factors in girls' achievement Flashcards
gender patterns in achievement
- key stages 1-3, girls do consistently better than boys, especially in English
- at GCSE, girls are around 10 percentage points ahead of boys
- at AS and A level, girls are more likely to pass, and to get higher grades, but the gender gap is narrower than at GCSE
- girls achieve higher in traditional boys’ subjects like sciences
- more girls go into higher education than boys (57%)
the influence of feminism on girls’ achievement
- feminist impact on women’s rights and opportunities through campaigns causing changes in the law e.g. equal pay, outlawing rape in marriage
- feminist ideas affecting girls’ self-image and aspirations, causing them to be more motivated to succeed
- McRobbie: study of girls’ magazines in 1970s emphasising marriage, but in 1990s showing independent women
Sharpe (girls’ changing perceptions and ambitions)
- interviews with girls in 1970s and 1990s showing a shift in ambitions.
- 70s girls had low ambitions, prioritising marriage and children as educational success was seen as ‘unfeminine’
- 90s girls prioritised success and being independent in supporting themselves
Francis (girls’ changing ambitions and perceptions)
found that girls now had high career aspirations and so needed educational qualifications
Beck and Beck-Gernsheim (girls’ changing ambitions and perceptions)
argue independence is valued more now than in the past, as having a career has become part of a woman’s life project
Fuller (girls’ changing ambitions and perceptions)
found some girls aimed for a professional career to support themselves, but many wc girls with poor job prospects have stereotypes aspirations for marriage and children. Portrays marriage as an attainable traditional identity that offers status
Changes in the family
major changes since the 1970s
- an increased divorce rate (40%)
- more lone parent families (over 90% of these are female headed)
- more cohabitation and decrease in first marriages
- smaller families with more women remaining single
- all of which encourage independence in finances gained by getting a good job through educational qualifications
changes in women’s employment
- 1970 Equal Pay Act making it illegal to pay women less than men for equal work
- 1975 Sex Discrimination Act outlaws discrimination at school
- pay gap between genders decreased from 30% to 15% since 1975
- proportion of women in employment risen from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013
- therefore, girls have more incentive to see their future in terms of paid work, meaning that they require educational qualifications
external factors in girls’ achievement
influence of feminism, girls’ changing perception and ambition, changes in the family, changes in women’s achievement
internal factors in girls’ achievement
equal opportunities policies, positive role models, coursework, challenging stereotypes in curriculum, teacher attention, selection and league tables
Equal opportunities policies
- belief boys and girls are entitled to equal opportunities is mainstream
- GIST (Girls in Science and Technology) and WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) encourage girls to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated areas
- Introduction of National Curriculum (1988) making girls and boys now largely study the same subjects
- Boaler: seeing most of girls’ barriers to success removed as schooling became more meritocratic
Positive role models
- increase in proportion of female teachers and head teachers providing positive pro-educational role models for girls
- feminises the learning environment and encourages girls to see school as part of a female ‘gender domain’. Therefore, education success is perceived as a desirable female characteristic
coursework
- Gorard: found gender gap in achievement increased sharply when GCSE was introduced in 1988 because coursework was a major part of most subjects
- Mitsos and Browne: found girls do better than boys in coursework as they are more conscientious and better organised. Girls mature earlier and can concentrate for longer
challenging stereotypes in learning materials
- textbooks and other learning materials have previously under-represented women, and shown them as subordinate to males, in domestic roles, so unsuited to certain subjects e.g. science
- since 80s, sexist images have been replaced with positive images of females.
- Weiner: sexist images have been replaces by positive images of women
teacher attention
- Spender (study in the 80s): found teachers spent more time interacting with boys than with girls
- French and French (study in 90s): found teachers paid similar attention to boys and girls for academic reasons, but boys received more attention overall as they attracted more punishments for misbehaviour
- Francis (study in 2000s): found, although boys received more attention, they were disciplined more harshly and felt teachers picked on them and had lower expectations of them
- Swann (study in late 90s): found boys dominate class discussions whereas girls prefer group work and are better at listening and cooperating. Girls are seen favourably by teachers, having more encouragement
selection and league tables
- marketisation policies created a more competitive climate where schools see girls as desirable sue to good exam results
- Jackson: notes intro of league tables has improved opportunities for girls, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy as high-achieving girls are more likely to be recruited by good schools and succeed
- Slee: boys are less attractive to schools due to tendency to suffer from behavioural difficulties, viewing them as ‘liability obstacles’ to be excluded
radical feminists
recognise girls’ increased achievement, but emphasise that the system remains patriarchal. This is shown through sexual harassment of girls at school, education limiting girls’ subject choice and career options, women being under-represented in areas of the curriculum, and male teachers more likely to become heads
- Weiner: describes secondary school history curriculum as a ‘woman-free zone’
liberal feminists
celebrates progress in improving achievement, and recognises there is further progress to be made by development of equal opportunities policies. They encourage positive role models to overcome sexist attitudes and stereotypes
Archer (wc girls’ underachievement)
claims that wc girls underachieve because of a conflict between feminine identities and the school’s habitus. They face a choice between gaining symbolic capital (from peers by conforming to wc feminine identity), or gaining educational capital (by conforming to the school’s mc notions of the ideal female pupils and gaining qualifications)
Identity of wc girls affecting achievement
- many girls construct hyper-heterosexual feminine identities to earn smybolic capital from their female peers. The school commits symbolic violence by defining the girls’ culture as worthless
- boyfriends bring symbolic capital, but get in the way of schoolwork, lowering girls’ aspirations
- adopting outspoken, assertive identities cause teachers to view them as aggressive
- ladettes who adopt a ‘Nike’ identity portray an anti-social behaviour by swearing, violence, aggression and truanting, leading to exclusion and negative labelling in teachers’ eyes
successful wc girls’ barriers
Evans found wc girls may still be disadvantaged while succeeding, as they wanted to go to university to increase their earning power and help their families. They chose to live at home, reflecting their wc feminine habitus, as the cost of living away and fear of debt limited their choices and future earning power
