Educational Achievement / Gender Flashcards
Francis
Becky Francis (2001) found that white boys were picked on more harshley and teachers had low expectations of them
Mitcos and Browne
Mitsos and Browne (1998) pointed to in-school factors that stand behind the gender division when it comes to school subjects. The four most important factors are:
~Gender stereotypes in textbooks
~The lack of female role models in science and mathematics textbooks
~Gender stereotyping by teachers
~The domination of the science equipment in the classroom by male teachers and students
Mac an Ghaill
Masculinities, sexualities and schooling
Mac an Ghaill (1994) focused more on how gender identities influenced the formation of subcultures and demonstrated that sub cultural responses were more complex than just being pro an anti school. Mac an Ghaill identified at least four distinct subcultures: the macho lads, the academic achievers, the ‘new enterprisers’, and the real Englishmen. He also examined the experience of gay students, but it’s not clear whether these students formed a subculture. He conducted research with year 11 students in a school in a mainly working class comprehensive school in the West Midlands and found that subcultures emerged in response to a remange of factors:
~ the way the students were organised into sets
~ the curriculum they followed
~ the relationships the pupils had with their teachers
~ students’ gender identities
The real Englishman
These were a small group of middle-class students typically from liberal professional backgrounds who rejected what teachers had to offer, believing their own culture and knowledge to be superior. They saw the motivations of both the Enterprisers and Achievers as somewhat shallow although they did themselves aspire to going to university and professional careers. They had something of an aloof attitude to school. Doing well was not something they valued as they saw school as beneath them, yet they needed to be successful in order to prove this, and so were concerned to achieve without making any apparent effort. Of course they may well have worked hard at home, but it was the appearance of achieving effortlessly that was important.
Gay students
Mac and Ghaill was one of the first researchers to take into account the experiences of gay students who found the school heterosexist and homophobic. They also criticised the normalisation of heterosexual relationships and the nuclear family within the school
Forde et al
Laddish culture
Forde et al found that laddish behaviour was based on the idea that working hard at school is uncool and undermining of masculinity, and those who did work were viewed as ‘swots’ or described as ‘keeno’. He found that boys base their laddish behaviour on the dominant view of masculinity: they acted tough, messed around, disrupted lessons and rejected schoolwork as feminine. This explanation suggest that poor behaviour and lack of effort is the reason some boys under achieve
Sewell
Feminisation of schooling
According to Sewell (2006), another possible factor in boys’ falling behind in education is that schools have become feminised. This means they no longer nurture ‘masculine traits’, eg, competitiveness and leadership . Evidence for ‘feminisation’ comes from:
~ female teachers. Most classroom teachers are likely to be women, who often outnumber men by a ratio of 6 to 1 in primary schools. The shortage of male role models gives the perception that educational success in feminine
~ coursework. Educational assessment has been feminised by the introduction of coursework which disadvantage boys
~ feminine styles of teaching. The way in which the curriculum is delivered by female teachers in the classroom, eg, the se of discussion, creativity, elaboration, expression of ideas and abstract concepts rather than the mechanical ‘hands-on’ approach which boys prefer
Murphy and Elwood
Early socialisation
Murphy and Elwood (1998) argue difference in subject choice has its roots in early differences in how boys and girls are socialised. As a results of differences in early socialisation, boys and girls have different tastes in reading. Boys tend to read hobby books, which developed an interest in the sciences, whereas girls tend to read stories about people. This may explain why boys are attracted to science based subjects and girls are attracted to subjects like English
Kelly
Gendered subject images
Kelly (1987) identifies two main reasons that science tends to be seen as masculine. Firstly, the way science subjects are packed makes them appear to be boy’s subject: science teachers tend to be male and the examples used in textbooks and by teachers tent to be linked to boys’ experiences rather than the interests of girls. Secondly, students themselves make the greatest contribution to turning science into a boy’s subject: boys dominate the science classrooms and grab science apparatus first
Connell (1995), Paetcher (1998), Parker (1996)
Gender identities and schooling
Pupils’ experiences of school can help to reinforce their gender identities. This is what Connell (1995) calls hegemonic masculinity - the dominance of heterosexual masculine identity and the subordination of female and gay identities
Verbal abuse
According to Connell, abusive language between pupils reinforces dominant gender identities. Boys use name calling to put girls down if they behave in certain ways (eg, slangs, tight, frigid). Paetcher (1998) found that name calling helps to shape gender identities and male dominance. The use of negative labels such as ‘gay’, ‘queer’ and ‘lezzie’ are ways in which pupils can control each other’s sexual identities. Parker (1996) found that boys were called ‘gay’ if they were friendly and polite, and got on well with girls or female teachers. Paethcer notes that pupils control one another’s sexual identities through negative labels
Sue Sharpe
Girls’ changing ambitions
Sue Sharpe did a classic piece of research in the 1970s, repeated in the 1990s in which she interviewed young girls about their ambitions. In the 1970s their priorities were to get married and have a family, but by the 1990s their priorities were to get a career and have a family later on in life.
Heidi Mirza
Young, female and black
Mirza studied 62 black girls and women aged 15-19 in two secondary schools and found that they had positive attitudes towards achieving success in school. However many also thought that some teachers were racist and so formed subcultures based on their ethnicity which valued education but had little respect for the school which was seen as a racist institution.
Moir and Moir
School environment
Moir and Moir (1998) argued that educational institutions have become too ‘girl friendly’, which means that they don’t suit boys and their need in terms of educational development. They point to the emphasis on verbal skills, and to the non-competitive environment that schools aspire to as examples of ‘girl friendly’ education.
Katz
Self-image
Katz (2000) claims that peer pressure and the fear of being teased for studying contributes to boys’ underachievement and lack of effort in school. Katz also argued that boys nowadays see a lot of incompetent male role models in the media and advertising, which undermines their self-esteem.
Low self-esteem is linked to the disappearance of traditionally male jobs and to boys being uncertain about their futures and lacking motivation.
James
The meaning of masculinity
James (2000) argued that while women reassessed their role in society and decided that education and paid employment is a significant part of their lives, men are more uncertain about what their role in society is. The meaning of masculinity is being reassessed.
James argues that nowadays being good at school is not necessarily seen as the most masculine feature, especially among the working-class, so boys tend not to work hard for educational success.
Harris et al (1993)
Harris et al. did research on the educational achievement of 16-year-old students with working-class backgrounds. They found that:
~Boys are suffering from low self-esteem and poor motivation
~Girls are much more willing to struggle to get through difficulties in their studies
~Girls are more hard-working on the long term, while boys get distracted much more easily
~Boys find it harder to organise their time effectively when doing coursework
~Girls spend more time on homework
~Girls are more concerned about getting qualifications for their future careers than boys
Things have changed since Harris’s research in the 1990s. However, there are new studies suggesting further explanations - some similar to Harris’ findings - for the increasing educational success of girls.
