2.15 The phenomenon, its origins, significance and responses..................................65

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Chapter Three: Methodology and
Method……………………………………..............................................................67
3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..67
3.2 Methodology rationale………………………………………………………………...67
3.3 Research methods…………………………………………………………………….68
3.4 Participants……………………………………………………………………………..71
3.5 Methodology…………………………………………………………………………...72
3.6 Strategic Plan interventions to improve academic performance…………………72
3.7 Instrumentation…………………………………………………………………..........77
3.8 Validity and reliability considerations………………………………………………..79
Chapter Four: Results of the Case Study…………………………..………….84
4.1 Some early indicators of performance improvement in the VCE………………...84
4.2 Student destinations as an indicator of improvement……………………………..90
4.3 Teacher and student perceptions………………………………….........................93
4.4 Perceptions of drivers of change…………………………………………………….93
4.5 The findings of the surveys…………………………………………………………..93
4.6 Points of agreement and disagreement…………………………………………….99
4.7 Further surveying: Evaluating the strategic plan………………………………….101
4.8 The high performing schools programme………………………………………....102
4.9 The AISV parent satisfaction survey……………………………………………….104
4.10 The Marcellin staff well being survey………………………………………………104
4.11 Discussion…………………………………………………………….......................105
4.12 A rationale for a leadership driven, strategic approach to school
improvement………………………………………………………………………….107
4.13 The implications of cultural change upon the school
environment…………………………………………………………..………………109
4.14 A comment on the strategic plan…………………………………………………...112
4.15 Rationale for this approach…………………………………………...…………….113
4.16 Potential limitations for this approach…………………………….………………..114

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Chapter Five: A post intervention reflection on building a boy friendly
school…………………………………………………………………………………116
5.1 A discussion on building learning capacity in boys’ schools…………………….116
5.2 Specific recommendations arising from this experience………………………...116
5.3 Global thinking………………………………………………………………………..116
5.4 Relationships matter………………………………………………….....................116
5.5 The importance of data……………………………………………………………...117
5.6 The relative effectiveness of compliance measures……………………………..119
5.7 Valuing learning: Recognition of student learning………………………………..119
5.8 Valuing teaching: Managing teacher angst……………………………..………...120
5.9 The Centrality of Teaching………………………………………………………….121
5.10 The significance and limitations of school leadership……………………………122
5.11 The hierarchy of needs……………………………………………………………...123
5.12 Maslow’s hierarchy can be described in this way………………………………..124
5.13 Analysis……………………………………………………………………………….125
5.14 What advice can we give? A reflection on the process………..........................126
5.15 Use data and use it wisely………………………………………………………….127
5.16 Consult and be seen to consult…………………………………………………….128
5.17 Find the right mix of macro and micro reform…………………………………….129
5.18 Concentrate on the main game…………………………………………………….130
5.19 Address the relational subtext………………………………………………………132
5.20 Get the balance between compulsion and encouragement right……...............133
5.21 Share the ownership and promote self actualisation…………………………….134
5.22 Celebrate……………………………………………………………………………...135
5.23 Clearly establish what makes good practice……………………………………...136
5.24 Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………..136
List of Tables
Table One Marcellin College Discipline Guidelines…………………………..…53
Table Two Descriptors for Magnitudes of Effect Sizes & Assigned Ranges....82
Table Three Effect Estimates for Differences between Teachers & Students…83
Table Four VCE Median Study Scores 1998 – 2007……………………………85
Table Five Percentage of ENTER scores over 40………………………………86
Table Six Percentage of ENTER Scores below 30……………………………86
Table Seven Post School Destinations 2003 – 2008……………………………..91
Table Eight Comparative Results for teachers and year 11 Students…………94
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………..…..138

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Statement of Authorship
Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains no
material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or part from a thesis for any
other degree or diploma.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the
main text of the thesis.
This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any
other tertiary institution.
All research procedures reported in this thesis are in accordance with the Faculty
Human Ethics Committee, La Trobe University.
Signature:
Date: December 3rd
, 2008

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Acknowledgements
I thank foremost my supervisor Dr Ramon Lewis whose wisdom, forbearance,
common sense and humour were instrumental in the process of completing this
project. Ray’s guidance as supervisor has been characterised by a deep passion
for education accompanied by a sound practical sense. These attributes have
sustained me in my studies.
I thank my parents Pat and Terry who began me on my long journey in education
and instilled in me a life long love of learning. I am deeply indebted to Manuela,
Alister and Simon who have supported me all these years in my work and in my
study. They have shared the many sacrifices in terms of the time and effort
required away from home.
Finally I thank the students, staff and parents of Marcellin College in Bulleen.
This study has documented the school’s journey over a period of eight years
from 2001 to 2008. Without the support of the school community, this paper
would not have been possible.

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Abstract
In 2001 Marcellin College in Melbourne commenced a series of strategic plans to
address perceived deficiencies in the academic performance of the students.
There was a clear imperative to lift Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
results at the Year 12 level which had been below the state average in the two
main indicators: general performance and high scores. This situation was in line
with the experience of a number of boys’ schools and was consistent with the
findings of a wide body of research suggesting that boys were underperforming
in a range of indicators at school. The process of strategic intervention
undertaken by the school was documented in this case study.
Over the course of the next eight years, Marcellin introduced 21 specific
interventions to address the learning programme. These interventions spanned
the whole range of school life from how the members of the community related to
each other, to the structure of the school day, pedagogy, use of data and the
provision of opportunities for the students. This study compared VCE results
over this period of time finding significant improvements between 2002 and
2008. In addition the study identified the post school careers pathways of the
Year 12 students and found a significant shift of students from entering technical
and vocational education and the workplace to further academic studies in the
university sector.
As part of the study, teachers and students at the school were surveyed as to
their perceptions of the various interventions. What worked and what did not?
Based upon their responses, it is possible to determine what elements had an
impact upon the school in improving the overall school performance in VCE and
the subsequent shift in career aspiration.
This research has considerable significance for educators and particularly those
who teach boys. This paper identifies perceived needs from the literature and
proposes a number of practical interventions arising from the research. Those
interventions are implemented and tested in the context of a large secondary
boys’ school. The findings of this paper will provide other schools with a practical
way of using research and data to effect change in the school. Arising from this
research are insights into the perceptions of the participants as to the relative

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effectiveness of initiatives to address learning culture. Schools are practical
places which are at times a little too removed from the realm of research,
literature and theory. There is a danger here that the best thinking in terms of
pedagogy and school leadership is not being read and translated into practice.
This research provides a model for the nexus between theory and practice and
demonstrates one way in which perceived deficiencies in boys’ education may
be addressed.

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Chapter One: The Problem with Boys
1.1 A Growing Awareness that Male Students are falling behind
When did being a boy stop being fun and start becoming a condition? Boys are
not performing as well as their female counterparts in schools across a range of
indicators and in a range of contexts. Problems with skill acquisition, motivation,
literacy, behaviour, retention rates and careers pathways has led to a growing
concern in educational and governmental circles that boys are being left behind.
These phenomena are experienced in both co educational and boys’ only
contexts and constitute a significant issue for educators and parents. The
education of boys in Australia has been described as being in crisis (Skelton
2001). The 2003 Federal Parliamentary inquiry into the education of boys, Boys:
Getting it Right in the words of the then Education Minister, Brendan Nelson
“makes sobering reading.”
Some of the issues identified in the Boys Getting it Right document included
lower literacy rates, failure to achieve reading benchmarks, over representation
in the lower quartile and over representation in disciplinary matters. These are all
indicators of a failure in performance by boys and a failure of boys’ education.
The Minister in his foreword responded to the indicators arising from the
literature by expressing concern at the gender related failure of boys to reach
educational benchmarks.
A cursory look at the average Australian classroom will provide enough
anecdotal evidence to support those sensitive political antennae. In general
boys are more likely to be outside the principal’s office than girls; more likely to
struggle with their work, are noisier, more off task and distinctly harder to handle.
Allied to this is a phenomenon identified in the literature whereby boys are
handled differently than girls for disciplinary matters. As boys tend to be louder
and more physical in the classroom environment, their behaviours are more
likely to be construed as disruptive and the responses to them more likely to be
punitive (Skelton, 2001; Francis 2000). The tendency towards physicality in the
classroom and the schoolyard does not sit well in an environment which requires
order, attention and compliance. This combination of tendencies towards off task

