Gender

Question 1

What were the main priorities of working-class girls in the 1970s according to Sue Sharpe’s study?

Answer 1

Love, marriage, husbands, and children

Based on unstructured interviews comparing attitudes over decades.

Question 2

What shift occurred in the main priorities of girls from the 1970s to the 1990s according to Sue Sharpe?

Answer 2

From ‘love, marriage, husbands and children’ to ‘job, career and being able to support themselves’

Education became the main route to a good job.

Question 3

How have changes in the family structure influenced female educational achievement?

Answer 3

Increased independence, education, and employment due to divorce, cohabitation, and single parent families

Girls are more concerned with standing on their own two feet.

Question 4

What societal change has directly impacted female educational performance?

Answer 4

The impact of feminism

Feminism challenged traditional gender stereotypes and raised aspirations.

Question 5

True or False: Boys have historically outperformed girls in educational achievement.

Answer 5

True

Up until the 1980s, boys consistently did better than girls.

Question 6

Fill in the blank: Girls are now more _______ and ambitious compared to girls from the 1970s.

Answer 6

confident

Reflects a shift in attitudes and aspirations influenced by societal changes.

Question 7

What was a major finding of McRobbie’s 1994 study regarding girls’ magazines?

Answer 7

Magazines in the 70s emphasized marriage, whereas later they featured assertive, successful women

Illustrates changing societal expectations for women.

Question 8

What percentage of females achieved a First & Upper 2nd class degree in 2012?

Answer 8

68%

Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (2013)

Question 9

What has been a consequence of girls witnessing adult relationship breakdowns?

Answer 9

Increased wariness of marriage

Influences their commitment to education and independence.

Question 10

What is the glass ceiling?

Answer 10

An invisible barrier preventing women from achieving higher positions in employment

The term often refers to the challenges women face in career advancement despite qualifications.

Question 11

How do teachers interact differently with boys and girls?

Answer 11

Teachers spend more time interacting with boys than with girls

This disparity can affect students’ self-esteem and academic performance.

Question 12

What did Spender (1983) find regarding teacher interaction?

Answer 12

Teachers spend more time interacting with boys

This may lead to differences in academic achievement.

Question 13

What impact do feminist ideas have on the National Curriculum?

Answer 13

They promote equal opportunities for boys and girls

The curriculum aims to reduce gender inequality.

Question 14

What are GIST and WISE?

Answer 14

Policies encouraging girls to pursue science and engineering fields

GIST stands for Girls into Science and Technology, WISE stands for Women into Science and Engineering.

Question 15

How did the introduction of coursework in 1989 affect the gender gap?

Answer 15

The gender gap increased as girls are more conscientious and organized

Gorard (2005) argues that this change in assessment methods favored girls.

Question 16

What conclusion did Gorard (2005) reach regarding the gender gap?

Answer 16

The gender gap is a product of the changed system of assessment

It is not due to a failing of boys.

Question 17

Why are high-achieving girls considered desirable recruits for schools?

Answer 17

They achieve better exam results

This leads to improved opportunities for girls in popular schools.

Question 18

What effect does marketisation and selection have on boys and girls?

Answer 18

Girls are more likely to secure places in popular good schools; boys may end up in unpopular schools

This creates self-fulfilling prophecies regarding academic success.

Question 19

What role do positive female role models play in education?

Answer 19

They demonstrate that women can achieve positions of importance

An increase in female teachers and head teachers provides non-traditional goals for girls.

Question 20

What is the implication of the self-fulfilling prophecy in education?

Answer 20

Students may internalize expectations based on teacher interactions and school reputation

This can lead to a cycle of underachievement or overachievement based on perceived capabilities.

Question 21

Fill in the blank: The Equality Act 2010 and Shared Parental Leave 2015 are examples of ______.

Answer 21

[legislation promoting gender equality in employment]

Question 22

What is the main argument of Sewell (2006) regarding boys’ underachievement in education?

Answer 22

Education has become ‘feminised’, not nurturing ‘masculine’ traits like competitiveness and leadership

Sewell argues that schools celebrate qualities associated with girls, leading to boys falling behind.

Question 23

What percentage of primary school teachers in the UK are male, according to the DfES (2016)?

Answer 23

15%

This shortage of male role models is linked to boys’ underachievement.

Question 24

What is the impact of ‘laddish’ subcultures on boys’ education?

Answer 24

Boys reject schoolwork to avoid being labelled as swots, which threatens their masculinity

This is particularly significant in working-class culture, where masculinity is associated with toughness.

Question 25

Fill in the blank: The gender gap in literacy and language skills is mainly attributed to boys’ _______.

Answer 25

poorer literacy and language skills

Parents often spend less time reading to their sons compared to daughters.

Question 26

What are some leisure activities that do not help boys develop language and communication skills?

Answer 26

Football and computer games

In contrast, girls engage in a ‘bedroom culture’ that promotes neatness and communication.

Question 27

How has globalisation affected traditional men’s jobs since the 1980s?

Answer 27

There has been a decline in heavy industries employing mainly men

This decline has contributed to an ‘identity crisis for men’, impacting their motivation and self-esteem.

Question 28

What is the significance of female-headed lone parent families in the UK regarding boys’ education?

Answer 28

Large numbers of boys are raised without strong positive male role models

This contributes to their underachievement in education.

Question 29

True or False: According to Francis (2001), boys are less concerned than girls about being labelled as ‘swots’.

Answer 29

False

Boys are more concerned about being labelled as ‘swots’ due to its threat to their masculinity.

Question 30

What is one policy the government has introduced to address boys’ literacy and language skills?

Answer 30

Policies aimed at reducing the gender gap in literacy

These policies are designed to improve boys’ literacy and language skills.

Question 31

What does Mac an Ghaill (1994) claim about the decline in male employment opportunities?

Answer 31

It has led to an ‘identity crisis for men’

This crisis undermines their motivation and self-esteem regarding education.