Educational Achievement - Gender

Question 1

Girls Achievement External Factor - The Impact of Feminism

Answer 1

• Feminism has provided equal rights. It has brought about legal changes and promoted equal opportunities.
• Helped raise girls ambitions.
• It has encouraged girls to rethink their self-image and be more aspirational.

Question 2

Girls Achievement External Factor - Changes in Employment

Answer 2

• Changes in legislation (Equal Pay Act 1970 and Sex Discrimination Act 1975) and changes in attitude have allowed women to see their future in paid work.
• They understand the necessity of qualifications.
• It reflects greater and more equal career opportunities.
• They have benefitted from being exposed to successful women.

Question 3

Girls Achievement External Factor - Changing Ambition

Answer 3

• Sue Sharpe (1974) - researched WC girls in London. They viewed educational success as unfeminine. Marriage was their main goal.
• Repeated research in 1994. There was a greater change in priorities - more aspirational.
• Francis (2001) - girls are rejecting the traditional female role.
• Fuller (2011) - educational success was a central aspect of girls identity.

Question 4

Girls Achievement External Factor - Changes in Family

Answer 4

• Increase in divorce, cohabitation, SPF’s and a decrease in marriages has impacted girls.
• They recognise they need to take the breadwinner role and encourages girls to focus on their education to be financially independent.

Question 5

Girls Achievement Internal Factor - Equal Opportunities Policies

Answer 5

• Those who run the education system are more aware of gender issues and teachers avoid gender stereotyping.
• Boys and girls are equally capable and entitled.
• GIST and WISE encouraged girls to pursue careers in non-traditional areas.
• National Curriculum made girls and boys study the same subjects.

Question 6

Girls Achievement Internal Factor - Positive Role Models

Answer 6

• Increase in no. of female teachers and head teachers.
• These qualified women in professional positions are a role model for girls.
• Primary schools - very ‘feminised’ with virtually all-female staff - school seen as a girl thing.

Question 7

Girls Achievement Internal Factor - GCSE and Coursework

Answer 7

• Gorard (2005) - gender gap was constant from 1975 until 1988 when it increased sharply. GCSE’s and coursework were introduced then.
• Mitsos and Brown (1989) also believe this is the main cause of the gender gap.
• They believe girls are better as they are more conscientious and organised, spending more time on it.
• Elwood (2005) argues coursework has some influence but exams have more.

Question 8

Girls Achievement Internal Factor - Teacher Attention

Answer 8

• Teachers interact with boys and girls differently.
• Spender (1983) - teachers spend more time with boys and they gain more of their attention.
• French and French (1993) - attention is equal however boys attract more reprimands.
• Swann and Graddol (1994) - boys are more boisterous and attract teacher’s gaze.
• Girls and teachers = positive whereas boys and teachers = negative possibly leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 9

Girls Achievement Internal Factor - Challenging stereotypes in curriculum

Answer 9

• Removing gender stereotypes and sexist images from textbooks, reading schemes and other materials has removed a barrier to achievement.

Question 10

Girls Achievement Internal Factor - Selection and League Tables

Answer 10

• Marketization has created a competitive climate - girls are seen as desirable recruits because they achieve better exam results.
• Jackson (1998) - girls = more attractive as they boost League Table positions. Girls therefore go to “good” schools and have a greater likelihood of doing well.
• Slee (1998) - boys less attractive as they suffer from behavioural problems and are more likely to be excluded. They are seen as a ‘liability’.

Question 11

Boys Achievement External Factor - Literacy

Answer 11

• DCSF (2007) - gender gap a result of boys’ poorer literacy and language skills.
• Parents spend less time reading to their sons.
• Mothers do most reading to children - seen as a feminine activity.

Question 12

Boys Achievement External Factor - Decline of Male Jobs

Answer 12

• Since the 1980’s there has been a decline in heavy industries, engineering as a consequence of globalisation.
• Employees were mainly men.
• Mitsos and Browne (1998) - led to identity crisis for men and had a negative impact on motivation.
• Affects mainly WC boys.

Question 13

Boys Achievement Internal Factor - Feminisation of Education

Answer 13

• Sewell (2006) - schools are feminine and don’t nurture ‘masculine’ traits e.g. competitiveness. It nurtures feminine qualities e.g. methodical working.
• He also blames coursework.

Question 14

Boys Achievement Internal Factor - Shortage of Male Teachers

Answer 14

• Lack of male role modes at home and in school causes underachievement.
• Most boys say a male teacher makes them behave better and work harder.
• Francis and Read - challenges claim education is feminine and that only males can exert firm discipline.
• Haase (2008) - primary schools are a ‘‘masculinised educational structure that is numerically dominated by women.”

Question 15

Boys Achievement Internal Factor - Laddish subcultures

Answer 15

• Epstein (1998) - WC boys likely to be harassed and labelled and subject to homophobic verbal abuse for trying.
• Francis (2001) - being called a ‘swot’ threatens masculinity.
• Laddish culture is becoming widespread - girls become more ‘laddish’ as they move into traditional masculine careers.

Question 16

Gendered Subject Choice - Early Socialisation

Answer 16

• Oakley (1973) - gender role socialisation causes gendered subject choice.
• Norman (1988) - girls and boys treated very differently, given different toys and encouraged to do different activities from an early age.
• Byrne - schools reinforce this. Teachers expectations are gendered encouraging girls to be passive and quiet and boys to be tough.
• Gives girls and boys different interests in reading - boys read info books (interest in science) and girls read fictional books (interest in English and Humanities).
• Children’s beliefs about gender are shaped by early experiences - influences what they see as ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ subjects.

Question 17

Gendered Subject Choice - Gendered Subject Image

Answer 17

• The image the subject gives off affects who picks it.
• Kelly (1984) - science is seen as a ‘boys’ subject as teachers tend to be men and examples in textbooks use male examples.
• Pupils at single sex schools aren’t as stereotyped - make less traditional subject choices.
• Girls from single-sex schools more likely to study traditionally male subjects at GCSE, A Level and at Uni.

Question 18

Gendered Subject Choice - Peer Pressure

Answer 18

• Pupils may pressure individuals if they don’t approve of their subject choice.
• Paetcher (1998) - sport is seen as a male subject. Girls are therefore more likely to opt out of sport.
• Absence of peer pressure explains why girls at single-sex schools are more likely to choose ‘boys’ subjects.

Question 19

Gendered Subject Choice - Gendered Career Opportunities

Answer 19

• Employment is highly gendered - women concentrated in narrow range of occupations.
• Over half of all women’s employment falls within four categories: clerical, secretarial, personal services and cleaning.
• This gives girls an idea of what they should do leading to gendered subject choice.
• This also explains why vocational courses are much more gendered.
• This leads to the continuation of gendered occupations.