Gender and Achievement

Question 1

Which gender do teachers tend to respond more positively to?

Answer 1

Teachers tend to respond more positively to girls whom are seen as cooperative and hardworking compared to boys

Question 2

What did Francis find out about girls and labelling?

Answer 2

Francis found out that girls have become labelled as hardworking and capable - many boys (particularly WC) are seen as less able and more disruptive which leads to some cases of students developing a self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 3

Why can gender stereotypes lead to the misallocation of sets?

Answer 3

Girls are more likely to be put up a set while boys are put down a set

Question 4

How can set impact students self confidence?

Answer 4

Boys at the bottom set will likely develop a self-fulfilling prophecy believing they are stupid, give up and underachieve

Question 5

What policies are in place to provide equal opportunities for girls in education?

Answer 5

Policies like GIST (girls into science and technology) encourage girls to study subjects that are traditionally male dominated

Also WISE (women into science and engineering)

Question 6

What did Mitsos and Browne argue about girls and coursework?

Answer 6

Argued that girls are more successful in coursework because they work harder and are better organised than boys - girls spend more time on their work, are better at meeting deadlines and bring the right equipment to lessons

Question 7

What do sociologists argue about characteristics and skills commonly found among girls?

Answer 7

Argue they are the result of early gender socialisation in the family - girls are more likely to be encouraged to be neat, tidy and patient which help them in their school work

Question 8

What did Epstein find out about working-class boys?

Answer 8

Found they often feel pressured by their peers to be seen to be working as little as possible or else they will experience bullying or harassment

Question 9

What do working-class boys see school work as?

Answer 9

See school work as ‘girly’ and a waste of time because they want to get manual jobs - the boys feel under pressure to rebel against school to avoid being labelled as gay

Question 10

What does the feminisation of education refer to?

Answer 10

Refers to the way in which education has become a female-dominated environment - particularly in primary schools where most teachers are female, which benefited girls

Question 11

What does Sewell argue about schools being increasingly feminised?

Answer 11

Argues schools value feminine traits such as attentiveness and consistent work patterns, rather than competitiveness and leadership that are seen as masculine traits

Question 12

When given a choice what subjects do girls tend to choose at school?

Answer 12

Girls tend to choose subjects like languages, English literature and Health and social care - leads them to traditionally female roles later in life

Question 13

When given a choice what subjects do boys tend to choose at school?

Answer 13

Boys tend to choose maths and science - often lead to higher status jobs

Question 14

From a young age what are girls encouraged to be?

Answer 14

Encouraged to be kind, caring and pretty - results in them choosing subjects like health and social care and beauty

Question 15

From a young age what are boys encouraged to be?

Answer 15

Encouraged to be outgoing and adventurous- results in them choosing subjects like sport and physics

Question 16

What did Paetcher find out about girls and peer pressure and subject choice?

Answer 16

Found out girls feared being labelled ‘lesbian’ or ‘butch’ if they took part in traditional male sports (e.g. rugby) and boys feared being labelled ‘gay’ for participating in performing arts

Question 17

What is the science stereotype?

Answer 17

That science is for boys, the middle classes, white and south asian students

Question 18

What do many girls believe about physics?

Answer 18

Many believe physics is ‘too hard’ and that boys are naturally good at physics

Question 19

How are boys and girls encouraged to act accordingly to gender binary in schools?

Answer 19

Boys told to ‘man up’

Teachers tell boys to stop acting like girls

Peer pressure - girls tell their friends they need to look pretty

Male gaze - girls feel they need to look good

Teachers are stricter on girls if they are rude in class

Question 20

What is hegemonic masculinity?

Answer 20

The idea that men should be dominant, tough, aggressive and misogynistic (hate women)

Femininity is devalued - girls are seen as weaker and passive

Question 21

What effects can hegemonic masculinity have?

Answer 21

Can normalise sexual harassment towards girls (to show they are dominant)

Can normalise homophobia to prove boys are not girly or gay

Question 22

What does toxic masculinity refer to?

Answer 22

Refers to the harmful aspects of masculinity

Question 23

What are some examples of sexual harassment in schools?

Answer 23

Unwanted sexual touching - one third of 16-18 year olds claim they have experienced unwanted sexual touching at school

Unsolicited dick picks - they feel ‘provoked’ and don’t know what to do or how to report it

Non consensual sexting - girls are pressured for naked photos

Question 24

What double standards are their in regards to sexual behaviour?

Answer 24

There is a ‘lad culture’ boys are rewarded for getting with girls, girls are blamed and labelled

Question 25

What does Ringrose claim about schools and sexual violence?

Answer 25

Claims schools dismiss sexual violence - schools don’t want anything to do with sexual harassment and cases are not dealt with

Ringrose claims this confirms toxic masculinity- it keeps happening and girls continue to be sexually harassed

Question 26

What comparisons did Sharpe make between ambitions of girls in the 1970s and 1990s?

Answer 26

1970s girls priorities were home centered focusing on marriage and family

1990s girls prioritised their career

Question 27

What did many girls changes in ambitions mean they wanted?

Answer 27

Many girls wanted careers, motivating them to work hard at school - they know they need good qualifications to achieve well paid high status careers

Question 28

What did many single mum households provide for girls?

