Traditional Masculinity and Boys’ Educational Engagement

Abstract

The value of education as a crucial resource for human growth is widely recognised, yet the benefits of formal education are not evenly distributed between the genders in Zambia. National and international movements have focused on improving girls' educational engagement, even though research suggests that boys' engagement may also be significantly limited. Boys' disengagement may be linked to culturally constructed traditional notions of masculinity that emphasise tough physicality, emotional restraint, and the role of a "provider". This study, therefore, examined how cultural norms of manhood affected boys' engagement in education at selected secondary schools in urban Lusaka District. The study specifically considered how the cultural emphasis on tough boyhood shaped classroom participation, how the cultural expectations of emotional restraint informed study routines, and how notions of provider roles shaped boys' academic ambitions. A qualitative research design was used, with semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with students and teachers from both a public and a private secondary school. Data were thematically analysed. Findings demonstrate the translation of toughness into oppositional behaviour in classrooms, emotional restraint in seeking academic support, and pressure to conflate schooling with income-generating activities. The study recommended incorporating gender-sensitive pedagogies, reinforcing positive masculinity, and designing policies that meet the educational needs of both boys and girls. The study demonstrates that masculinity is a cultural script that shapes educational attainment, hence the need to develop school gender-sensitive pedagogies and policies.