Boys and girls agree that the fairer sex does everything better

And by the age of eight, boys appear to agree with their classmates, believing that girls are more likely to have what might be deemed the right qualities to do well at school. Children of both sexes also think that, in general, adults believe girls do better at school than boys.

The research underlines the difficulties that teachers may face in trying to improve the performance of boys, who lag behind girls in most subjects throughout school.

Previous studies have suggested that children’s beliefs about what is expected of them can create a “self-fulfilling prophecy”, as girls are perceived to be more likely to do well, then do so.

Bonny Hartley, of the University of Kent, who is presenting the research at the British Educational Research Association conference, says: “By seven or eight years old, children of both genders believe that boys are less focused, able, and successful than girls – and think that adults endorse this stereotype.

“There are signs that these expectations have the potential to become self-fulfilling in influencing children’s actual conduct and achievement.”

The research involved presenting children, aged between four and 10, with a series of statements or “scenarios” such as “This child is really clever”, “This child always finishes their work” and “The teacher is taking the register in class and this child sits very quietly, waiting for their name to be called out”.

The children were then asked to point to a picture, in silhouette, of a boy or of a girl to say whether they thought the questioner was talking about a boy or girl.

On average, girls of reception age right through to year five said girls were cleverer, performed better, had better self-control and were better behaved.

Boys in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 gave answers which were equally split between favouring boys and girls, but by Year 3 their beliefs were in line with those of the girls.