Factors effecting boys achievement and subject choice

Question 1

Who is underachieving most?

Answer 1

Due to recent studies, girls academic achievement has significantly improved whereas boys are underachieving.

Question 2

1. Gender socialisation.

Boys develop poorer language and literacy skills….

Answer 2

This is because parents spend less time reading to them compared to baby girls, which means reading becomes part of the female gender domain and is seen as a feminine activity.

This then puts boys off reading which is vital for the development of language and academic skills that support students at school.

Question 3

1. Gender Socialisation

Boys choice of leisure activities..

Answer 3

Boys leisure pursuits do little to help development of language and communication skills as they learn through doing not talking. For example football.

This means boys are socialised as confident and outgoing which causes conflict with academic expectations.

Question 4

1. Gender Socialisation

Boys choice of leisure activities…
What could this lead too?

Answer 4

Overstimulation of abilities, with boys tending to overestimate their capabilities, potentially resulting in less effort in their studies.

Question 5

1. Gender Socialisation

Criticism

Answer 5

Socialisation of girls does not explain why they started to overtake boys in the late 1980’s - if anything gender socialisation has become more gender neutral in recent years.

Question 6

2. Changes in Employment (masculinity crisis)

Answer 6

• Decline in traditional male working-class jobs due to globalisation.

This means boys may lack motivation and ambition due to feeling of having limited prospects - qualifications won’t get them anywhere so why bother?

Question 7

What has the decline in traditional male jobs lead to?

Answer 7

This has resulted in large amounts of boys/men having low self-image, expectations and self-esteem.

• Decline in traditional bread-winner roles in families has lead to crisis of masculinity.