Educational Psychology
Developing Learners
Eighth Edition
Jeanne Ormrod
2014, 2011, 2008, 2006, 2003
Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Chapter 4
Group Differences
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-2
Group Differences
Consistently observed differences
(averages) among diverse groups of
students
ethnicity or cultural background
gender
socioeconomic status
Considerable variability within groups
Considerable overlap between groups
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-3
Cultural and Ethnic
Differences
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-4
Culture and Ethnicity
Culture
behaviors and belief systems of a social
group
Ethnic group
individuals who have common historical
roots, values, beliefs, and behaviors
members share a sense of
interdependence
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-5
Navigating Different Cultures
Cultural mismatch
different cultural norms at home and
school
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-6
Examples of Diversity
Language and
dialect
When to talk, when
to be quiet
Verbal
assertiveness
Emotional
expressiveness
Eye contact
Personal space
Responding to
questions
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-7
Waiting vs.
interrupting
Private vs. public
performance
Views about teasing
Cooperation vs.
competition
Family relationships
& expectations
Conceptions of time
Worldviews
Culturally Inclusive
Identify your cultural lens and biases.
Classrooms
Learn about students backgrounds.
Be sensitive to culture shock of recent immigrants.
Incorporate perspectives & traditions of many
cultures into the curriculum.
Adapt instructional strategies to students preferred
ways of learning & behaving.
Work to break down stereotypes of particular ethnic
groups.
Bring cultural diversity to culturally homogeneous
classrooms.
Foster democratic ideals, & empower students to
bring about meaningful change.
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-8
Gender Differences
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-9
Physical Activity & Motor
Skills
Girls
less well developed overall
better fine motor skills before puberty
Boys
predisposed to be more active
biological advantage in height and
strength
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-10
Cognitive & Academic
Differences are small; gap is decreasing
Abilities
Similar on tests of general intelligence
Girls
better at some verbal tasks
reading, writing, vocabulary
higher grades in school
Boys
better at visual-spatial tasks &
mathematical problem solving
spend more leisure time with technology
greater variability overall
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-11
Motivation in Academic
Activities
Girls
more engaged
more motivated to do well in school
& go to college
Boys
more willing to take academic
challenges and risks
less concerned about failure
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-12
Sense of Self
Self-worth similar until puberty
consistent with stereotypes
boys overestimate abilities; girls
underestimate
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-13
Interpersonal Behaviors
Girls
more likely to engage in relational aggression
more intimate friendships
more cooperative, affiliative
closer attention to emotions, nonverbal cues
Boys
more physically aggressive
larger playgroups
more competitive
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-14
Classroom Behavior
Boys
more likely to misbehave
more participatory
Girls
less likely to volunteer answers
more likely to lead in same-sex groups
than in mixed groups
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-15
Career Aspirations
Boys historically more ambitious
but girls today are also ambitious
Both boys & girls tend toward
stereotypical goals
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-16
Origins of Gender
Differences
Peers
Biology
hormones
brain differences
Parenting
expectations &
encouragement
toys & other
resources
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Popular media
stereotypical
models
Self-socialization
4-17
prefer stereotypical
behavior
gender schema
theorychildren
construct their own
beliefs
Socioeconomic Differences
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-18
Socioeconomic Differences
Socioeconomic status (SES)
general social & economic standing in
society
family SES includes income, parents
occupations, parents education levels
Academic achievement is
correlated with SES
lower SES students are at greater risk
for dropping out of school
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-19
Challenges of Poverty
Poor nutrition & health
Inadequate housing & frequent
moves
Exposure to toxins
Unhealthy social environments
Emotional stress
Gaps in knowledge
Lower quality schools
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-20
Fostering Resilience
Be a dependable source of
academic and emotional support.
Build on students strengths.
Identify and provide missing
resources and experiences
important for successful learning.
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-21
Students at Risk
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-22
Defining At-Risk
At-risk student: High probability of
failing to acquire minimal
academic skills necessary for
success.
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-23
Characteristics of Students At
Risk
History of academic failure
Emotional and behavioral
problems
Lack of psychological
attachment to school
Increasing disinvolvement with
school
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-24
Why Students Drop Out
Little family or peer
encouragement
Extenuating life circumstances
Dissatisfaction with school
Pessimism about ability
Lack of teacher support
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-25
Supporting Students at Risk
Identify at-risk students as early
as possible
Create a warm, supportive
atmosphere
Make long-term, systematic efforts
to engage students in the
academic curriculum
Encourage and facilitate
identification with school
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-26
The Big Picture
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-27
The Big Picture
All peoples cultural backgrounds
influence their interpretations of events.
All students have strengths and talents
on which they can build.
All students have considerable potential
to develop new skills and abilities.
Variability exists within any group.
Overlap exists between any two groups.
Ormrod
Educational Psychology: Developing Learners, 8e
2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4-28