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behaviour and preconceptions by teachers that boys are more prone to
misbehaviour leading to a stronger response by the teacher is resulting in a
disproportionate representation of boys in serious misdemeanours (Francis,
2000).
Of course there are many exceptions to the rather grim findings reported above,
but the trend is strong enough to excite comment in school staffrooms and a
sense of urgency in the various Federal and State education departments. This
sense of urgency has led to Federal Government funding of the Boys’
Lighthouse Schools’ Project, an initiative to develop and disseminate best
practice in the education of boys. The project identified a range of behaviours
which serve to impede the academic progress of boys and proposes a number of
interventions to counter these. The study to be reported in this thesis focuses
upon 21 distinct initiatives by one school to attempt to ‘build a boy friendly
school’ and gauges the perceived effectiveness of these interventions. These
include an evaluation of the relationship between teacher and students, a review
of pedagogy and issues surrounding perceptions of masculinity. The wider
implications of the ‘uneasy fit’ between many boys and their schooling are readily
apparent. Disengagement from early age with learning can lead to
discouragement, under achievement, misconduct and an early separation from
the education process. This in turn has lifetime implications for males and the
long term evolution of education as a predominantly feminine pursuit. This
premise itself has become a political issue as a perceived ‘feminist agenda’ in
schools in terms of policy, affirmative action and teaching methodology are cited
as disadvantaging boys in schools (Sommers 2000).
A number of studies reject the notion that there is a crisis in boys’ education
(Rivers & Barnett, 2006; Froese-Germain, 2006; Mead, 2006; Martino & Kehler,
2006). They cite various reasons for the concern about boys ranging from
suggestions of a post feminist backlash to media alarmism and a misreading of
the data about school achievement. The studies of perceived deficiencies in the
education of boys has led to objections from some who assert that the language,
findings and motivations of the work into boys’ education such as Boys: Getting it
Right reflects a backlash against feminist constructs of education and the
improvement in recent years in the effectiveness of schooling for girls. There is a

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protest here of the ‘either or’ approach to education whereby boys are
experiencing disadvantage in relation to girls and perhaps in response to the
‘feminisation’ of the education process (Keddie & Mills 2007). Whilst Mead in
particular is sceptical of the ‘boys’ education agenda’, she does acknowledge:
“In particular, the disproportionate number of boys being
identified with learning and emotional disabilities,
suspended from school, and dropping out suggests that
what our schools are doing doesn’t work very well for
boys.” (Mead, 2006, p 18)
This discussion moves into the complicated realm of gender politics. Indeed for
this educational issue to be dealt with as a treatise on feminism and gender
would be a disservice to the needs expressed in the data and the specific
imperatives of this study. This discussion falls outside the purposes of this study
to the extent that clearly the school in question was underperforming
academically and this context of a boys’ school avoids the unenviable
philosophical discussions of gender politics. The case study itself concentrates
more on practical attempts at finding solutions in the specific context of a boys’
school rather than a need to argue the philosophical case.
1.2 Reasons for the inequity in outcomes between boys and girls
It is clear that boys on average are not performing at school as well as their
female classmates. This phenomenon is consistent for students across the
various educational sectors and at each age group (O’Doherty, 1994). The
underperformance of boys has led to government enquiries at the State and
Federal levels and a growth in research providing reasons for why boys are not
achieving in the same way as girls. Therefore, the relatively poorer showing of
boys across a range of readily accessible data has led to mounting parental
concern and a decided uneasiness in school staff rooms.
It is suggested that traditional schooling is more geared to the preferences of
girls than boys. Research suggests that boys are at a considerable disadvantage
due to a range of factors pertaining to their skills and preferences, the nature of
schools and schooling, family and biological factors (O’Doherty, 1994). There is

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significant evidence to suggest that boys’ preferred learning styles are not as
suited to classroom delivery as those of girls. Their preference for hands-on and
‘do rather than hear’ learning is constrained by the reality of the classroom which
is still heavily geared towards verbal instruction. Problems with language and
literacy exacerbate this issue with instruction style playing to the boys’
weaknesses rather than their strengths. Boys are also less likely to have the
skills to succeed in collaborative or group learning than girls, a mode of delivery
popular in the primary classroom (Askew & Ross 1988). This is the same primary
classroom where early experiences of success are crucial for the boy if he is to
develop positive approaches towards school and schooling (Honigfeld & Dunn,
2003).
Boys tend to have greater problems with motivation and organisation. These two
attributes are rarely explicitly taught in schools, rather they are ‘picked up’ along
the way. If not sufficiently motivated and organised, the boys’ off task behaviour
can lead them into a history of misconduct (Lewis, 1997). The dynamic of boys in
the classroom is often less favourable to learning than with girls. A fear of failure
and competitiveness in the room creates a climate of ‘risk avoidance’ which can
lead to an unwillingness to engage and try to understand the work.
Boys tend to put greater store in the relationship with the teacher than do girls.
Boys will be less likely to engage in their studies if they believe that the
relationship with the teacher is not based upon clearly identifiable teacher
attributes such as a genuine regard for the students, approachability and
friendliness (Martin, 2003; Lingard et al 2002). The best of teachers can have
these attributes put to the test by some of the behaviours identified above. The
cycle of discouragement and lack of motivation continues as the teacher is
forced to respond to off task behaviour. The response itself justifies the student’s
view of schooling and continues to put a brake on progress. This phenomenon is
repeatedly played out in boys’ schools where students with appropriate
capabilities are unwilling to try in the classroom and instead channel their
behaviour into work avoidance measures such as passivity or disruption. In turn
the teacher will often be forced to adopt the role of enforcer; a dynamic which
further discourages the development of the working environment. Boys tend to
be reluctant to be seen as working hard and are prepared to accept failure

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through lack of application over the potential for failure after putting in the effort.
The failure is therefore not a measure of their abilities but rather a measure of
their interest in the work. This is a much safer proposition for the boy who will not
lose face when the choice is his to fail rather than failure is visited upon him
through his own perceived inadequacies (Martin 2003).
A key factor for boys’ disengagement is falling literacy performance amongst
boys. The tendency for the curriculum of all subjects to rely upon literacy skills
means that there is a decline in performance even in the traditionally strong
areas of mathematics and the sciences (Moir & Jessel 1988; Biddulph 1997).
Biological and neurological factors have been cited as affecting boys’ literacy at
school age. The different developmental paths of the brain for boys and girls
suggest a greater receptiveness by girls to language acquisition and their brains’
ability to process verbal and written communication. There is no clear biological
evidence that boys’ hearing is less developed than girls; but rather girls are more
receptive to the message as it is being taught. Their ability to process verbal
information is more developed at school age (Biddulph 1997). This suggests that
pedagogy may be geared more towards how girls learn than boys. Girls are
more receptive to complex verbal instruction at an earlier age than boys. School
curricula are increasingly reliant upon complex language (Moir & Jessel 1988;
Biddulph 1997). At the senior levels, even in mathematics, an area where boys
used to excel, there is reliance upon complex questions which need to be
interpreted before attempting to problem solve. Mathematics questions are
usually presented as complex questions rather than simple equations. Long,
detailed and complex verbal or written instructions are the measure for
mathematical ability.
Other research considers four issues of significance for boys at school: narrow
and stereotypical subject choice; unruly and risk-taking behaviours; poor literacy
achievement; and low school retention rates. However, it demonstrates that
these issues predominantly affect boys who are unprotected by economic and
social privilege (Gilbert & Gilbert 2001). There is therefore more scope for boys
in a middle class demographic to improve their opportunities with the appropriate
school interventions and fewer reasons to excuse school underperformance
based on broader gender and social factors specific to boys. In other words,

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whilst there are data to suggest that boys in general experience relative
disadvantages in the education process, there is no excuse for well resourced
schools with advantaged demographics to resign themselves to
underachievement. In the absence of many of the factors outside of the school
which contribute to disadvantage; there is a need for the school to consider its
own practices in terms of interpersonal relationships and pedagogy.
“The influence and role of teacher knowledge, values and
pedagogies, combined with the influence of school
environment in terms of developing professional learning
communities, emerge as important influences in terms of
their impact on the educational outcomes of all students”
(Lingard et al, 2002 p 9).
The ready availability of data mapping the relative achievements of boys and
girls has coincided with another trend in education policy. The past ten years
have seen a growth in accountability in education prompted by both Federal and
State Government initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in schools. This trend
toward accountability has generated a culture of measurement where academic
results, retention rates, literacy and numeracy levels and access to careers after
school have placed schools under greater governmental and public scrutiny than
ever before (Australian Association of Social Workers, November 2000, p. 5).
Indeed such data are published in the tabloid press each year for public access
and deliberation. Strong differences exist in the VCE results with girls generally
outperforming boys and Marcellin College more specifically being eclipsed by
neighbouring schools (Rowe et al, 2008). Value judgments have been made
about schools and school sectors based upon these data. Individual schools are
becoming far more accountable to government agencies, families and public
perception. It is within this climate that the relative underperformance of boys
across a range of indicators has prompted concern by both government and
educational bodies. The obvious discrepancies between the performance of girls
and boys leads to questions about equity in government circles and some alarm
amongst parents of boys and their schooling.

