Why Are Boys Struggling Academically and What Can We Do About It?

Biba Kayewich

Only 20 percent of boys in the United States are proficient in writing by eighth grade, according to Warren Farrell and John Gray’s 2018 book “The Boy Crisis.” The authors reveal that the number of boys who dislike school has ballooned by 71 percent since 1980, and boys are much more likely to be expelled than girls are. Boys’ educational woes don’t end with high school; young men now account for only about 39 percent of college degree recipients, a precipitous decline since 1970, when they earned 61 percent of degrees.

Dr. Leonard Sax rang the alarm bells on this concerning trend back in 2007 in his book “Boys Adrift,” writing that “what’s troubling about so many of the boys I see in my practice … is that they don’t have much passion for any real-world activity … They disdain school because they disdain everything. Nothing really excites them.”

Arguably, the downward spiral for boys in academics and other areas of life has only increased since Dr. Sax wrote these words. I witnessed this phenomenon myself as a teacher, although I also saw boys flourish when properly motivated. But my school was an exception.

In many places, boys and men lack motivation to succeed at school—or anything else. One indication of this “failure to launch” is the fact that young men between the ages of 25 and 31 are 66 percent more likely than similarly aged women to be living with their parents. The stereotype of the basement-dwelling, Doritos-eating, video-game-playing “man-child” isn’t an anomaly anymore.

Why should we be concerned about boys’ academic struggles? Well, for one thing, an uneducated young man is less likely to become independent, driven, joyful, and a contributing member of society. He may rely on his parents for much longer than he should. He may begin to disengage from life. There’s a strong correlation between lack of educational attainment and criminal activity and incarceration. Boys who drop out of school are more likely to tumble into bad company. They’re also less likely to have the company of a wife: As Farrell and Gray note, women are less likely to want to marry a less-educated or unemployed man.

It’s simply not natural for boys and young men to lack motivation: They ought to desire to build something worthwhile, to fight for something they believe in, and to win status in the world. A lack of motivation indicates a lack of masculinity. In short, there are many reasons this trend should concern us. Before we examine ways to help boys academically, we need to understand the obstacles causing them to stumble.

Causes of the Crisis

Farrell and Gray speak of a “purpose void” for modern boys, especially boys who grow up fatherless. Since men’s traditional role as protectors and providers in society—“primary breadwinners”—has receded, many boys don’t see the point in doing well in school and chasing a high-achieving career. Since many boys are not growing up with the old model of the man of the house as provider, they lack the drive that animated previous generations of men, and often struggle to find a substitute sense of purpose. While boys once anticipated “the need to become sole breadwinner, and therefore [the need to] gain familial pride, peer respect, and female love,” they now struggle to identify their unique mission in a world with very different social, economic, and familial models. Farrell and Gray explained that non-academically inclined boys learn better when they have a concrete goal in mind, the lack of which may be one cause of our present troubles.

Similarly, Dr. Sax argued that the transition from childhood to adulthood doesn’t happen on its own: it requires conscientious guidance and even ritual on the part of the adults raising the next generation. In other words, men need to show boys how to be men. This includes demonstrating what’s expected of a man: his purpose.

“Almost every culture of which we have detailed knowledge takes great care in managing this transition to adulthood,” wrote Dr. Sax. In tribal cultures, this takes the form of a test of endurance, courage, and toughness, like independently tracking and killing an adult antelope. “What happens when a culture—like ours—neglects this transition?… Teenage boys are looking for models of mature adulthood, but we no longer make any collective effort to provide such models.”

In addition to the lack of a guided transition to adulthood and cultural models of masculine purpose, Dr. Sax also identified several other factors, including video game addiction and changes in how schools are run.

The average boy now spends almost 2.5 hours per day playing video games. Boys spend more time on video games because they’re more interested in activities where they have agency, as opposed to girls, who prefer communal activities like social media. In 2007, Dr. Sax already saw how video games disrupted boys’ ability to succeed academically. He cited a series of studies that showed the more time spent on video games, the worse kids performed in school—regardless of grade level.

Dr. Sax argued that the games can absorb all of a boy’s natural drive to achieve goals and succeed, sapping his energy for real-life accomplishments. In addition, Dr. Sax, as well as Farrell and Gray, all found that the intense stimulation and dopamine highs associated with video games make other activities stale and dull for boys—especially schoolwork. Finally, gaming can take a lot of time—especially since games can be addictive—which nudges out homework, family time, and playing outside.

Dr. Sax makes insightful observations about the ways schools have transformed in recent decades and the impact of those changes on boys. American schools’ teaching methods today tend to work better for girls than boys in a few key ways: School starts earlier in a child’s life, involves less hands-on learning than it once did, and involves minimal competition. Dr. Sax explains that boys’ and girls’ brains develop differently, with different areas maturing more quickly and at different times. The language areas of the brain in a typical 5-year-old boy is the same as a 4-year-old girl’s. Boys rarely begin reading as easily or as early as girls do, yet the typical school pushes reading instruction in kindergarten, when many boys aren’t ready. The frustration this causes may lead boys to permanently dislike school.

