Educational Achievement - Gender Flashcards
Grade differences in GCSE
2016
Girls did 9% better than boys
Girls also consistently get more A* and A grades than boys
Boys outperforming eval?
Boys outperformed in 2017 in terms of higher grades. First time in 17 years
Boys more likely to get A*
Girls more likely to get A
Save the children study
2016
Boys are twice as likely to fall behind before school even begins
Sue sharp study on gender differences
Liberal feminist
Just like a girl - 94
Interviews and questionnaires where done on w/c school girls in London on two occasions
70’s - girls prioritised love, marriage and children ( society constrained women and limited their aspirations
90’s - girls prioritised careers over love or marriage
A gender quake had occurred
These girls where more confident and ambitious
Occurred due to changes in social policy and law
Crisis of masculinity
The absence of traditional male employment has led to lack of certainty about what particularly working class boys might do in the future
In school factors + sociologist
Michelle stanworth
Teachers low expectations
Boys dominance of the classroom
Girls being concerned that intelligence is an unattractive characteristic
Schools push girls to lower paid or domestic roles
Potential biological explanations?
Girls mature faster than boys physically, maybe they do intellectualy
In early years girls have stronger linguistic abilities than boys
Feminisation of education + sociologist
Sewell - 2006
Predominance of female teachers
Reading is associated with females (mothers and teachers)
Changes in the educational system + sociologist
Mitsos and Browne - 98
Removal of coursework - girls where better at coursework but now it has been reduced
This was because of girls higher organisational skills
Educational policies
WISE - women into science and engineering
GIST - Girls into science and technology
was projected in 1980’s to try and address gender differences in subject choice and encourage girls to choose science in school
How did the 88 ERA help
Introducing the national curriculum meaning all students study the same subjects which decreases gendered subjects
Introducing school performance league tables as it would risk their league table spot if girls achievement wasn’t improved
Labelling and responses from pupils and teachers + sociologist
Girls can be labelled as the ideal pupils and respond with hard work and attention
Boys can be labelled as trouble and respond with disruptive behaviour
Meanwhile teachers still spend more time with boys - Swann and Graddol
Teacher - girl - educational
Teacher - boy - discipline