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1.3 The implications of the failure of boys’ education
The nature of the problem with boys in schools is readily apparent. It may be that
boys are often unsuited for schools and schools are unsuitable for boys. The
evidence points to the need for schools to further consider this uneasy fit and
determine how the curriculum and the way it is delivered can better cater for the
needs of boys. There is an imperative arising from the research to respond to
clear trends in the underperformance of boys. Such issues as skill acquisition,
learning styles, motivation and organisation, relationships, choices and
responsibilities and the nature of masculinity all come into play here. The
research is pointing to clearly defined phenomena and proposes concrete
solutions to the plight of boys in schools. There is an imperative for educators to
respond. Nowhere is that imperative greater than those involved in boys’
education. Single sex boys’ schools are meant to provide a specialist education
for boys, geared to the needs of boys. If the boys’ school is failing to meet the
needs of the boys so clearly defined in the literature, and if in consequence, that
school is underperforming across a range of indicators, then there is a clear
imperative to act. In addition, a boys’ school context to some extent avoids the
complicated arguments around gender equity in terms of programmes and
interventions discussed earlier. There are implications here for the school, for the
teacher and for the student in how they each respond to the need to address
academic outcomes.
For the school there is a need to address boys’ educational issues across the
curriculum by providing resources for a broader curriculum, offering choices and
stressing ‘hands on’ opportunities. There needs to be considerable work done on
professional development so that teachers are equipped with the knowledge of
individual learning styles and the skills to cater for them. Issues of student
harassment, misconduct and off task behaviour need to be challenged and there
needs to be appropriate recognition of a range of achievements essential to
fostering a culture of encouragement. There needs to be opportunities in the
curriculum to teach study and organisational skills as well as the opportunity to
develop key literacy skills. There is a need for clearly defined expectations and
consistency across the curriculum so that students are provided with clear and
unambiguous guidance. There should be some involvement of students in
decision making so that the element of choice is introduced into the curriculum.

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The relevancy of the curriculum is a key factor in motivation and there needs be
an explicit link with student experiences and careers choices.
For the teacher there are clear imperatives in terms of pedagogy, teaching
manner and pastoral care. Awareness of the diversity of learning styles brings
with it the responsibility to cater for the receiver in the delivery. Teachers today
have far greater access to empirical data about their students. The teacher can
access information about competency, learning styles and the relative
development of the students in their class. With access to such data; it would be
remiss of the teacher not to respond in some way to the needs of the students.
The content needs to be relevant to the student so that opportunity for intrinsic
motivation can be developed rather than an over reliance upon imposed order.
Lessons need to be interesting rather than boring and repetitive and the
teacher’s manner is most effective when it is encouraging, appropriately relaxed
and warm in its regard for the students. The culture in the school of
encouragement in relationships coupled with clear and high expectations should
be mirrored in each and every classroom. The teacher needs to be aware of the
importance of their relationships with their students, not as a by product of the
teaching process but rather as central to the process of teaching and learning.
This has implications for pastoral care programmes and individual classroom
management practices.
For the student there is a need to seriously reflect upon issues surrounding
masculinity such as unhealthy competition and a culture which is averse to risk
taking and one which is prepared to accept avoidance of work rather than the
possibility of failure at the task (Martin, 2003). There is a need to broaden the
parameters of success to allow diversity from, but not exclusive of, the sporting
field. What lessons can be learned from sport where boys seem willing to take
risks every day? Why is it considered to be appropriate to aim for goals on the
sporting fields and miss but not in the classroom?
1.4 The wider costs of alienation from the educational process
The under performance of boys relative to girls in schools has broader
implications for education in Australia than misconduct and disengagement in the
classroom. Whilst the issue is initially an educational one, the implications of

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school underperformance and alienation from education can have wider and
longer term effects. Indeed the effects for the individual and for society at large
are long term and perhaps generational. In terms of the individual, the lack of
appropriate credentials and formal education or underperformance leading to
‘aiming low’ in work aspirations affects the individual’s career choices and
subsequent working life. This is a high price to pay for a relatively short period of
disengagement during schooling. There is a correlation between disengagement
at school and disengagement from society in general (Cresswell et al, 2002).
Education is but one of society’s institutions. There can be future disengagement
from employment and law and order and the subsequent access to social
networks which flow from these. There has been a great deal of discussion in the
public domain regarding the perceived problems with young males, alcohol and
violence. The nexus between disengagement from school and broader
disengagement from society and its institutions is readily identifiable and the
detrimental effects cannot be underestimated. Post school implications for youth
and long term unemployment, as well as broader social disadvantage in many
Western democracies can be attributed in part to poor school performance and
premature dislocation from schooling (Kercher 1988; Gottfredson & Herschi
1990).
Healthy democracies thrive when there are high levels of active participation in
the political process. This participation is predicated on an engaged and
educated body politic. The disproportionate number of boys leaving school early
due to alienation or disengagement from the educational process denies the
community the full extent of an educated electorate as high participation rates in
the democratic process are essential to good governance (Bessant 2004).
Disenfranchisement can lead to further social costs such as loss to the political
process in terms of participation as well as a range of other costs surrounding
the economy and issues of law and order.
These problems if unaddressed have the potential to only get worse. The
economy in the ‘information age’ is predicated more and more upon complex
interactions requiring considerable expertise. The demand for unskilled labour in
Western nations has declined as global forces have pushed these activities ‘off
shore’ and have replaced them with the need for a highly skilled and credentialed

18
workforce. The market for unskilled employment with limited credentials has
declined markedly. Government policy towards school retention rates has
reflected the need for students to stay on into Year 12 but government policy has
not been able to arrest a decline in retention rates in recent years. After a growth
in school retention during the early 1990’s, rates in Australia have begun to
decline. At its peak in 1992 the national rate of retention to Year 12 was
approximately 77 per cent. By 1995 the rate had fallen to 72 per cent (Lamb
1988, Lewis & Koshy 1999). The question should be asked: What happens to
early school leavers in such an economy? The possibility of ‘structural
unemployment’ where we have the numbers but not the skills to supply the
workforce has led to an expansion of the skilled migration programme in
Australia and the skills shortage. The dynamic of importing skilled labour in the
context of local structural unemployment has the potential for considerable social
tension.
Important too is the over representation of young men in criminal behaviours and
incarceration rates in Australia and overseas (O’Doherty, 1994). Education is
one of the important elements in avoiding the growth of a youth underclass in
Australia; under or unemployed, dispossessed and disconnected, resorting to
antisocial or criminal activities. There is evidence in the research literature that
delinquency is associated with poor educational achievement, particularly poor
literacy (Putnins 1999). It seems anomalous that a society spends considerable
resources on law enforcement to counter issues surrounding dislocation and
disaffection when the answer might lie in more appropriate education and
teaching pedagogy.
It is apparent that many boys are not reaching their full potential at school due to
the range of factors discussed above. This has implications for the well being of
the student but also for the long term wellbeing for the young man entering the
workforce and family life. The emerging recognition of this issue has major
implications for educators and particularly those who work in boys’ education.
1.5 Marcellin College strategic Plan: a Case Study
Marcellin College was faced with a growing crisis of credibility. Marcellin, a
Catholic secondary school for boys in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne has long
enjoyed a reputation for pastoral care and sporting prowess. Unfortunately that

19
reputation was being gradually undermined by the Victorian Certificate of
Education (VCE) results which have been consistently below the state average.
There appeared to be no ready explanation for this as the students were of
slightly higher than average ability when measured against the rest of the state
and came from relatively advantaged socio economic backgrounds. The
academic results, although being only one aspect of the educational experience,
were a very public and easily quantifiable measure of underachievement.
This study therefore was a timely opportunity to both apply educational theory to
practice and also address the perceived needs of the school as identified by
parents and teachers. Responding to concerns expressed around such issues as
conduct, work ethic and outcomes, the college undertook an ambitious strategic
planning process to redefine the culture of the school. The strategic plan has
drawn upon the research as to why boys are underachieving and has
implemented a range of measures affecting every aspect of the operation of the
school. The term Building a Boy Friendly School refers to the implementation of
a range of policies and processes designed to appeal to the specific needs of
boys in education. The study has mapped this process with a view to
determining if it is possible to apply the theory to successfully address the needs
of boys in practice. The various initiatives have been designed to create a culture
more conducive to boys and their learning. This initiative would involve a ‘global
approach’ across the school, affecting every aspect of school life. The variables
affecting the performance of boys are so diverse that they require broad ranging
solutions.
“Improving the educational outcomes of boys requires a
whole school approach based on a common vision and a
coherent, integrated set of programmes across the broad
range of activity noted in this report (i.e. pedagogy,
curriculum and assessment; literacy and communication
skills; student engagement and motivation; behaviour
management programmes; and positive role models for
students.)”
(Australian Federal Government 2003 p. 4)

