EDUCATION - INTERNAL Gender differences in achievement Flashcards
EQUAL EDUCATIONAL POLICIES
policy makers are now more socially aware of the impact of gender issues and teachers are more sensitive in knowing the damage of gender stereotypes
GIST (girls in science and tech - early 1980s) and WISE (women in science and engineering) are both initiatives that encourage girls into careers that are non-traditional.
the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1988 removed the traditional source of inequality by forcing boys and girls to study the same subjects.
schooling has become more meritocratic and so the harder you work, the higher results you achieve.
POSITIVE ROLE MODELS IN SCHOOLS
there is an increase in the proportion of female teachers and head teachers - these women in senior positions behave as role models for their students, showing them that women can achieve positions of importance.
1922 - 22% of headteachers were female
2018 - only 38% of headteachers at secondary school were female
TEACHER ATTENTION
Jane and Peter French 1993 study
Swann
when Jane and Peter’s study in 1993 analysed classroom interaction, they found that boys received more attention because they were reprimanded.
Swann also found that gender differences in communication styles… boys dominated whole-class discussions whereas girls were better at group work and pair-work because they are better at cooperating.
teachers may respond more positively to girls because they see them as cooperative… fulfilling this prophecy heightens their esteem and raises their academic achievement.
boys’ label? disruptive…
SELECTION AND LEAGUE TABLES
Roger Slee 1998
marketisation has created increased competition where schools see girls as desirable recruits because they achieve higher exam results.
low-achieving boys are not attractive for schools… this creates a cycle and self-fulfilling prophecy where because girls are more likely to be recruited by successful schools, they are more likely to do well.
Slee suggestie that boys are less attractive to schools because they have higher chances of suffering from behavioural conduct disorders and are four times likelier to be excluded from school… they are labelled as liabilities and as obstacles for a school that wants to improve their position on the league table.
tough and rough boys would discourage high-achieving girls from applying to their schools.
GCSE AND COURSEWORK
Mitsos and Browne 1998
this form of assessment benefits girls and disadvantages boys.
in 1989, GCSEs were introduced.
coursework is a significant part of most subjects… he concluded that the gender gap in achievement is a product of the system of assessment.
M+B 1998 also favour this approach suggesting that girls are more successful course-work wise because they are better organised.
oral exams and assessment are becoming increasingly common e.g., spoken English language exam as part of the GCSE.
these skills in addition to the ones taught to girls during primary socialisation e.g., tidying and patience, means that they are advantaged.
CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES IN THE CURRICULUM
Gaby Weiner’s 1995 study
removal and acknowledgement of gender stereotypes from textbooks and other learning resources has removed a barrier to a girl’s academic success.
physics textbooks in the 1970s and 1980s portrayed girls as fearful of science.
Weiter’s study suggests that since the 1980s, teachers have also dismembered and challenged these stereotypes… this has impacted girls’ achievement as they are equipped with resources and attitudes that reflect positive ideals of what they can achieve
What do liberal and radical feminists think of this?
Weiner
liberal feminists celebrate the progress made so far… they believe that although further progress must be made, continuing development of equal opportunities will overcome this through encouragement exist attitudes.
radical feminists believe that the education system is still highly patriarchal and conveys the message of male-dominance. e.g., Weiner points out the history curriculum at GCSE is a ‘woman-free zone’
