EDUCATION - Achievement Rates of Boys Flashcards
Name the external factors that affect the achievement rates of boys.
These are factors that are outside the education system, such as:
Boys’ poorer literacy skills
Decline of traditional men’s jobs/globalisation
Name the internal factors that affect the achievement rates of boys.
These are factors that are inside the education system, such as:
Feminisation of Education
Shortage of Male Primary School Teachers
‘Laddish’ subcultures
What sociologists study globalisation and the decline of traditional men’s jobs and what did they identify?
Mitsos and Browne - They said that the decline in male employment opportunities has led to an ‘identity crisis for men’ = This means that many boys now believe that they have very little prospect of getting a proper job; this then undermines their motivation and self-esteem, which leads to them giving up in regards to getting qualifications.
What argument is there against the affect of globalisation and the decline of traditional men’s jobs on the achievement rates of boys?
These traditional jobs required few/if any qualifications - This means that the disappearance of such jobs would not have that big of an impact on boys’ motivation to obtain qualifications.
What sociologist studied the feminisation of education and what did they say about it?
Sewell = He said that schools do not nurture ‘masculine’ traits, such as competitiveness and leadership; he argues that schools celebrate qualities that are more closely associated with girls, such as methodical working and attentiveness in class. He saw coursework as a major cause of gender differences in achievement and he argues that some coursework should be replaced with final exams and that there should be a greater emphasis placed on outdoor adventure in the curriculum.
What phrase does Sewell use in regard to the feminisation of education?
‘But we have thrown the boy out of with the bath water’ = Boys have been ignored in education as, even though there has been greater emphasis put on girls’ achievement in order to reduce the gap between the sexes, some people believe boys have been ignored during this process.
What sociologist studied the shortage of male primary school teachers and what did they identify?
Yougov = 39% of 8-11 year old boys have no lessons whatsoever with a male teacher; most boys surveyed said that the presence of a male teacher made them behave better and 42% of boys said it made them work harder. Some commentators argue that this is because the primary school culture has become feminised, as there has been an influx in female teachers (who are unable to control boys’ behaviour). They argue that male teachers can better control boys and their behaviour in schools.
What types of language or ‘discourse’ did Read identify in relation to the question: ‘Are more male teachers really needed?’
Disciplinarian discourse (MASCULINITY) = The teacher’s authority is made explicit and visible –> EG: Through shouting an ‘exasperated’ tone or voice or sarcasm.
Liberal discourse (FEMININITY) = The teacher’s authority is implicit and invisible; this is a child-centred discourse that involves ‘pseduo-adultification’. This means that the teacher speaks to the pupils as if they were an adult and they expect that them to be kind, sensible and respectful to the teacher.
What did Read identify in relation to the two types of discourse?
Read found that most of the teachers in her study of 51 school teachers (25 male and 26 female) used a supposedly ‘masculine’ disciplinarian discourse to control their pupils’ behaviour.
What two conclusions does Read draw from her study?
- The fact that most teachers favoured the more ‘masculine’ discourse disproved the claim that the culture of primary schools has become feminised, as Sewell argues!
- The fact that female teachers were just as likely to use the more ‘masculine’ discourse disproves the claim that male teachers create a more stricter classroom culture that boys thrive in.
What statement does Haase said about primary schools?
He said that we should think of primary schools as a ‘masculinised education structure that is numerically dominated by women’.
What statistics does Jones give about headship roles for men and women?
Male teachers in the UK = 1/4 (one in four) chance of becoming a headteacher
Female teachers in the UK = 1/13 (one in thirteen) chance of becoming a headteacher
What sociologists studied ‘Laddish’ subcultures?
Epstein and Francis.
What did Epstein identify about ‘laddish’ subcultures?
She examined the way that masculinity is constructed within school and she found that working-class boys are more likely to be harassed, labelled as sissies and subjected to homophobic (anti-gay) verbal abuse if they appear to be ‘swots’ who try hard and are dedicated to their education.
What did Francis identify about ‘laddish’ subcultures?
They found that boys were more concerned than girls about being labelled by peers as swots, because this label is more of a threat to their masculinity that in its to a girl’s femininity.
Working-class culture = They associate masculinity with being tough and doing manual work.
Effeminate and inferior work = Non-manual work and extension schoolwork.
Francis believes that laddish culture is becoming increasingly widespread and she argues that this is because girls are moving towards more traditional and masculine areas (such as being in jobs and careers) - This causes boys to respond to this by ‘becoming increasingly laddish in their effort to construct themselves as non-feminine’.
