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Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2007, and today, he is one of the ‘most followed educators’on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the ‘500 Most Influential People in Britain’ by The Sunday Times as a result of…
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What can neuroscience teach us about challenging online misogyny in schools?
Sex differences in the brain and behaviour are not fixed—they are shaped by experience, social norms and environment.
Why masculinity must be redefined in schools
Published in 2023, Why and How to Account for Sex and Gender in Brain and Behavioural Research (Eliot et al., 2023) challenges the persistent myth that boys are “wired” to behave badly. It offers a practical and scientific way forward for teachers tackling misogyny and toxic masculinity in schools.
This neuroscience research urges teachers to rethink gender in the classroom. It shows that sex (biology) and gender (identity and social roles) are deeply interwoven and not fixed.
Contrary to popular claims, most male-female brain differences are small and show significant overlap. Factors like hormones, stress, predictability and safety, and culture all shape how the brain develops.
What the science really says about boys’ brains
Even structural differences in brain volume (e.g. white:grey matter ratio) are more about body size than sex. Crucially, the researchers warn against the misuse of neuroscience to justify gender stereotypes. Boys are not biologically destined to underachieve or dominate—and teachers have a vital role in reshaping this narrative.
This graph shows how common neuropsychiatric disorders are distributed differently between males and females. It uses gender prevalence ratios to highlight which conditions are more commonly diagnosed in each sex.
For example, ASD is about 4x more common in males than females. In contrast, depression is 1.5x to 2x more common in females.
Boys may be under-identified for internalising disorders (e.g. anxiety, depression), as their issues might present as disruptive behaviour instead.
As for girls, they may be under-identified for neurodiverse conditions like ADHD or autism, particularly when they mask symptoms. This figure reinforces the urgent need to move beyond stereotypes.
Like many people, I have been recently inspired by the Netflix TV series, Adolescence. It resonated with me very deeply as a teacher, school leader, as a father, uncle, brother and as a husband. A topic very close to home in a period of unsolicited social media and unregulated mobile phone use for young people.
N.B. Adolescence, in neuroscience, defines the teenage brain from puberty to around age 25.
Online spaces increasingly promote toxic ideas of masculinity. Influencers may tell young boys to be dominant, emotionless, and anti-women. If schools – and society – do not challenge these beliefs early, our young men will internalise them, affecting behaviour, relationships and learning.
How teachers can respond in and beyond the classroom
By addressing gender openly in the curriculum, teachers can create a safe, inclusive space where masculinity is redefined. The research reminds me of the need to consider how neurodevelopment is influenced by stress, parenting, and gender expectations. It’s time to drop “Boys will be boys” and instead ask, “What have boys been told?”
The research supports what many teachers suspect: misogyny isn’t in boys’ DNA—it’s in their data diet, daily experience, and social environment.
Parents and schools should have already started discussing masculinity: What does it mean? Who decides? Use current affairs, social media influencers and character studies from literature to challenge stereotypes. Invite boys to express emotion and reward empathy—not just achievement or assertiveness.
We should avoid reinforcing fixed ideas like “Boys don’t sit still” or “Girls are naturally better communicators”. Instead, structure group activities so emotional expression, listening and collaboration are modelled and celebrated. Language matters too: replace labels with questions—“What helped you act with empathy today?” Create space for safe failure and emotional learning, especially for boys.
CPD questions for teachers:
- How do gender stereotypes show up in your classroom interactions?
- What messages do students get about masculinity through school culture?
- Are students taught to critically evaluate online influencers?
- How are boys supported to express emotions safely in school?
- Do school rewards and sanctions reinforce gender bias?
- What classroom practices challenge “boys will be boys” thinking?
- How are kindness, empathy and care modelled and praised?
- Are your classroom texts and case studies gender-diverse?
- What assumptions do teachers make about boys’ brains or behaviour?
- How is PSHE used to reshape outdated views on masculinity?
The research concludes:
Too often, complex and unreplicated findings about male/female brain differences are simplified and overhyped by popular media.
Download the full paper to explore how sex and gender interact to shape learning and behaviour.
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