gender differences in achievement Flashcards
The gender gap in achievement:
What is the gender gap in achievement (use two examples) 1. TA 2. DofE
2013- teacher assessments of pupils at the end of Yr1 showed girls ahead of boys by 7-17% in all aspects
Department of Education (2013)- At AS and A-level girls get higher grades than boys e.g 47% of girls gained A or B grades at A-level, but only 42% of boys.
Gender differences in achievement:
how has the impact of feminism affect girls achievement (use sociologist) 1. R
EXTERNAL FACTOR
McRobbie’s (1994) study of girls’ magazines. In the 1970s, they emphasised the importance of getting married and motherhood they contain images of independent women.
These changes encourage girls to try harder at school to be like the people who they see in the magazines.
Gender differences in achievement:
how has the impact on changes in the family impact girls achievement (use two reasons) e.g. 1. FHF 2. DR
EXTERNAL FACTOR
Female-headed lone parent families: More women take the role of the breadwinner. Encourages women to be financially independent, in order to do that you need good qualifications and a good job.
Divorce rates: Suggest to girls that it is unwise to solely rely in a husband to be their sole provider. This encourages girls to look at themselves and their own qualifications to make a living.
Gender differences in achievement:
how does women’s change in employment impact girls achievement (use laws) 1. SD 2. EPA
EXTERNAL FACTOR
The Sex Discrimination Act (1975) - means that women aren’t allowed to be discriminated against because they are a woman. (outlaws discrimination at work) e.g. since 1975, the pay gap between men and women has halved from 30%-15%
Equal Pay Act (1970) this makes it illegal to pay women less than men for work of the equal value. The proportion of women in employment has risen from 53% in 1971 to 67% in 2013.
Gender differences in achievement:
how have girls changes in ambition impacted girls achievement (use sociologists) 1. S 2. F
EXTERNAL FACTOR
Sharpe’s (1994) interviews with girls in the 1970s and the 1990s show a major shift in the way that furls see their future. 1970’s believed education was unfeminine and unattractive. However in the 1990s, girls wanted to be independent and not have to rely on their husband.
Fullers (2011) - girls saw that educational success was a central aspect of their identity and aimed for a professional career that would enable them to support themselves.
Gender differences in achievement:
how does gender, class and ambition link together (use sociologists) 1. R 2. B
EXTERNAL FACTOR
Reay (1998)- argues W/C girls that still aims for marriage and children reflects the reality of the girls class position. Their limited aspirations reflect their limited job opportunities. Being a mother and married is both attainable and offers them a sort of status.
Biaggart (2002)- found that W/C girls are more likely to see motherhood as the only viable option for their futures. See less point in achieving in education.
Gender differences in achievement:
how does equal opportunities impact girls achievement (use policies) 1. G+W 2. NC
Policies such as GIST (Girls into science and technology) and WISE (Women into science and engineering) encourage girls to pursue careers in these non-traditional areas. This helps girls to aim high.
The introduction of the National Curriculum in made girls and boys study mostly the same subjects. This means that girls aren’t being singled out and can achieve anything they want to.
Gender differences in achievement:
How have GCSEs and coursework impacted girls achievement (use sociologists) 1. M+B 2. Oral exams
INTERNAL FACTOR
Mitsos and Browne (1998) Girls are more successful in coursework because they are more conscientious and better organised than boys and this allows them to do better compared to boys.
With GCSEs there are also oral exams and girls also do better than boys on these as well because girls often have a ‘bedroom culture’ which allows them to talk lots and therefore have a better developed language skills compared to boys.
Gender differences in achievement:
How have selection and league tables impacted girls education. 1. J 2. S
INTERNAL FACTOR
Jackson (1998)- high-achieving girls- attractive to schools low-achieving boys are not. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy- because girls are more likely to be recruited by good schools, they are more likely to do well.
Slee (1998) argues that boys are less attractive to schools because they are more likely to suffer from behaviour issues. Because boys give the school a negative image they are less likely to be accepted.
Gender differences in achievement:
Different feminists views on girls achievement (use different types of feminists)
INTERNAL FACTOR
Liberal feminists - celebrate progress made improving achievement. Believe that more progress will be made by continuing development of equal opportunities policies e.g. GIST and WISE
Radical feminists- recognise that girls are achieving more, they emphasise that the system remains patriarchal and conveys the clear message that it is still a man’s world e.g. Sexual harassment of girls continues at school and men are still mostly the headteachers.
Identity:
How can symbolic capital impact girls achievement (use sociologist) 1. A
Archer (2010) - found that by performing their w/c feminine identities, the girls gained symbolic capital from their peers. However, this brought them into conflict with school, preventing them from getting educational capital (qualifications) and economic capital (middle-class careers).
Symbolic capital refers to the status, recognition and sense of worth that we are able to obtain from others.
Identity:
How can a hyper heterosexual feminine identities impact girls achievement (use sociologist) 1. A
Archer - Teachers saw the girls’ preoccupation with appearance as a distraction that prevented them engaging with education. This led to the school ‘othering’ the girls - defining them as ‘not one of us’.
Archer- from the school’s point of view, the ‘ideal female pupil’ identity is a de-sexualised and middle-class one that excludes many working-class girls.