20
It is within this context that Marcellin College embarked upon an ambitious
strategic plan to address learning in the school; to respond to the findings in the
literature, to respond to the increasingly obvious needs of the boys and where
this case study was born.
“Boys’ education is an issue of concern within schools in
Australia as evidenced by a significant body of
research…It is also an issue that schools can do
something to address. This requires the school to gather
and analyse its own student achievement and other data
(e.g. attendance, behaviour incidents, student opinion
survey data) on a gender basis and identify the needs of
specific boys and students ‘at risk’….The school then can
develop, implement and continue to evaluate and amend
appropriate strategies and targets tailored to the unique
and specific needs of the students.”
(Australian Federal Government 2003, p. 4)
This case study will look at the nature of boys’ underperformance in a local
context. It reviews the literature on why boys under perform and the various
proposals to address the problem. No school can afford to be seen to be
underachieving in such a climate. This study will focus on how Marcellin
attempted to address these concerns by introducing 21 interventions to address
academic underperformance; describes each of these interventions and seeks
opinion from students and teachers as to their relative effectiveness. It identifies
the 21 interventions derived from theory and assesses if these interventions are
perceived to have had a positive influence upon learning outcomes. Teachers
and students are surveyed post intervention for their assessment of the school
performance and the extent to which it is meeting their expectations as a place of
learning. The level of community satisfaction with the operation of the school
coupled with significant changes in learning outcomes will give an indication as
to what extent the ‘new culture’ of the school is meeting the needs of the
stakeholders. What do teachers and students believe were the reasons for
improvements in the school’s performance in VCE studies? Which of the 21
interventions described have been instrumental in achieving changes to

21
academic outcomes? What are the perceived limitations of the approach the
college has taken to improve academic performance? What advice might be
given to other schools following this experience?
The study has clear implications on a range of levels. Specifically, it addresses
the issue of educational theory and its applicability in the practical context. The
research on boys has been done. Now how do educators, schools and individual
teachers respond to these revelations? Secondly, it poses the possibility that
there may be such a thing as a ‘boy friendly school’ where the way things are
done is more attuned to the needs of boys. In Marcellin’s case and indeed in
teaching boys in general, if they are not reaching their potential and there are
systemic, procedural and pedagogical reasons for this then there are compelling
reasons to do something about it. The attempt at ‘cultural change’ if it
successfully addresses the issue of the quality of the school experience for boys
is readily applicable in different contexts. This study is an opportunity to map the
link between theory, response and outcome. Finally, it makes a value judgment
as to the relative merits of the 21 interventions. Which ones do the teachers and
the students support?
1.6 The School wide approach
School wide programmes to address structure, policies and procedures can have
a significant effect upon school improvement across a range of indicators. The
literature also suggests that individual teacher practices in the classroom can
have a significant affect upon learning outcomes for boys (Martin, 2003). This
research will demonstrate how school wide interventions can help to create the
cultural environment conducive to boys’ learning through the promotion of a ‘boy
friendly school’. The decisions made regarding structures, policies and
procedures reflect both the findings of the wider research and the more
indigenous needs identified at Marcellin. The major school based determinate of
student outcomes is the quality of the pedagogy. There is however, a significant
role to be played by those leading schools to promote a culture of school
improvement (Murphy & Hallinger 1988; Laroque & Coleman 1990). The
Leadership Team at Marcellin including the Principal and the senior managers
had a role to play in analyzing the findings and responding to them.

22
The Meeting the Challenge report identifies ten guiding principles in promoting
success for boys. These are core ‘propositions’ for the development of
programmes to improve schooling for boys.
1. Collect evidence and undertake ongoing inquiry on the issue, recognising
that schools can do something about it.
2. Adopt a flexible, whole school approach with a person and team
responsible
3. Ensure good teaching for boys, and all students in all classes.
4. Be clear about the kinds of support particular boys require.
5. Cater for different learning styles preferred by boys.
6. Recognise that gender matters and stereotypes should be challenged.
7. Develop positive relationships as they are critical to success.
8. Provide opportunities for boys to benefit from positive role models from
within and beyond the school.
9. Focus on literacy in particular.
10.Use information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a valuable
tool.
(Australian Federal Government, 2003)
These recommendations do much to inform educators about the way forward in
implementing meaningful and effective measures to better address the needs of
boys in education. The Victorian Government’s Office of Policy Research and
Innovation published a paper in December of 2007 titled: Value Added Measures
for School Improvement. In this paper they identified movements both overseas
and in Australia for schools to better evaluate their own performances.
The ‘value added’ model saw the importance of the following elements:
 Strategic planning
 Establishing goals and measuring improvement
 Reporting on specific goals and setting new targets
(Victorian Government, OPRI 2007, p 11)
This approach would serve to demystify school performance by identifying key
and core values and measuring the extent to which the school was achieving
them. This seemed an appropriate model for Marcellin to adopt. The school wide

23
approach was also chosen in response to the findings on the role of leadership in
improving learning outcomes.
1.7 The significance of leadership
It has long been accepted that leadership in schools is important to the
educational process. “Good leadership is critical to school improvement. Few
would dispute this assertion.” (Russell et al 2004 p1). Recent studies however
have shown the true significance of educational leadership in the process. The
leadership of the school is second only to the quality of the teaching as a school
based influence on learning outcomes (Leithwood et al 2004; Leithwood & Jantzi
1990).
Leadership in schools is significant in that:
 Leadership sets directions by charting a clear course that everyone
understands; establishing high expectations and using data to track
progress and performance
 It develops people in providing teachers and others in the system with the
necessary support, training and tools to succeed.
 It provides the range of conditions and incentives to fully support rather
than inhibit teaching and learning. (Leithwood et al 2004).
There is considerable literature available regarding the importance of leadership
and the impact of various styles of leadership (Hallinger & Hick 1996). Mulford
suggested that: “…a great deal of the school’s success depends on its leaders
and the model(s) of leadership that are implemented in the school. Its success
also depends on which areas of school life the educational leader chooses to
focus the time and attention of the school leadership team.” (Mulford 2008, p70).
An approach therefore led by the leadership of the school to address issues
surrounding teaching and learning in the classroom, and more globally around
the relationships in the school which provide the environment for this to take
place was deemed to be the most effective method in addressing the need to
improve learning outcomes. The case study involves a strategic plan led by the
school leadership to improve relationships at the school amongst staff and
students, provide greater accountability in terms of academic rigour and address

24
issues surrounding the quality of teaching and learning. The leadership of the
school therefore determined to implement the 21 interventions in tandem with
this study which evaluates their perceived effectiveness and broader applicability
to other schools.
1.8 Structure of the Thesis
Chapter Two of this study examines the widespread literature surrounding the
under performance of boys in school and the implications of this issue. The
findings are wide ranging and have long term implications from employment to
issues of mental health. It examines the various government responses to the
data and makes the case for intervention at the school level through a policy
driven mechanism for change to better meet the needs of boys. This chapter
provides the context where Marcellin College’s strategic plan to enhance
learning is described; the rationale for such a plan, the rationale behind each of
the interventions, a description of the process and a commentary on the
implications for change all appear in this chapter.
Chapter Three outlines the methodology used to determine the effectiveness of
the 21 practical interventions to address the perceived needs of the boys. A
survey of teachers and a sample of students are used to ascertain their views on
the effectiveness of initiatives to improve VCE results. The paper draws upon
external data gathered by the school to augment the data from this research. A
wider survey of parents, teachers and students is conducted to ascertain the
extent the school is meeting the needs of families who choose Marcellin to
educate their sons’. The results of the survey on the 21 interventions are
examined and a comparison between the perceptions of teachers and students
is made. What do teachers think? What do the students think? How do they
compare in terms of their perceptions of cause and effect?
Chapter Four presents the results of the research into the perceptions of
teachers and students as to the effectiveness of each of the interventions and
the extent to which the school is meeting the needs of the community in terms of
providing an effective education for the boys and improving the educational
experiences of the boys. The concerns raised in the initial research of 2000
during the strategic planning stage indicated problems with conduct, motivation

25
and learning. What do teachers and students think of the various initiatives
undertaken? Have the range of interventions led to a positive view of the
initiatives by the stakeholders? The chapter provides data as to the perceived
effectiveness of the intervention in meeting the needs of the school community.
Following the needs analysis of the Strategic Plan it explores if the interventions
successfully addressed some of the issues surrounding learning, student
conduct and engagement in the life of the school.
Chapter Five provides an interpretation of the data in terms of the wider
implications of this case study. The purpose of the case study was to attempt to
apply the wealth of recommendations from the literature in the practical setting.
The studies suggest that a ‘whole school approach’ is the most appropriate and
effective way of addressing the needs of boys. To what extent is such an
approach possible, and what are the problems in attempting what amounts to
major cultural change? What are the implications of such an approach? What are
the limitations? Is it possible to manipulate the school setting to create such a
thing as a ’boy friendly school’?
In summary, the title of this thesis: Building a Boys Friendly School: the
Educational needs of Boys and the Effect of School Culture reflects the approach
taken by Marcellin College as a response to the literature. The literature
highlights the importance of the quality of classroom pedagogy but does so in the
context of the overall culture of the school. School leaders have a significant role
to play in developing a culture whereby learning is more likely to take place. This
study and the strategic plan which it examines reflect the adoption of the view
that change needs to be global to achieve a significant difference in outcomes. It
is for this reason that the plan undertakes a cultural shift in the way teachers and
students relate to each other, the sense and level of accountability in the school,
the beliefs of the school community in terms of ability and standards and a
review of what is taught and how. First however it is important to know how these
assumptions regarding change and improvement were reached. For this we turn
to the significant body of literature emerging identifying the needs of boys in
schools, why they have arisen and importantly what to do about them.

