I found this study through Steve Stewart-Williams. The authors, Mia Radovanovic, Ece Yucer, and Jessica A. Sommerville from the University of Toronto summarize the study as follows:

Both boys and girls are capable of testing the effectiveness of teaching. However, on average, girls are more likely to persist in a taught solution, while boys are more likely to explore alternatives, creating gender disadvantages in success and learning when teaching is ineffective. These findings suggest interventions to help children flexibly decide when to follow teaching and to prioritize their own ideas.

Let’s elaborate a bit. This study explores how children respond to ineffective teaching, revealing gender-based differences. Researchers found that girls aged 7-10 tend to persist with a taught solution longer than boys, even when it’s ineffective. Conversely, boys are more likely to explore alternative approaches once they identify the solution doesn’t work.

The experiments highlight that while boys and girls can evaluate teaching, girls generally hesitate to abandon the initial instructions due to socialization pressures like people-pleasing and conformity. This behaviour can disadvantage them in situations requiring independent exploration and problem-solving.

The research also suggests that these tendencies in girls may stem from early gendered socialization, where girls are encouraged to maintain positive relationships and conform. In contrast, boys are more often encouraged to explore and challenge ideas. As a result, boys tend to be more successful in environments where flexibility and innovation are required. At the same time, girls’ tendency to persist can lead to less effective problem-solving in such contexts.

This study emphasizes the importance of fostering adaptive learning strategies for both boys and girls, encouraging exploration and flexibility in problem-solving rather than strict adherence to instruction. These insights are crucial for educators aiming to create more equitable learning environments.

While I think the researchers are on to something, the sample (62 children) is relatively small for firm conclusions, IMHO. A replication study would be a great idea.

Abstract of the study:

Teaching is the primary way children learn about the world. However, successful learning involves recognizing when teaching is ineffective, even in the absence of overt cues, and divesting from ineffective teaching to explore novel solutions. Across three experiments, we investigated 7- to 10-year-old children’s ability to recognize ineffective teaching; we tested the hypothesis that girls may be less likely than boys to divest by exploring new solutions, given documented gender differences in socialization toward conformity and obedience. Overall, we demonstrate that children independently tested taught solutions and, upon learning that the solutions were ineffective, rationally traded off between instruction and exploration. Simultaneously, gender differences in divestment emerged. On average, girls demonstrated greater persistence in applying the taught solution, while boys tended to explore their own ideas, leading to differences in solving and learning. Importantly, these differences were observable across both masculine- and feminine-stereotyped tasks. These results have important implications for children’s learning and the development of leadership.