Boys dominate talk in the classroom. This gives them experience of being listened to and responded to in a public setting while the experience of girls is to do the listening and, to some extent, the responding. The evidence does not support the view that teachers are responsible for every gender difference found in classrooms but they might consider giving more recognition to the supportive part played by girls, which often parallels their own. Girls contribute to male dominance too, for example by tending to ask boys for help rather than girls. On the other hand, there is evidence that some differences, such as attitudes to computing, emerge during schooling.
Schools also provide a setting where gender patterns can be practised and consolidated.
I suggest the one piece of evidence that cannot be denied, the discomfort that girls feel at being pushed off stage, should tilt the balance towards action. Of course taking action in an area of subtle behaviours will not be easy. Intervention should also try to look towards the future and take account of changing practices, for example in relation to group work. Whatever the action, the body of the research suggests areas which should be monitored carefully to avoid reinforcing gender divisions. 7.50 Christine Howe is a Reader in Psychology at Strathclyde University and Director of the Centre for Research into Interactive Learning.