Evaluation of Gender Differences in Educaional Achievement

Question 1

Cognitive development

Question 2

Gender differences (External factors)
WEAKNESSES

Answer 2

• Gender linked to class and ethnicity. (Heaton), differences in educational achievement cannot be fully understood by looking at gender alone.
• Maturation process. Girls mature earlier than boys and are more likely to be receptive to learning at an earlier age than boys.

Question 3

Gender differences (Internal factors)
WEAKNESSES

Answer 3

• Coursework has little impact. (Murphy) argues that females have been out performing males long before the introduction of coursework. It has a limited effect on why girls do better.
• Teachers attention. No evidence that the difference in teacher-pupil interactions is the reason for the difference in educational achievement between genders.

Question 4

Gender differences (Boys underachievement)
WEAKNESSES

Answer 4

• Its exaugurated into a ‘moral panic’ by politicians and others.
• Decline of traditional men’s job explanation is questioned. These would only be for working class boys, so it seems unlikely that such jobs disappearance would have much of an impact on boys motivation to gain qualifications.