external factors influencing gender differences in achievement

Question 1

what do official statistics show about gender differences in education?

Answer 1

• girls ahead in all 7 areas of learning at end of year one by 7–17 percentage points
• girls better at concentrating
• DfE study: boys 2.5x more likely to have special educational needs statements
• from key stage 1 to 3, girls do better, especially in english
• gender gap in english widens with age
• in maths and science, girls still ahead but gap is narrower
• at gcse, girls lead by 10 percentage points
• at a-level, girls more likely to sit, pass, and get higher grades
• in 2013, 46.8% of girls vs 42.2% of boys gained a or b grades
• even in ‘boys’ subjects like maths and physics, girls outperform boys
• in vocational courses, girls get more distinctions in every subject
• girls’ improvement rate faster, especially at gcse level

Question 2

what external factors help explain gender differences in achievement?

Answer 2

• impact of feminism
• changes in the family
• changes in women’s employment
• girls’ changing perceptions and ambitions
• help explain girls’ faster improvement in results

Question 3

impact of feminism

Answer 3

• feminism = movement for equal rights for women in all areas of life
• since 1960s, challenged traditional female roles (mother, housewife, inferior to men)
• targeted patriarchal nuclear family and inequality in work, education, law
• achieved legal changes improving women’s rights and opportunities
• raised women’s expectations and self-esteem
• changes reflected in media messages
• mcrobbie (1994) study of girls’ magazines:
  
  • 1970s magazines focused on marriage and fear of being left on the shelf
  • modern magazines show assertive, independent women
• feminism influenced girls’ ambitions for careers and family
• helped improve girls’ self-image
• linked to improvements in educational achievement

Question 4

changes in the family

Answer 4

• since the 1970s, major family changes include:
  
  • higher divorce rate
  • more cohabitation, fewer first marriages
  • more lone-parent families
  • smaller families
• more female-headed lone-parent families mean more women as breadwinners
• creates new adult role model: the financially independent woman
• to achieve independence, girls need well-paid jobs → need good qualifications
• higher divorce rate shows girls it may be risky to rely on a husband
• encourages girls to value education and qualifications to support themselves

Question 5

changes in women’s employment

Answer 5

• 1970 Equal Pay Act: made it illegal to pay women less than men for equal work
• 1975 Sex Discrimination Act: outlaws discrimination at work
• since 1975, pay gap between men and women halved from 30% to 15%
• women in employment increased from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013
• growth of service sector and part-time work created more opportunities for women
• more women breaking through the ‘glass ceiling’ into high-level professional and managerial roles
• these changes encourage girls to see their future in paid work rather than as housewives
• better career opportunities, higher pay, and role models from successful women inspire girls to gain qualifications

Question 6

girls’ changing ambitions

Answer 6

• Sue Sharpe’s (1994) study of girls in 1970s and 1990s shows a shift in girls’ views
  
  • 1974: girls had low aspirations, believed educational success was unfeminine
  • priorities: love, marriage, husbands, children, jobs/careers (in that order)
  • by 1990s, girls’ priorities shifted to careers and financial independence
  • now more likely to see themselves as independent women with a career
• O’Connor’s (2006) study of 14-17 year olds found marriage and children not major life goals
• Beck and Beck-Gernsheim (2001) linked this to individualisation in society, where independence is more valued
• a career is now seen as a woman’s life project for recognition and economic self-sufficiency
• Carol Fuller’s (2011) study: girls saw educational success as part of their identity
  
  • self-creation: they believed in meritocracy and aimed for professional careers
  • educational qualifications were necessary for their aspirations, unlike the 1970s girls

Question 7

how do class differences affect girls’ ambitions and achievement?

Answer 7

• some working-class girls still have gender-stereotyped aspirations
  
  • focus on marriage, children, and low-paid traditional women’s work
• diane reay (1998):
  
  • limited aspirations reflect class position and perceived lack of job opportunities
  • traditional gender identity offers attainable status
• biggart (2002):
  
  • w/c girls face precarious labour market
  • motherhood seen as only viable future
  • leads to low motivation for education
• in fuller’s study, most low-aspiring w/c girls planned to leave school early
  
  • aimed for low-level jobs, not interested in further education