gender differences Flashcards
statistics for the gender gap in achievement
at GCSE girls are 10% better than boys
at a level girls are more likely to pass and get higher grades
external factors for gender gap
the impact of feminism
changes in the family
changes in women employment
girls’ changing ambitions
what is the impact of feminism in gender differences in achievement?
since 1960s, feminists have challenged patriarchy and rejected traditional stereotypes of women as inferior to men in the home, work, education
feminists have had an impact on women’s rights and opportunities through campaigns to win changes in the law e.g. equal pay
feminists ideas are likely to have affected girls’ self-image and aspirations so they are more motivated to do well in education
how do girls’ changing ambitions impact gender differences in achievement?
(linking to feminism) Sharpe compared her two studies of working class girls in 1970s and 1990s 1970s: girls' priorities were 'marriage, children, career' in that order, saw their future in domestic work, not paid work. 1990s: priorities had switched to careers and being able to be independent so more motivated to do well in education
how do changes in the family impact gender differences in achievement?
major changes since 1970s:
- increased divorce rate (40% of marriages)
- more lone parent families (90% female headed)
- more women staying single
women have more need and opportunity to be economically independent, more motivated to do well educationally and get good qualifications (unwise to rely on husband)
how do changes in women employment impact gender differences in achievement?
more employment opportunities for women as a result of the expansion of the service sector, traditionally an area of women work
changes in the law have improved the position of working women:
- 1970 equal pay act and 1975 sex discrimination act give women more employment rights
- since 1975, gender pay gap has almost halved
girls have more incentive to see their future in terms of paid work, so more incentive to gain qualifications
internal factors for gender differences in achievement
equal opportunities policies
coursework
teacher attention
how do equal opportunities policies impact gender differences in achievement?
feminist ideas are widespread in the education system (links to external factors) belief that boys and girls are equal capable and should have the same opportunities is widely acepted
policies aimed at giving girls and boys equal opportunities:
- GIST and WISE programmes to encourage girls into science and technology
- national curriculum in 1988 means girls and boys largely study the same subjects e.g. making science compulsory has helped to equalise opportunities
education os more meritocratic so girls have equal opportunities and are able to do better
how does coursework impact gender differences in achievement?
Mitsos and Browne said girls do better than boys in coursework because they are more conscientious and better organised
introduction of coursework in curriculum boosted girls’ exam results, Gorard found that the gender gap in achievement increased sharply when GCSE was introduced in 1988 because coursework was a major part
however, exams have more influence on final grade to limited effect
how does teacher attention influence gender differences in achievement?
Francis found although boys receive more attention, they were disciplined more harshly and teachers had lower expectations of them
Swann found boys dominate class discussion while girls are better at listening and cooperating, teachers respond positively to girls and give them more encouragement
teachers respond positively to girls who they see as cooperate than boys who are potentially disruptive, creates self-fulfilling prophecy
what are reasons for boys’ underachievement?
literacy
globalisation and decline of traditional ‘men’s jobs’
‘laddish’ subcultures
how does literacy impact boys’ underachievement?
boys have poorer literacy skills
- parents spend less time reading to sons, and mainly mothers who read to young children so seen as a feminine activity
- boys’ leisure interests (sports and computer games) doesn’t encourage language and communication kills, girls ‘bedroom culture’ does
language and literacy important in most subjects, poor skills have affect on achievement
how does globalisation and decline of traditional mens jobs cause boy’s underachievement?
since 1980s globalisation has led to manufacturing industry relocating to developing countries, leading to a decline in heavy industries like mining and manufacturing in UK
decline in male employment opportunities has led to a male ‘identity crisis’ with a loss of motivation and self-esteem because many boys believe the little prospect of getting a proper job so stop trying to get qualifications
however male manual jobs needed few qualifications so unlikely it would have any affect
how do ‘laddish’ subcultures cause boys’ underachievement?
peer pressure on boys to demonstrate their masculinity by being anti-school
Epstein found that pro-school working class boys were likely to be harassed, labelled as ‘gay’ and subject to verbal abuse
as girls move into traditional masculine areas such as paid work, boys become more ‘laddish’ leading to underachievement
however studies suggest ‘laddish’ subcultures are largely working class, ‘interactions effect’ certain combinations of gender and class have more effect than others
gender differences in subject choice
post-16 education: bigger gender differences e.g. boys our for maths and physics while girls choose English and sociology (continues in higher education)
vocational subjects: gender segregation is at its greater, only 1% of construction apprentices are female