26
Chapter Two: Boys in schools: a case for intervention in
the education of boys
2.1 Boys in education: A tale of underperformance
As reported in Chapter One, an investigation into the education of boys indicates
gender differences which affect educational outcomes in terms of engagement,
motivation and achievement. The nature of this inequality in outcomes is readily
apparent across a range of indicators leading to further studies to assess the
phenomenon and considerable activity amongst government departments and
educators to respond to these findings. Chapter One identified the concerns
arising regarding the relative underperformance of boys. This chapter looks more
closely at the literature to determine the possible contributors to this situation.
There is wide consensus that there is no single reason for the phenomenon of
boys’ underperformance when compared with girls’. Contributing factors include
differences in literacy and numeracy acquisition, curriculum delivery and
preferred learning styles, biological differences, interests and motivation and a
perceived conflict between images of masculinity and learning (Buckingham,
1999).
2.2 Learning Styles and teaching methodology
There is a correlation between gender and preferred learning styles. This
relationship suggests that boys have a greater preference for ‘hands on’
approaches to learning than females. Career wise testing at Marcellin over the
past eight years supports these findings in that there is a measurable preference
in the student population as tested during Year 10 for practical or ‘hands- on
learning’ found that there are significant gender differences in key learning
styles. These included:
 Boys were more likely to be kinaesthetic learners than girls
 Girls tended to be more self motivated than boys
 Boys were in greater need of higher levels of parent and teacher
motivation
 Girls were more able to process verbal information
 The boys would benefit more from learning with peers in the right context
(Honigfeld and Dunn, 2003)

27
The study stressed the need for teachers to be aware of these trends and the
various learning styles in the classroom and cater for them accordingly. These
findings suggested that girls are less needy and better equipped in the context of
the traditional classroom and therefore enjoy a potential advantage over the
boys. The predominant teaching methodology remains verbal instruction, a
system of delivery which tends to favour girls. In essence teachers may be
delivering the curriculum in a form advantageous to girls and prejudicial to many
boys.
Boys appear to be hampered by insufficient skills in processing verbal data. They
are also less likely to see the intrinsic value of learning and need to see
relevance if they are to fully engage in their studies (Barton 1997). Girls were
perceived as being more receptive to what is being taught due to cultural factors
such as family influences but also importantly pedagogical factors to do with
receptiveness to the prevailing teaching methodologies. This poses the question:
Why do boys’ schools persist with verbal instruction as a major form of
pedagogy? It is not sound pedagogy to deliver the curriculum in a medium which
is less likely to achieve learning.
The concern regarding boys’ relative underperformance is not confined to
Australian shores. Barton (1997) looked at the comparative performance of boys
and girls in language classes in the United Kingdom. In 1994, girls surpassed
boys in all areas of study in the United Kingdom GCSE results. He identified a
range of issues including parental influence and other role models, peer
pressure, teacher expectations and lesson content. Whilst much of this study
concentrated upon the early family influences upon boys’ skill acquisition and
preferences, it identified teaching methodology and relevance of the curriculum
as contributing factors. Rowe & Rowe (2006) identified auditory processing
issues and language acquisition as being gender influenced and there are strong
relationships between these issues and disruptive behaviours. Further studies
have also identified gender differences in learning preferences. Askew and Ross
(1988) explored the unique learning styles of boys, identifying their aversion to
collaborative work as opposed to natural tendencies towards competitiveness.
The nature of the interaction between boys is more likely to be competitive rather
than cooperative. Girls it seems are more willing to cooperate in their studies to

28
achieve results as opposed to boys who have a tendency to compete if they can
win or withdraw from the field as a failure avoidance mechanism. The
involvement of boys in ‘power plays’ leads to an over focus upon behavioural
issues rather than learning. The implications of this are clear in that boys tended
not to be comfortable with either group work or verbal instruction. Gillies (2002)
studied the efficacy of training upon levels of cooperation in collaborative
learning tasks. To ensure true collaborative learning, something that boys in
particular found difficult, it is important to provide early training in the skills
provided. Matthews and Kesner (2003) found that collaborative learning
exercises favour some students over others and that more research is needed
into this dynamic. The effect of this is that some students are marginalised by
this methodology. The implications of this are clear. Schools should either
explicitly train boys in the dominant teaching methodologies or conversely decide
to teach and learn in other ways, ways which will play to strengths rather than
weaknesses. Gurian and Henley (2001) suggest that the ultimate classroom is
one where administrators and parents support teachers who are committed to
gender based education.
2.3 Motivation and Organisation
Preferred learning styles are not the single school based factor in the mismatch
between boys and girls. There are clear differences in levels of motivation and
organisation. Girls have fewer motivational problems which mean that they are
better equipped to be independent learners making the most of opportunities
which may pass by their less receptive male counterparts. Martin (2003)
analysed the gender differences which occur in relation to motivation. He
attempted to discover the factors that boys see as necessary for ensuring that
they are motivated to complete their work. His study concluded that there is a
gender difference in regard to motivation and that girls tend to value school more
highly than boys. They see the value in organisation and motivation, though
exhibiting greater anxiety towards their studies. Boys on the other hand scored
more highly on what he described as ‘self handicapping behaviour’. These are
behaviours which impede academic performance irrespective of the ability of the
student.

29
His research suggested that boys see value in the following for ensuring
motivation:
 Good relationships between teachers and students
 The teacher’s enjoyment of teaching
 Providing boys with choices
 Making school work interesting
(Martin, 2003)
His study indicated therefore that the level of motivation of boys is more
conditional on external factors. This conditional motivation will not come about if
individual teachers and schools do not do more to create the type of environment
necessary for boys to engage in their learning. In a study on boys’ attitudes
towards school and schooling, Slade and Trent (2000) interviewed a large
number of boys across a range of government and independent schools around
Australia. They identified relational factors as significant in the disaffection felt by
many boys about their schooling.
“In brief the boys think that adolescent years are most
significant…and in their general view that declining rates
of achievement and retention are inevitable because the
adult world is ‘not listening’ and not generally interested in
their view, their well being, and for many, their educational
needs and outcomes.”
(Slade & Trent, 2000, p 1)
This study emphasised the importance of the teachers and their relationships
with the students as the primal factor for the boys in their perceptions of the
worth of their schooling. The issue and importance of trust between the students
and the teachers is an overriding response from the boys in the study. Indeed
the incidence of whom they describe as ‘bad teachers’ looms large in their
responses. Teachers would understand more if ‘they would just listen to you.”
(Slade & Trent, 2000, p 8). The boys are quite clear as to their definitions of what
constitutes a good and bad teacher. A good teacher: listens, respects, is relaxed,
is flexible, explains, doesn’t humiliate, doesn’t write slabs, lets you talk, doesn’t
favour girls, doesn’t keep picking on people, doesn’t mark you down, gives you a

30
chance to muck up and doesn’t keep telling you you’re no good. “They be good
to you, you be good to them…that’s it.” (Slade & Trent, 2000, p 14).
Martin (2003) suggested that these preconditions for motivation and engagement
are not as crucial for girls to learn. This study tends to endorse the more
anecdotal view that boys are more ‘high maintenance’ in the classroom than
girls. They are less receptive, less motivated and more conditional in their
preparedness to work than their female counterparts.
The formal curriculum therefore may tend to be the ‘main game’ in the teaching
of girls. For boys, it is possible that this is but one narrative in the classroom;
running parallel or in conflict with the relational narrative. It may be that there is a
tendency for girls to be taught in the classroom due to their greater
receptiveness to the lesson and for boys to be managed due to their lower
responsiveness to the instruction. Motivational levels are also influenced by
early experiences. Boys need to achieve in their early schooling if they are to set
the pattern for lasting achievement. Place (1997) reviewed research into boys in
education and suggested a series of strategies for improved outcomes. He
identified the need for early academic success to ensure continued strong
performance.
From the outset the boys are generally less receptive to learning and therefore
more likely to engage in off task behaviours from an early age. This poses the
question: Do primary school teachers view the conduct of their students as an
educational issue or just the phenomenon of ‘naughty boys’? If the later is true,
teachers may be missing the point. By responding to off task behaviours as
management issues, they may be missing the opportunity for skill development
which would obviate these very behaviours. One example of this: Boys in
particular need assistance with organisation to perform at their best including
emphasis upon strong revision strategies. The early primary schooling years, so
crucial to skill development are also crucial for boys’ perceptions of success and
the development of motivation. A study in the United Kingdom titled Boys and
English looked at the key skill of reading and found that as early as the age of
seven boys are on average doing worse than girls. This is an alarmingly early
stage of the educational career of a student for a measurable disadvantage to

