The Gender Factor in Composition Writing with the Use of the Cooperative and the Individualized Approaches at a Junior Secondary School in Botswana

Abstract

The stereotype of gender in performance in certain subjects is not new. Excellent performance in mathematics and the sciences has been long attributed to the male gender while such a performance in English Language and the Arts has also been attributed to the female gender. The use of English language in schools in Anglophone African countries is regarded as highly important if boys and girls are to be able to communicate effectively in the society. However, composition writing for most students has become an arduous and torturous activity. Two strategies dominate the teaching and learning of composition writing in the classroom setting. These are the individualised and the cooperative strategies.