Answer 28

Provides girls with a new role model - the financially independent woman

Question 29

What has rising divorce rates led girls to think?

Answer 29

Rising divorce rates have led girls to think it is unwise to rely on a husband for money - also motivates girls to work hard

Question 30

What did McRobbie argue girls have outside of school?

Answer 30

McRobbie argues that outside school girls have a ‘bedroom culture’ creating their own subcultures in which talking, working hard and being neat is seen as important which helps them at school

Question 31

What do boys tend to spend their free time outside of school doing?

Answer 31

Tend to spend their free time doing more physical activities which don’t contribute towards their educational achievement

Question 32

What does gendered socialisation result in for boys?

Answer 32

Results in boys being socialised into being adventurous and physical, competitive and sporty - conflicts with the culture of schools which demand child to listen, conform and sit for long periods of time

Question 33

What does limited opportunities for boys to learn competitively lead to?

Answer 33

Leads to some believing that the education system fails boys whose learning styles are not necessarily recognised

Question 34

What do many boys see reading as?

Answer 34

Many boys see reading as feminine activity because it is usually mothers who read to their children

Research shows that by 8 many boys have lost interest in reading

Question 35

What has globalisation led to?

Answer 35

Globalisation has led a decline in manufacturing jobs in the UK - we now import goods from other countries (because its cheaper)

Question 36

What has a decline in traditional manual jobs led to for WC boys

Answer 36

Working-class boys don’t see the point in working hard at school - no jobs for them when they leave school

No jobs working-class men would do - shipbuilding, steel industry and mining?

Question 37

What does the economy place high values on?

Answer 37

Places high value on office-based jobs, presentational and interpersonal skills - often considered being more typically female skills, led to WC boys feeling removed from education and work experiencing a crisis of masculinity - men no longer feel they have a place in the workplace since it demands more skills considered feminine

Question 38

What equal opportunity policies are there for girls?

Answer 38

GIST

WISE

national curriculum- all children studying maths, English and science to GCSE

Question 39

Why are there differences in labels given by teachers to pupils?

Answer 39

Labels teachers have of girls and boys differ because girls are more likely to be labelled positively and boys negatively

There may be these differences because girls are closer to the teachers image of the ideal pupil which will mean girls are therefore labelled more positively

Question 40

How can labels given to girls and boys affect achievement?

Answer 40

May lead to differences in achievement between boys and girls because they may internalise the label given to them and live up to the standards set for them by the label

Question 41

How might the introduction of coursework lead to achievement of girls in education?

Answer 41

Coursework may have lead to achievement of girls because they are more likely to have organisation and time management skills and meet deadlines

Question 42

Where do WC girls experience symbolic violence?

Answer 42

WC girls experience symbolic violence from the school but they seek symbolic capital from their peer group

Question 43

How do WC girls seek symbolic capital from their peer group?

Answer 43

By dressing in a very feminine way

having a boyfriend

being ‘loud’

Question 44

Why might dressing in a very feminine way bring symbolic capital?

Answer 44

Because it brings status from their peer group and avoided them being ridiculed or called names

Question 45

What are out of school factors that may lead to girls achievement

Answer 45

Leisure activities

bedroom culture

gender socialisation

changes in the economy - changes in the family, divorce reform act 1969

changing ambitions

impact of feminism

changing laws - more employment opportunities (1970 equal pay act, 1975 sex discrimination act)

Question 46

Why might the impact of feminism lead to girls success?

Answer 46

May lead to girls success because the feminist movement has challenged the traditional stereotype of women’s role in society and these changes encouraged by feminism may improve girls self image and ambitions with regard to the family and careers

Question 47

Why might changes in the family lead to girls success?

Answer 47

May lead to girls success because these changes are affecting girls attitudes towards education in a number of ways e.g. increased number of female headed lone-parent families may mean more women need to take on the breadwinner role which gives girls a role model

Question 48

Why might changes in womens employment lead to girls success?

Answer 48

May lead to girls success because these changes have encouraged girls to see their future in terms of paid work rather than housewives.

Greater career opportunities and better pay for women and the role models that successful career women offer provide and incentive for girls to gain qualifications

Question 49

What in school factors can lead to boys underachievement?

Answer 49

anti school subculture

feminisation of education

lack of male teachers

Question 50

What out of school factors can lead to boys underachievement?

Answer 50

lack of male role models - more single mums

globalisation & decline of WC male jobs

boys and literacy skills

Question 51

Why are boys with poor language and literacy skills more likely to underachieve?

Answer 51

It is likely to affect boys performance across a wide range of subjects

One reason for boys poor literacy and language skills may be that parents spend less time reading to their sons

Question 52

Why might globalisation and the decline of traditional male jobs lead to the underachievement of boys?

Answer 52

Because many boys now believe they have little prospect of getting a proper job which undermines their motivation and self esteem and so they give up trying to get qualifications

Question 53

Why might the feminisation of education lead to the underachievement of boys?

Answer 53

Feminisation of education may lead to boys underachievement because schools don’t nurture ‘masculine’ traits such as competitiveness and leadership but instead they celebrate qualities closely associated with girls

Question 54

Why might the lack of male role models both at home and school lead to the underachievement of boys?

Answer 54

May lead to the underachievement of boys because its argued male teachers are better able to impose the strict discipline boys need in order to concentrate and work harder