31
develop based upon gender. These studies have implications for the primary
classroom where early skill development and the potential for discouragement
with long term consequences for performance are in juxtaposition.
Unfortunately, some of the dynamics between boys in the classroom give rise to
discouragement rather than motivation. Blair (2000) conducted a case study in
one Year 8 classroom and noted the affect of ‘put downs’ upon members in the
class. He suggested that teachers need to be aware of this dynamic as the
interaction is particularly prevalent amongst boys. Blair stressed the need to both
provide greater opportunities for the quieter boys and discourage the adverse
comments. Again, Alloway, et al (2003) explored the dynamics of boys’
responses to oral performance in English. This case study of two Year 10
classrooms showed that boys with a strong peer group enjoyed the oral classes
whereas the quieter boys disliked the tasks. This identifies the ‘marginalising
effect’ that this methodology has upon some students. The nature of this
discouragement though surreptitious is very powerful resulting in some boys
disengaging from learning. The creation of a ‘winners and losers’ dynamic in the
classroom is a darker manifestation of the tendency of boys to compete.
The difference in skill levels between boys and girls, exacerbated by motivational
issues for boys, is further aggravated by a greater tendency towards behavioural
problems in the classroom by boys brought on by inappropriate perceptions of
masculinity. Many boys feel that they have to be tough (West, 1996). This role is
often played out in the classroom at the expense of learning. This dynamic is
also mirrored in popular culture with the Bart and Lisa Simpson cartoon
stereotypes of male and female students.
The issues of choice, motivation and commitment to studies are very important
here, particularly linked with the issues surrounding relevancy. Appropriate
choices of subjects, high expectations for work produced and a clear linkage
between these studies and the ‘real world’ are not variables which happen by
chance. Careful subject selection, reasonable but challenging expectations and
appropriate meaning in the curriculum all require coordination and planning if
they are to have an impact upon motivation. Harris (1998) looked at the reasons
for boys’ underperformance and proposed a range of possible solutions. He

32
stressed the need to offer greater choices in terms of subject selection and
suggested that clearer guidelines in terms of expectations are essential. He also
identified the need to foster greater social communication skills in boys. This ties
in with the earlier discussion on learning style preferences and boys’ tendencies
away from group work and cooperation. He suggested that boys are less likely to
see the intrinsic value of particular subjects if they are not linked to ‘real world’
imperatives. The world of academia therefore just does not rate against more
practical skills which are deemed to be useful. This has implications beyond how
things are taught to what is taught and why; how the curriculum is tailored for the
student and how it is linked in a meaningful way to life outside of the classroom.
For learning to be valued it has to be valuable. This means that it must be
deemed to be useful in some way to life outside of school.
2.4 School Culture and Connectedness
The literature suggests that a great deal of store needs to be placed upon the
relationship between the teacher and male students. There is a need to reassess
the way teachers interact with boys, being cognisant of the dynamic of the peer
group and the need to broaden their outlook beyond narrow definitions of
success. This has implications in terms of the ‘culture of boys’ in the school
setting and the influence this will have upon learning. Keddie (2003) conducted a
case study in a Year 5 class in Tasmania. This involved looking at masculinity in
the peer setting and the importance of these early years in determining
masculine stereotypes. He suggested that current teaching methods and
approaches towards boys in the school setting may be reinforcing narrow views
of masculinity. This study has implications regarding the effectiveness and
appropriateness of role models. Are there enough positive expectations of boys
in terms of academic prowess? Where are the role models in the world of
academia? Who are their heroes and are they able to emulate them? Australian
culture in particular would be hard pressed to identify its pantheon of non
sporting heroes. The image of masculinity presented to boys and perpetuated by
them is very narrow.
“Too often boys’ problems in behaviour are seen as
innate, or based on biology. But the apparent simplicity of
masculinity is beset by problems of presentation and

33
interpretation. Masculinity is presented as uncomplicated
in the Hollywood movies; yet we saw that the actors
themselves had difficulties when they had to act
masculine. Perhaps this misses the real point. Masculinity
itself might be the drama- one in which men can never
stop acting.”
(West, 1999, p. 12)
Are schools projecting a legitimate and relevant model of manhood? The issue of
connectedness is important here. The premise that boys are influenced to a
greater extent by the relationship with the teacher than girls means that schools
need to think carefully about the formal and informal opportunities for appropriate
relationships to be fostered (Australian Association of Social Workers, November
2000). Case studies of a number of schools find that teachers generally identify
relationships between teacher and students as being of significant importance in
the education of boys.
“All the teachers interviewed reiterated the importance of
developing relationships with the boys as a key to
improving the educational outcomes for boys.”
(Lingard et al 2002 p. 47)
The teachers therefore know inherently of the need for appropriate role models
in the school for young boys. Interestingly the primary years of schooling are
almost devoid of male teachers as Primary teaching is heavily staffed by women.
Whilst there is obviously a role for appropriate female role models in the lives of
male students, this should not be; but often is at the expense of sufficient
numbers of appropriate male role models in early schooling. Martino and Kehler
(2006) are sceptical of the calls for more male teachers in Primary classrooms as
an unnecessary critique of female teachers. They do acknowledge the wide call
for male role models in education for boys but do not characterise this as a
deficiency of female teachers in the Primary Schools
.

34
2.5 Government research and responses to the underperformance of
boys
The combination of discouragement, difficulties with skill acquisition, motivational
and behavioural issues and alienation from learning and their teachers are all
powerful factors in boys’ underperformance. The phenomenon of male
underachievement has been so pronounced that it has led to a number of
government enquiries to find out what was going wrong with boys in schools.
The ACT Department of Education, Youth and Family Services commissioned
Andrew Martin to provide a report on boys in education. In Improving the
Educational Outcomes of Boys, he found that motivation is crucial in achieving
educational outcomes and to enjoyment in learning. Martin (2003) developed a
scale to measure students’ motivation in what he termed: “motivation boosters’
and ‘motivation guzzlers’. Boosters included: self belief, value of schooling,
learning focus, planning, study management, and persistence. Guzzlers
included: anxiety, uncertain control, failure avoidance and self sabotage. His
findings show that from Years 7-9 girls scored higher on learning focus, planning
and study management, but also higher on anxiety. Year 7 boys scored
significantly higher on failure avoidance. In other words they tended not to
attempt a task if they believed that there is a good chance of trying and failing.
This phenomenon continues into later schooling with boys tending to select
‘easier subjects’ and avoiding anything to do with the English language (West,
2003; O’Doherty, 1994). Unfortunately it is difficult to avoid the language
component in the higher year levels across the curriculum.
“Where boys can avoid doing English, they often do; and
when they can’t they often fail. Only certain subjects are
real subjects for boys.”
(Teese et al. 1995, p. 108-109)
In Australia the subject that shows the greatest gender differences is English:
girls’ results are 25% higher than boys’ (McGraw, 1996 p. 109).
Martin’s report followed up on the quantitative data with interviews involving
focus groups of students. He found that boys are at their best when they find
teachers to be friendly and genuinely interested and interesting in their teaching.
They appreciate classes which are fun and relevant to what they believe to be

35
important. They also appreciate ‘hands-on’ opportunities and variety and choice
in what is taught and how it is learnt. Conversely, classes are often perceived to
be boring and repetitious.
In the report, teachers cite specific strategies for engaging boys:
 Making learning practical and hands on
 Providing rewards and positive feedback
 Allowing opportunities to make choices and the resultant consequences
 Addressing problems with literacy
 Creating appropriate opportunities for peer mentoring and role modelling
Martin (2003)
Whilst teachers were readily able to identify the optimum climate for the teaching
of boys in theory; in practice their best intents may be undone by behaviours
which require policing rather than teaching. Martin’s research identified a number
of strategies which schools can undertake to better address the needs of boys.
These included pedagogical reform such as an integrated approach across the
curriculum, professional development of teachers in addressing issues of
methodology, involving students in the development of programmes, celebration
of academic excellence and creating a positive academic culture. In addition he
focused on the relationships between teacher and student stressing the need for
teachers to adopt styles which are likely to enhance motivation. These include a
good balance between discipline and fun and having tolerance and a genuine
regard for the students.
There has been considerable activity both at the State and Federal levels
concerning educational outcomes. The performance of boys relative to their
female counterparts in schools has attracted particular political attention. In
Guiding Principles for Success in Educating Boys, the report to the Federal
Government states:
“Improving the educational outcomes of boys requires a
whole school approach based on a common vision and a
coherent, integrated set of programmes across the broad
range of activity noted in this report (i.e. pedagogy,
curriculum and assessment; literacy and communication

