Differential Educational achievement Gender (internal Factors)

Question 1

What are the six main factors to different attainment rates?

Answer 1

1. Equal Opportunities
2. Role models
3. GCSE and coursework
4. Teacher Attention
5. Challenging stereotypes
6. League tables/Selection

Question 2

Equal Opportunities

Answer 2

Goverment policies for education that have aimed to create more opportunities for girls to take part in what have traditionally been made subjects for example GIST and WISE.

The national curriculum also levelled the playing field as girls and boys had to study the same subjects.

IMPACT: Boaler suggests that these policies are the key reason for the changes in girls achievement as they removed many of the barriers faced by girls and has made education meritocratic

Question 3

Role Models

Answer 3

There has been an increase in the amount of females taking up head teacher and senior teachers roles which act as role models for girls showing them that they can achieve positions of importance and power

IMPACT: Girls are more likely to work harder to achieve these goals themselves which leads to them achieving more educationally

Question 4

GCSE and Coursework

Answer 4

Gorard noted that achievement gap was fairly constant however once coursework was introduced girls began to out perform boys and the gap widened

IMPACTS: Mitos and Browne suggest that girls are more successful in coursework because they are more conscientious and better organised than boys which puts them at an advantage

Question 5

Teacher Attention

Answer 5

Boys get more attention in the classroom but it is negative attention. Boys also tend to dominate in whole class discussion whereas girls tend to be more democratic

IMPACT: This negative interaction could explain why teachers respond more positively to girls which could lead to a self fulfilling prophecy allowing girls to achieve and boys to underachieve

Question 6

Challenging stereotypes

Answer 6

The removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks, reading schemes and has removed a barrier to girls aspirations and achievement. In the 1970s and 1980s girls were portrayed as wives and mothers and textbooks would reinforce this image as well as putting girls off science and maths.

IMPACT: Improves greater achievement in girls as they are presented with more positive images of what they can achieve

Question 7

League Tables/ Selection

Answer 7

The league table has made girls more desirable for schools as they are likely to achieve better grades. Slee 4x more likely to be excluded which reflects badly on a school in the competetive nature of education today

IMPACT: Jackson links this desire for high achieving girls to have a self fulfilling prophecy. League tables have created greater opportunities for schools means that girls take on a self fufilling prophecy and master status of higher achievement

Question 8

Evaluation liberal feminists

Answer 8

Celebrate the progress that has been made in education and achievement for girls but believe that there is still work to be done.

They see the need for continued equal opportunities policies, more positive role models and education against sexist attitudes and stereotypes in order for true equality in education to be achieved.

Question 9

Evaluation Radical feminists

Answer 9

Radical feminists recognise that girls are achieving more but they emphasis that this is in spite of the patriachal nature of the education system rather than due to major changes in education.

–> 1/3 16-18 yr old girls said they have experienced unwanted sexual touching in schools.
–> There is still the genderisation of subjects and career options which limit girls choices and options
–> There are still many more men in position of authority in education such as Head Teachers especially in secondary schools