2.4 gender differences in education Flashcards
the gender gap in achievement
difference in achievement in education: starting school, keystage 1-3, GCSE’s, A-level, vocational courses.
- girls ahead of boys in all areas of assesment
- girls do consistently better: widest gap in english, gap narrower in maths and sciences
- girls around 10 % points better than boys
- more likely to sit, pass and get higher grades than boys but gap is much narrower
- girls perform better, more likely to get distinctions even in male dominated courses
external factors and gender differences in achievement
what are the 4 external factors and gender differences in achievement
- the impact of feminism
- changes in the family
- changes in womens employment
- girls’ changing ambitions
external factors and gender differences in achievement
what is feminism?
a social movement that strives for equal rights for women in all areas of life.
external factors and gender differences in achievement
since what year has feminism challenged traditional views?
1960’s
external factors and gender differences in achievement
feminism has raised…through…
womens standards, expectations and self esteem through changes in laws and rights, increasing equality
external factors and gender differences in achievement
what did Angela McRobbie’s study show in 1994 show about the change in girl’s magazines?
- 1970- emphasised the importance of getting married
- today- images focussed on assertive, independant women
external factors and gender differences in achievement
how does the impact of feminism explain improvements in educational achievement?
effects girls self-image and ambitions with regard to career and family.
external factors and gender differences in achievement
4 major changes in the family since the 1970’s
- an increase in the divorce rate
- increase in cohabitation
- increase in lone-parent families
- smaller families
external factors and gender differences in achievement
what does increased numbers of female-headed lone parent families lead to
- women will need to take on the role of the breadwinner
- therefore creates a new role model for girls- the financially stable independant woman
- to achieve this women need good jobs and therefore good qualifications
- same situation with the divorce rate increasing
external factors and gender differences in achievement
what has been the effect of the 1970 equal pay act and the 1975 sex discrimination act in women’s employment
- since 1975 the pay gap has halved from 30% to 15%
- proportion of women in employment has risen from 53% (1971) to 67% (2013)
- women are now breaking through the ‘glass cieling’ which keeps women out of high level and managerial jobs
external factors and gender differences in achievement
how have the changes in women’s employment changed the way girls see their future?
- see their future as paid work rather than as housewives
- provide an incentive for girls to want to get better qualifications
external factors and gender differences in achievement
who studied girls changing ambitions?
- sue sharpe
external factors and gender differences in achievement
what did sue sharpes study show
- in the 1970’s girls had low aspirations: they believed educational success was unfemine and unattractive, prioritising husbands and children over a career
- however in the 1990’s girls ambitions changed to focus on a career and being independant
external factors and gender differences in achievement
how does Beck link trends in modern society to girls changing ambitions?
- society has become more individualistic and independance is valued more strongly than in the past
- a career has become more part of a womens life project as ir promises economic self-sufficiency and recognition
external factors and gender differences in achievement
in what ways does class limit how far girl’s ambitions have changed?
- some working class girls still have gender-stereotypes ambitions for marriage and children and expect to go into a traditional low paying womans job
external factors and gender differences in achievement
what does Diana Reay argue?
- that traditional gender identity (e.g. marriage) offers them a source of status
- and that their limited aspirations limit what jobs they believe to be available to them
external factors and gender differences in achievement
why did biggart say that working class girls see less point in education?
- more likely to face a insecure job in the labor force and mother hood is seen to be more viable
internal factors and gender differences in achievement
examples of equal opportunity policies that encourage girls to pursue a career in non-traditional areas
- GIST- girls into science and technology
- WISE- women in science and engineering