European countries traditionally understand two different types of “knowing,” and their languages reflect this distinction. The German word “kenntnis” refers to intimate, intuitive, and first-hand knowledge of something or someone in the way that one might “know” a person, a pet, or a favorite stretch of river. “Wissenschaft,” however, refers to knowledge derived from books or computers: scientific, abstract, and intellectual. European models of education emphasize the importance of both types of learning—kenntnis and wissenschaft—hands-on and bookish—while American schools tend to focus almost exclusively on wissenschaft.

American students sit in classrooms all day reading about or watching videos of birds or the Battle of Little Big Horn or Tom Sawyer’s adventures on the Mississippi, without ever watching an actual bird, visiting the actual battlefield, or swimming in the actual river. They don’t learn to use their own senses alongside the book-knowledge. As a result, the latter never becomes “real” or meaningful to them. Boys are especially in need of hands-on, experiential learning. They’re not designed to sit quietly for six to eight hours reading or listening to lectures ( perhaps no one is).

A competitive atmosphere in school is stimulating for most boys, but not most girls. Few schools incorporate formal academic competition. Middle and high school science teacher Bridget Mohr told The Epoch Times, “Boys tend to enjoy competition between their male friends, and it is often for their good … I have personally seen boys that would not look at their notes to prepare for a quiz purposely study more in anticipation of a review game … Competition between girls is generally not enjoyed, and is often to their detriment.” Most schools don’t take into account the differences in learning style and motivation between boys and girls.

Solutions

Boys face some pretty monstrous challenges. Somewhere in his heart, every boy has the desire to slay dragons. With the help of true mentors, he can. The challenges aren’t insurmountable. Here are some concrete steps to help the next generation of men succeed in school and beyond.

• Limiting video games. Dr. Sax recommends no more than 40 minutes of play time on school days and 1 hour on the weekend. When the great whirlpool of virtual worlds sucks up all one’s attention and ambition, there’s often little left over for the real world. Replace video games with “the real thing”— if your son likes football video games, get signed up for actual football. If he likes first-person shooters, get him to try airsoft or paintball. Mohr holds a similar position: “[boys] need real world hobbies. Video game time should be an indulgence, not the main use of one’s time.”
• Finding the right school. Dr. Sax advocates for all-boys schools, citing instances where he has seen the positive effect of this masculine environment on boys. That may not be a good fit for everyone, but depending on the boy, it may help. Another key aspect to look for is a better balance of kenntnis and wissenschaft, which seems especially needed for boys. Vocational school provides some boys with a clear sense of their goals and the motivation to achieve them. Mohr added, “A school that understands the differences between boys and girls will be better equipped to create a good learning environment.”
• Building a sense of purpose. Traditionally, men are protectors and providers, and have, for centuries, found their sense of purpose in this. Our world is nontraditional in many ways, but that doesn’t mean that these values or some variation can’t still be instilled in young men. Any of us can be inspired by becoming part of something bigger than ourselves and sacrificing our own preferences for a higher cause, just as a father sacrifices his comfort for his family’s sake. The key is to help boys catch a glimpse of an inspiring vision. Mohr told The Epoch Times, “Assuming the school [is a good one], the modern boy’s lack of physical independence, real world friendships, challenging goals, and a clear understanding of man’s unique role in society is more to blame.”
• Providing male role models. Warren and Farrell stated outright: “The boy crisis’s primary cause is dad-deprived boys.” We learn all things by imitation, at least in the beginning. Babies learn to walk by watching adults walk and trying it themselves.. We learn to play piano by listening and watching a pianist and then attempting it ourselves. Boys learn to be men by watching an authentic man live a masculine life of leadership, self-sacrifice, strength, love, and achievement. As Mohr said, “These mentors must understand a man’s value to society. Boys need to see themselves as active participants in their world, capable of being dangerous, but choosing to use their strength for the good. When boys see how they play a vital role in society, they are more motivated to better themselves via their education.” Of course, not every boy has a present father.. But almost every boy can have a father figure, whether that’s an uncle, grandpa, brother, teacher, coach, mentor, or friend. Such relationships should be cultivated.
• Welcoming boys into adulthood. As a society, we might also consider reincorporating some traditional adult initiation rituals. The school I used to teach at held a yearly “cotillion,” a dance introduced into England from France that eventually became part of a growing-up ritual for adolescents. Our cotillion was a formal event requiring the use of good manners and dancing skills, with speeches by teachers and parents, all meant to welcome the 15- and 16-year-olds to adult responsibility. It was lovely and you could see the gentle pride brightening the faces of these teenagers who were treated like—and welcomed as—adults.

On education, Aristotle once wrote, “there is clearly nothing which we are so much concerned to acquire and to cultivate as the power of forming right judgments, and of taking delight in good dispositions and noble actions.” This is indeed a lofty aim for education. But we’ll never be able to give this gift of nobility to our boys if we don’t learn how to lift them from the mire and point them toward the stars.