Education - Gender

Question 1

External - Gender

Which sociologist studied the impact of feminism?

Answer 1

McRobbie (1994)

Question 2

External - Gender

Briefly outline McRobbie’s (1994) study and findings.

Answer 2

Studied girls’ magazines from the 70s and compared them to ones from the 90s
- 70s: they emphasised getting married and not being ‘left on the shelf’
- 90s: they showed women as more independent and assertive

Question 3

External - Gender

What are some changes to the family that affect girls’ achievement?

Answer 3

• Increase in divorce rates
• Increase in cohabitation
• Increase in lone-parent families
• Smaller families

Question 4

External - Gender

What are some changes in women’s employment that affect girls’ achievement?

Answer 4

• Equal Pay Act 1970
• Since 1975, the pay gap has halved from 30% to 15%
• The proportion of women in employment has risen by 14% since 1971
• Some women are breaking through the glass ceiling

Question 5

External - Gender

What sociologist studied girls’ changing ambitions?

Answer 5

Sharpe (1994)

Question 6

External - Gender

Briefly outline Sharpe’s (1994) study and findings.

Answer 6

Interviewed girls in the 70s and the 90s:
- in the 70s, girls had low aspirations and believed educational success was unfeminine
- in the 90s, girls valued their careers lots more and wanted to be able to support themselves

Question 7

Internal - Gender

What three sociologists studied GCSEs and coursework?

Answer 7

• Gorard (2005)
• Mitsos and Brown (1998)
• Elwood (2005)

Question 8

Internal - Gender

What did Gorard (2005) say about GCSEs and coursework?

Answer 8

The gender gap was consistent until 1989 when GCSEs and coursework were introduced

Question 9

Internal - Gender

What did Mitsos and Brown (1998) say about GCSEs and coursework?

Answer 9

Girls are better at coursework as they are more conscientious and organised than boys

Question 10

Internal - Gender

How did Elwood (2005) criticise Mitsos and Brown (1998)?

Answer 10

Coursework is unlikely to be the only cause as exams have more weight on final grades

Question 11

Internal - Gender

What policies encourage girls to pursue careers in non-traditional areas?

Answer 11

• GIST

-WISE

Question 12

Internal - Gender

What sociologist studied equal opportunity policies and what did they say?

Answer 12

Boaler (1998) - many of the barriers have been removed from education and schooling has become more meritocratic

Question 13

Internal - Gender

What has there been in schools to give girls more positive role models!?

Answer 13

An increase in the proportion of female teachers and headteachers

Question 14

Internal - Gender

Which sociologists studied teacher attention?

Answer 14

• French and French (1993)
• Francis (2001)
• Swann (1998)

Question 15

Internal - Gender

What did French and French (1993) say about teacher attention?

Answer 15

Boys attract more attention through reprimands

Question 16

Internal - Gender

What did Francis (2001) say about teacher attention?

Answer 16

The attention that F+F (1993) say boys get is harsh and not good for them

Question 17

Internal - Gender

What does Swann (1998) say about teacher attention?

Answer 17

Boys dominate class discussions, where girls prefer pair-work and are better at listening

Question 18

Internal - Gender

What sociologist studied challenging stereotypes in the curriculum?

Answer 18

Weiner (1995)

Question 19

Internal - Gender

What does Weiner (1995) say about challenging stereotypes in the curriculum?

Answer 19

Since the 1980s teachers have challenged stereotypes and resources have removed stereotypical imagery

Question 20

Internal - Gender

Which sociologists studied selection and league tables?

Answer 20

• Jackson (1998)
• Slee (1998)

Question 21

Internal - Gender

What does Jackson (1998) say about selection and league tables?

Answer 21

High achieving girls are more attractive to schools, low achieving boys are not

Question 22

Internal - Gender

How does Slee (1998) criticise Jackson (1998)?

Answer 22

Argues that boys are unattractive because of behaviour problems not underachievement