36
skills; student engagement and motivation; behavior
management programmes and positive role models for
students)…This approach should be integrated with
existing school improvement strategies and should
engage the broader school community.” (2003)
In 1994, the New South Wales Minister of Education received a report into the
education of boys by the NSW Government Advisory Committee on Education,
Training and Tourism (O’Doherty 1994) The Inquiry into Boys’ Education,
Challenges and Opportunities provided an understanding of the issues
surrounding boys’ education and offered a number of recommendations to
remedy the perceived problems. The recommendations were wide ranging
involving not just how boys are taught but also an assessment on the needs of
boys in terms of the whole schooling experience. In essence the issues
surrounded the approaches taken to educate boys and the capacity of boys to be
educated and how these two dynamics played out.
“The report lists many examples which give cause for concern
about boys’ education. These include lower retention to Year
12 and poorer academic outcomes compared to girls. Boys are
over represented in programs for students with learning
problems, particularly problems with literacy. Students
identified as having behavior problems are overwhelmingly
boys.”
(O’Doherty, 1994, p. 3)
Under the heading ‘Performance’ the report identified a range of indicators
whereby male students were underperforming compared with girls in the NSW
government school sector. These indicators are mirrored in other school sectors.
They included:
 An overrepresentation of boys in special education programmes: 65% of
students in special education classes are boys
 A greater percentage of boys than girls leave school early without
completing their HSC

37
 Boys achieve lower literacy scores than girls in Years 3 & 6 and are
outperformed in HSC English
 Boys perform slightly better in numeracy testing but tend to enroll in the
easier mathematics classes at the senior level than do the girls
 Girls have outperformed boys in terms of TER scores since their
introduction in 1991
 The above findings are exacerbated by socio economic factors
(O’Doherty, 1994, p. 12-13)
The report went on to identify differences in participation rates with boys tending
to choose the easier subjects or moving into Technical and Further Education
(TAFE) or other less academic alternative options prior to the HSC. The findings
of the committee in terms of student conduct were equally significant. Issues
such as a tendency to be uncommunicative, disengaged from the learning
process, a failure of leadership in terms of boys’ abilities and inclinations, higher
incidences of misbehavior and anti-intellectualism were all identified as key
inhibitors to learning.
“Boys do not want to be seen to excel except on the
sporting field. They fear ridicule and often are the victims
of bullying if they stand out academically or in non
traditional areas such as music, dance and drama.
Students at a number of High Schools visited reported that
boys do not like to be praised; it is not cool to achieve.”
(O’Doherty, 1994, p. 16)
The report continued to identify the wider issues surrounding boys including the
higher incidence of crime by male offenders, the higher incidence of youth
suicide and a greater tendency to an insecure future than young women.
The study titled: Improving the Educational Outcomes for Boys (Martin, 2002)
was submitted to the ACT Department of Education, Youth and Family Services.
The report released in December 2002 involved an extensive literature review, a
survey measuring motivation of students in ACT government High Schools;
interviews with student focus groups; interviews with teachers and consultations

38
with researchers. The research indicated a number of factors impacting upon
learning in the classroom. In addition it too identified school wide factors that can
affect learning outcomes. The report noted strategies which promote and
endorse the academic life of students and provide opportunities to enhance
learning for individual students. These factors include a school wide focus on
learning, effective teaching, monitoring of individual students’ progress, the
active involvement of students, the use of a variety of teaching methods and
effective role modeling by both teachers and students (Hill and Rowe, 1996).
Having said this, the next section will identify the reasons for this particular case
study. This case study is in essence a response to the literature by one particular
school aiming to improve educational outcomes for the boys at the school.
2.6 The purpose of this research
The school wide approach undertaken at Marcellin required a comparison of the
Victorian Certificate of Education results and the post school destinations of the
students prior to the interventions of the strategic plan. A comparison of these
two indicators following the school wide intervention would then indicate if there
has been measurable movement in terms of school effectiveness. By comparing
outcomes across two key indicators to the baseline findings in 2000, the
research will determine if after eight years of school wide intervention, there has
been a significant or measurable shift in the learning climate of the school. Whilst
cultural change can take many years to come into effect, early indicators will
provide some insight into the possibilities of school improvement and addressing
the needs of boys through a school wide approach. The literature identifies a
school wide approach as the most likely intervention to achieve significant
changes in outcomes:
“Research shows that school level action can strongly
support teacher and class level action to enhance the
educational outcomes of all students. Students can benefit
from schools effectively modeling principles of gender
equity, addressing an anti academic culture, building a
proactive and optimistic school culture, valuing student
input into school policy and procedures, celebrating
academic excellence and personal bests, developing a

39
staff structure and mix that sends appropriate messages
to students and developing school wide pedagogical
leadership roles to support strategies in the classroom.”
(Martin, 2002, p. 52)
The needs and the means to address these needs have been identified in the
research. The imperative to respond to these needs was clear. A good deal of
anecdotal information surrounding the perceived problems with boys has been in
schools for a long time now. My own experience as Deputy Principal of a large
coeducational secondary school was that approximately 90% of the serious
disciplinary matters referred to me in the school involved boys. This was in a
school population where the boys made up fewer than half of the student
numbers. The problems in terms of discipline seemed to be matched in the area
of curriculum where boys were under represented in subject prizes and girls
were more prominent in school productions and student leadership. These
observations were borne out in studies suggesting the long held view that boys
were underperforming at school (West, 2003).
This case study was designed to determine if by responding to the
recommendations on boys’ education the college could raise educational
outcomes for the boys and meet parental and student expectations in terms of
the education provided. In this way it can be determined if it is possible to effect
cultural change in a school which is perceived to be underperforming in key
areas in line with the broader male student population. Is the school able to
position itself to better meet the needs of the boys? By looking at the expressed
needs of the school in initial research undertaken in the 2000 strategic plan,
entering into a range of interventions arising from the literature on boys and
measuring key indicators of improvement, we are able to determine to what
extent it is possible to manufacture better opportunities for boys at the school
wide level by strategic intervention by the school leadership.
2.7 Marcellin College as a microcosm of boys’ education
At the beginning of 2001 I was appointed Principal of Marcellin College in
Bulleen, a prominent Catholic Secondary School for Boys located in the eastern
suburbs of Melbourne. The school of over 1200 students from Years 7-12 and

40
140 teachers is well resourced, ideally located in terms of enrolments and well
placed to address the needs of Catholic families in the eastern suburbs in the
education of their sons. The school was founded in 1950 by the Marist Brothers,
a teaching Order originating in France in the early 19th
century. The Order itself
was founded by St Marcellin Champagnat, a French priest who saw in the chaos
of the French revolution, the need to provide an education founded on Christian
principles for rural children in the impoverished southern provinces of France.
The work of the brothers was a missionary one and the Order moved overseas
into the Asia Pacific and Australasia. Their work in Australia is centered on over
fifty schools established at different times in each of the states and territories (In
the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat, 1998).
As the new Principal of Marcellin College and as only the second lay principal in
the history of the College I was charged with both the responsibility for the
educational programme and as importantly the overriding philosophies
underpinning Catholic and particularly Marist education. Key to the mission is the
need to meet the needs of the students, both those who are academically
inclined and those in need of additional support. Indeed the philosophy of the
college emphasizes the need to show preferential treatment to those most in
need in the community which the school serves. Identifying and addressing the
specific learning needs of the students is therefore a priority.
“We know that we have received a great gift in the person
of Marcellin and in his educational institutions and those of
Marist educational institutions since him. We want to be
faithful to this heritage in a dynamic way. In our day the
cries of young people are no less urgent than they were in
Marcellin’s time. They call for fresh responses. It is this
desire to tap into our roots, to rediscover there the passion
and the vision for our mission for today’s younger
generation that motivates…”
(In the Footsteps of Marcellin Champagnat, 1998, p. 13)
At my first staff meeting at the commencement of 2001, the new college strategic
plan titled: Beyond 2000 was launched addressing the forward planning required

