Gender and educational attainment

Question 1

4 Evaluate the view that gender differences in educational attainment are mainly due to what
happens in schools. [26]

Answer 1

for:
Patriarchal structures in
school hierarchies.
* Traditional stereotypes in
gender representations in
teaching materials.
* Gender-based
expectations, labelling
and self-fulfilling
prophecies.
* Bias in classroom
interaction favouring
either gender.
* Feminisation of the school
- role models.
* Feminisation of the school
– curriculum and learning
and assessment methods.
* The gendered curriculum,
subject and career advice.
* Subcultures and peer
expectations related to
gender.

against ;
* Recent changes to
promote gender equality in
many education systems.
* Economy and
occupational structure
shape opportunities and
aspirations.
* Main differences due to
views of gender in wider
culture – relative strengths
of patriarchal or feminist
influence.
* Effects of primary
socialisation, e.g. parental
role models, toys, stories.
* Effects of media
representations.
* Resistance to stereotypes
and labelling processes.