Stark Contrast In Attitudes To Studying Between Boys And Girls

15th May 2008

GCSEs are on the horizon again and the age-old adage “boys will be boys” rings true in today’s classrooms according to findings of a survey by educational website Sky Learning gauging teenage attitudes to studying and exam stress. A third of those surveyed experience insomnia, headaches and lethargy during revision and exam times, whilst 46% say they become much more irritable and grumpy.

Girls, who traditionally outperform boys during exams, were found to suffer significantly higher stress levels and related symptoms. Girls where significantly more grumpy and irritable than boys (54% vs. 35%). Girls also felt that they had not done enough revision compared to boys (43% vs. 29%) and boys also felt they handled the pressure and stress better and tended not to panic (27% vs. 13%). Despite fairing worse when it comes to results, boys claimed to find revising easier than girls (20% vs. 13%) and believed more so than girls that they had done enough revision to get the desired grades (25% vs. 13%).

The difference in male and female attitudes isn’t just confined to the amount of study teenagers complete: it appears there are also key differences in the way boys and girls study. The most popular method chosen by girls to alleviate exam stress is good old-fashioned talking, to a teacher or parent, whereas the boys opt for using online chat rooms to allay their fears.

Students aren’t the only ones to divulge their exam fears – amongst the parents questioned, 43% admit they do not involve themselves in their children’s education, whilst over a quarter feel the strain as much as their children when it comes to exam time.

Agony Aunt Denise Robertson said: “I deal with a lot of enquiries from stressed out and worried parents and teenagers around this time of year. Teenagers, especially girls feel huge pressures on their shoulders to do well and often feel overwhelmed and under prepared. My advice is to get organised, plan ahead, eat well, exercise and don’t isolate yourself - talk to friends and family to ease the pressure.”

The survey was conducted to launch video based tips on coping with revision and studying recorded by ex- Blue Peter presenter and Cambridge graduate Konnie Huq, which will be available on www.sky.com/learning. Konnie Huq said: “The survey results were a real eye-opener for me in terms of the differing attitudes boys and girls seem to have towards exam revision these days. Different approaches work for different students, and I hope my tips show there are some fun ways to study and revise for exams.”

Sky Learning, an online service that searches hundreds of TV channels to recommend TV programmes linked to GCSE and A – Level curriculum subjects, polled teenagers aged 14-16 across the UK to reveal their experiences of exams, revision and the tools they were provided to deal with them.

Lucy Milton, Head of Arts, Sponsorship and Community Investment supported Konnie’s views, adding: “Here at Sky, we recognised that within our massive broadcast output, we have a wealth of programming directly suited to supporting students in their various studies. We hope that Sky Learning’s initiative and Konnie’s easy-to-use tips will help students during notoriously stressful exam periods.”

To view Konnies tips visit Click Here

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