Boys and achievement

Question 1

What are the 7 points ?

Answer 1

1. Boys and literacy
2. policies
3. globalisation
4. feminisation of education
5. Shortage of male teachers
6. laddish subcultures
7. Moral panic

Question 2

Boys and literacy

Answer 2

• often socialised and not read
• Mothers are the ones reading to infants so seen as ‘feminine’
• Boy’s leisure persuits of football etc don’t require literacy that develops communciaiton - so fall behind

Question 3

Boy policies

Answer 3

The raising boys achievement project - involves a range of teaching strategies including same sex

National literacy strategy - improving boys reading

Reading champions - using male role models to celebrate their own reading interests

Dads and sons campaign - encouraging fathers to be more involved in sons education

Question 4

Globalisation / less male jobs

MITOS AND BROWNE

Answer 4

Since 80s has decline

M?B argue - this leads to a crisis with boys not believing they will get a proper job so give up trying on qualifications

But the jobs are often manual which dont require qualifications therefore don’t rlly impact on motivaiton

Question 5

Feminisation of education

Seweell

Answer 5

• shcools don’t nurture masculinity
• celebrste girl qualities of attentiveness and working methodologically

Argues coursework cause of differencea and argues it should be replaced with exams outside the curriculum

Question 6

Shortage of male primary school teachers

Yougov

Answer 6

Lack of role models
Studt found that 8-11 yo boys 39% no male teacherbut all believe they would work harder with male

Some argue this is due to the culture of primary schools becoming feminised as being staffed by women.Who are unable to control a boy’s behaviour ?

So believe male teachers are able to impose strict discipline teaching much better

Question 7

READS study - evaluation for feminisation of education

Answer 7

Read - critical of the claims that culture of primary schools becoming feminised
Studied the type of language teachers used to express criticism of pupil’s work and behaviour

Identified 2 languages
Disciplinary discourse - teacher’s authority is made explicit
Liberal discourse - teachers authority is implicit / invisible

Studied 51 teachers ( 25 m 26f)
Found most teachers used disciplinary discourse)

Conclusions
As most DC disproves the claim of feminisation of primary school
The fact female teachers were just as likely to control behaviour - disproves the claim that only men can be stricter and create an environment boys thrive in

Question 8

Laddish subcultures

EPSTEIN

Answer 8

Research found WC boys are more likely to be labelled as swots by peers as education is seemed as ‘feminine’

• As in WC subcultures masculinity is superior /manual work so they reject schoolwork

Question 9

Moral panic about boys

Answer 9

RINGROSE - ‘failing boys’ - this reflects the fear that WC boys will grow up to be dangerous and unemployable

Argues this has caused a shift in educational policy which has 2 effects
* By narrowing equal opportunity policy down to failing boys it ignores problem of disadvantaged WC and minority ethnic pupils

• By narrowing gender policy down to the sole issue being achievement gaps ignores the other issues faced by girls in schools → bullying / self esteem / subject choice

Question 10

EVALUATION

Gender/ class and ethnicity

CONNOLLY

Answer 10

Could be wrong to assumer boys are lost cause as both genders have improved

MCVEIGH - argues that similarities between gender achievement as class is 3x greater

CONNOLLY so need to interplay of class gender and eyhnicity to gain an understanding ina chievement