Gender differences

Question 1

Gender differences in subject choice

Answer 1

Vocational courses
Peer pressure
Gender role and domain
Gendered subject image 
Career opportunities

Question 2

How gender identities reinforced in education

Answer 2

Francis (2005)

• Gendered verbal behaviour: Boys dominate talk and often ridicule girls so therefore gain more of teachers time and attention
• Gendered physical behaviour: If girls aren’t conforming might just sit quietly and read a magazine but boys more likely to confront and be loud= exercising patriarchal power?
• Gendered pursuits: Girl talk revolves around looking nice for boys and for boys it’s their conquests= ‘studs’ and ‘sluts’
• Role of teachers: Boys expected to be loud and non conformist so if girls are disrupted get more harshly punished

Question 3

What is gender domains?

Answer 3

Idea students choose subjects in which they consider gender appropriate

Question 4

Facts on gender differences

Answer 4

2014 70% girls 5 C-A*, 54% males
Higher proportion of females stay on to sixth form and post 18 education than males
Females more likely to get 3 or more A level passes

Question 5

Why do females do better than males?

Answer 5

Women’s movement and feminism
Equal opportunities
Growing ambition due to positive role models and more employment opportunities

Question 6

Reasons for underachievement of boys

Answer 6

Girls more motivated and work harder
Poorer language skills
Poorer classroom behaviour
Boys mature later and overestimate ability do work less hard
Peer group pressure and anti-learning subculture

Question 7

Problems with ‘gender gap’

Answer 7

Not same in all subjects

Not all groups of girls outperforming boys

Question 8

External factors for girls achievement

Answer 8

Feminism
Changes to employment
Changes in ambition
Changes to family structure

Question 9

Internal factors to achievement in girls

Answer 9

Educational policies to help girls
Coursework favours girls
National curriculum
Gender role models in schools

Question 10

Evaluation of girls achievement

Answer 10

Difficult to estimate impact of feminism
W/C girls continue to focus more on family and home than external career
Radical feminists argue schools still patriarchal

Question 11

Evaluation for boys underachievement

Answer 11

Academic qualifications not needed for manual work
Male over confidence not recent thing
Laddish culture not new
Many female teachers have similar discipline

Question 12

Liberal feminists

Answer 12

Celebrate progress and believe that further progress will be made.

Question 13

Radical feminists

Answer 13

System still remains patriarchal

Question 14

Male gaze

Answer 14

Mac and Ghaill