41
for the next three to four years. The strategic plan was the synthesis of research
undertaken into the needs of the college during 2000. It was this strategic plan
coupled with more global findings from widespread research into boys’ education
that led to both the nature of my leadership in the school and the subject of this
research. Lingard and Ladwig (2001) identify the lack of a clear focus on learning
at the school wide level as a significant adverse factor in the learning culture of
the school. These findings tended to be reflected in the research into the culture
of learning at Marcellin. The role of school leaders as ‘determinants of the
learning health’ of the school should not be underestimated. The role of the
principal in the enhancement of learning across the school is as imperative as
the role of the teacher in the individual classroom.
The Marcellin College Strategic Plan, commissioned by my predecessor and
entrusted to me to implement was based upon research conducted at the college
on the specific needs of the boys at Marcellin. The research involved qualitative
data gained through data collection from students, teachers and parents along
with quantitative data provided through the analysis of key indicators such as
academic performance and destinations after leaving school. After all, the VCE is
not an end in itself. Whilst the actual work of the teacher finishes at the end of
the year, the purpose of the Year 12 is linked to what the boys do with it. The
research provided a specific case study of how boys were responding to their
educational environment in terms of academic and behavioral performance.
These data along with comprehensive work being done in research both here in
Australia and overseas provided clear indicators both to the issues surrounding
boys in the school and the way forward in terms of improving their performance.
The responsibility upon the leadership of the college was clear. Entering into my
first year as the educational leader of the college, I was equipped both with
widespread literature on boys’ education and with specific data on how boys
were responding to Marcellin in particular. The strategic plan formed the basis of
the interventions which were begun at the start of 2001 and continue to this day.
“The role of the leader is to ensure that all organizational
members ‘…understand the interconnectedness of their
roles in relation to the larger systems of learning in which
they operate.” (Langford & Cleary, 1998, p 135)

42
As the person responsible for the implementation of the strategic plan, the
principal is charged with creating the opportunities in the school whereby
learning can occur (Leithwood et al, 2004, Mulford, 2008). The leader initiates
and supports excellence by implementing specific strategies. The
strategist/leader is responsible for long term planning arising from the collection
of data and appropriate response which has wide ranging implications across the
institution. School wide programmes to address structure, policies and
procedures can have a significant affect upon school improvement across a
range of indicators. Just as the literature suggests that individual teacher
practices in the classroom can have a significant affect upon learning outcomes
for boys, this research will examine the extent to which school wide interventions
can help to create the cultural environment conducive to boys’ learning. In effect,
the research question is: To what extent are the 21 interventions chosen at
Marcellin able to address the perceived deficiencies in learning outcomes? Is it
possible to promote a ‘boy friendly school’? The decisions made regarding
structures, policies and procedures should reflect both the needs identified in the
wider research and the more indigenous needs of the boys identified at
Marcellin.
2.8 Marcellin College: perceptions of performance and the need for
change
As explained, the Marcellin College Strategic Plan titled: Beyond 2000, Building
a Learning Community was developed in response to the school community’s
need to address perceived deficiencies in the educational performance of the
school. The research primarily involved qualitative data gained from a number of
interviews of sample groups of students, teachers and parents. In addition,
quantitative data were gathered in relation to specific indicators such as
academic results, post school destinations attendance and instances of
behavioral problems. The final report presented at the beginning of 2001
provided an insight into the educational health of the college. In addition to the
report, I, as the new principal of the school undertook to meet with each of the
140 teachers on staff as well as selected groups of students to determine directly
their perceptions of the quality of learning and learning relationships at the
school. The school like any institution had to be understood as a cultural entity.
To do so provides a guide to the appropriate response to the issue. To effect

43
cultural change, the strategic plan would need to manipulate cultural factors. The
first premise in understanding improvement in service delivery in schools is the
realization that institutions are cultural entities. As such, change may only be
effected through an understanding of the organizational culture of the institution.
Culture is defined as:
“…a pattern of beliefs and expectations shared by the organization’s members
that produces norms that powerfully shape the behavior of the individuals and
groups in the organization” (Shwartz & Davis, 1981, p.33). To measure success
and to effect change involves operating at the cultural level. This ‘subjective side
of organizational life’ is a powerful determinator of the method of service delivery
and the ability of the organization to adapt (Meyerson, 1991, p.256).
So what aspects of the ‘Marcellin Culture’ were in need of change? Marcellin
could be described as an advantaged school in a number of ways. The school is
well resourced with extensive facilities, a hard working and committed staff and
to some extent a selected entry based upon religious affiliation and geography.
The enrolment policy of the college determines that students are generally drawn
from a number of locally based Catholic primary schools where there is a
generally shared ethos and understanding of the nature of education and a
general consensus surrounding values and beliefs. As the enrolment policy is
based largely upon geographic and demographic considerations, the student
body is drawn from predominantly comfortable economic backgrounds.
The Federal Government measure of the economic background of parent
populations is designed to assist in the level of government funding allocated to
each school. The SES indicator provides an insight into parental background in
terms of financial resources and ability to contribute to the cost of the student’s
education. Marcellin has an SES rating of 115 which places its parent population
as one of the most advantaged economically in the Catholic sector.
(Catholic Education Office, 2004)
Culturally the college population is predominantly Anglo Saxon with strong Italian
influences but largely with students born in Australia with English as the
language spoken most often at home. Therefore, the boys at Marcellin come

44
from financially secure homes, where English is the first language. They come to
a school which is well resourced compared to other schools in the Catholic
sector, the government sector and indeed many independent schools.
(Marcellin College Census Data, 2007)
The findings of the Beyond 2000 report therefore seem on the surface to be quite
puzzling. The report assessed the school’s performance in the Victorian
Certificate of Education and identified a number of other factors suggesting
underperformance. The college has underperformed at the VCE compared to
‘like schools’ for a number of years. The average expected VCE standard across
the state for secondary schools is for an average Median study score of 30
across the range of subjects. For the previous eight years, the average for
Marcellin had been 29. In terms of attaining excellence in the VCE, all schools
across the state are expected to achieve an average of eight percent of students
achieving a study score of 40 or over. The average for Marcellin for the same
period had been 5. The significance of these figures is reinforced when
compared with ‘like schools’. Whilst it is recognized that boys fare less well than
girls in the VCE, when compared to other Catholic Boys’ Schools with a similar
demographic and measured by SES, Marcellin was significantly
underperforming. The most disturbing indicator was the expected percentage of
‘excellent’ scores over 40 where two similar Catholic boys’ schools in the eastern
suburbs were more than doubling the Marcellin percentage.
A further indicator which illustrates the problem is that students at Marcellin are
tested for literacy and numeracy as they enter the school in Year 7. All students
undergo Career wise testing during Year 10 which also gives an indicator of
‘latent ability’. They are again tested in Year 12 with the General Achievement
Test (GAT) which provides data as to their potential ability as opposed to their
demonstrated ability in the VCE. In all indicators, the students coming to
Marcellin were ranked higher than students across the state. A reliable
comparative indicator of ability was the data from the statewide AIMS tests.
In 2007 they indicated that results for Marcellin boys in Year 7 were:
Reading: 97.4% of boys exceeded the national benchmark
Writing: 96.9% above the national benchmark

45
Numeracy: 96.9% above the national benchmark
(AIM Data Service 2007)
Therefore, the students were slightly more able than the state average, but
traditionally have achieved less well than the state average in the VCE and
considerably less well than their counterparts in Catholic boys’ schools with
similar SES. Suffice to say that as these data became increasingly accessed by
parents and the wider community through such media as ‘league tables’, serious
questions begin to be raised regarding the academic programme of the school.
The second indicator which was identified both in the research and in direct
observations during 2001 was the issue of non engagement by a significant
number of students in the wider life of the school. This was evidenced by
absenteeism from classes and in particular from wider school functions such as
Founder’s Day Events and Athletic and Swimming Carnivals. Whilst there was a
consistent core majority of students who attended and participated in these
activities, there was a significant number who did not. The number was large
enough to dissuade effective intervention to ensure attendance and compliance
to school expectations. This problem with enforcement exacerbated the original
problem.
The third indicator of underperformance was in regard to work ethic particularly
in the ‘middle years’ of schooling, that being Years 8, 9 and 10. Whilst in general,
the wider school population was deemed to be on ‘amicable terms’ with their
teachers, there were concerns raised in the report regarding work ethic in
general and work submission in particular. The rate of non submission of work in
the middle school was put as high as one third. That being, a third of the class
might not submit the required work by the published due date. This was
attributed in the report and in subsequent discussions with teachers to an
insufficient work ethic on behalf of the boys and an indisposition toward
academic vigor (Ryan, 2000). This was often attributed vaguely to ‘cultural
factors’ although it is difficult to defend the argument that external factors
regarding learning were the cause. The boys came from over forty primary
schools in the area whose students also attended other secondary schools which
perform more credibly in the VCE. Their counterparts in other schools were on

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