Identity:
How can being loud impact girls achievement
Some w/c girls adopted ‘loud’ feminine identities that often led them to be outspoken, independent and assertive.
e.g questioning teachers’ authority. This didn’t match the school’s stereotype of the ideal female pupil identity as passive and submissive to authority and brought conflict with teachers, who interpreted their behaviour as aggressive rather than assertive.
Class:
What is the w/c girls dilemma and how does this impact girls achievement (use sociologist) 1. A
Archer - W/C girls are often faced with two choices, they can either gain symbolic capital from their peers by conforming to a hyper-heterosexual feminine identity or gain educational capital by conforming to the schools middle-class notions of a respectable, ideal female pupil
Some girls tried to cope with this dilemma by defining themselves as ‘good underneath’. This reflects the girls’ struggle to achieve a sense of self-worth within an education system that devalues their working-class feminine identities.
Girls achievement:
What is a successful W/C girl and how does this impact girls achievement (use sociologist) 1. E 2. A
Evans (2009) found that the girls wanted to go to university to increase their earning power. However, this was help their families. This shows that even with successful W/C girls, the ‘caring’ aspect of W/C feminine identity produces a desire to live at home with their families while studying. This results in their self-exclusion from elite universities further afield.
Archer (2010)- found that W/C looked for local unis and this was a key feature of the W/C habitus. The gender identity of W/C girls plays a significant part in their relative lack of success compared with middle-class girls.
Boys and achievement:
Reasons why boys are lacking in their achievement (use sociologists) 1. DFSF 2. Bedroom culture
Department for schools and families (2007), the gender gap is mainly the result of boys’ poorer literacy and language skills. Boys associate reading as being a feminine activity and don’t read in order to show their masculinity.
In boys free time, they do little to help develop their language and communication skills. However, girls tend to have a ‘bedroom culture’ centred on staying in and talking with friends therefore developing their language and communication skills.
Boys and achievement:
how has the feminisation of education impacted boys achievement. 1. S 2. S
Sewell (2006) - boys fall behind because education has become ‘feminised’. Schools don’t nurture ‘masculine’ traits such as competitiveness and leadership instead enforce methodical working and attentiveness in class which are traits known to be associated with girls.
Sewell- argues that coursework has also lead to gender differences in achievement. Girls do better because they are more consciousness and organised compared to boys.
Boys and achievement:
how has the shortage of male teachers impacted boys achievement (use two stats)
There are 1.5 million female-headed lone parent families in the UK and many of these families have sons. Because they don’t have a male role model to look up either in/out of school they have no one to encourage them which leads to their failure.
(2007)- 14% of primary school teachers are male and 42% of boys surveyed said that having a male teacher made them work harder. Male teachers are better able to impose the strict discipline boys need in order to concentrate.
Boys and achievement:
what is disciplinarian discourse and liberal discourse (use sociologists) 1. R
Read (2008)- found that most teachers, used a supposedly ‘masculine’ disciplinarian discourse to control pupils’ behaviour.
Disciplinarian discourse: Teachers authority is shown clearly e.g. shouting and sarcasm (traditionally used by male teachers )
Liberal discourse: Teachers authority is not shown as clearly e.g. treating the child like an adult and expecting the same back (traditionally used by female teachers)
Boys and achievement:
Are more male teachers needed? (use sociologists)
1. R 2. H
Read (2008)- found that most teachers, female as well as male, used a supposedly ‘masculine’ DD to control pupils’ behaviour. This disproves the fact that education has become feminised as both teachers are using DD. Also, it disproves the claim that only male teachers can provide the stricter classroom culture in which boys are said to thrive.
Haase (2008)- Although women make up the majority of primary teachers, men are still more likely to get higher positions E.G. MALE - 1/4 FEMALE: 1/13 CHANCE TO BE HEADTEACHER
Boys and achievement:
How does laddish subculture affect boys achievement (use sociologists) 1. E 2.F
Epstein (1998) - found that working-class boys are likely to be harassed and verbally abused if they appear to be ‘swots’ (try hard).
Francis (2001)- found that boys were more concerned about being labelled as a swot as it was a threat to their masculinity. This is because in W/C culture masculinity is equated with being tough and doing manual work .
Boys and achievement:
how does the moral panic of boys impact boys achievement (use sociologists) 1. R 2. O
Ringrose (2013) - argues the moral panic surrounding boys underachievement has lead policy-makers to ignore the experiences of underachievement in both girls and ethnic minorities as well as issues they face in school.
Osler (2006)- the focus on underachieving boys has led to a neglect of girls. This is partly because girls often disengage from school quietly. However, boys’ disengagement is much louder attracting attention from teachers and policy makers.
Boys and achievement:
how does gender, class and ethnicity impact boys achievement (use sociologists) 1 McV 2. F+S
McVeigh (2001) - the similarities in girls’ and boys’ achievement are far greater than the differences, especially when compared with class or ethnic differences e.g the class gap in achievement at GCSE is 3x wider than the gender gap. These figures show that class is a more important influence on a pupil’s achievement than gender.
Fuller (1984)- many black girls are successful at school (use education in order to achieve independence and ignore teachers racist attitudes. By contrast, as Sewell (2010)- black boys fail at school because they use their masculinity in opposition to education, which they see as effeminate and therefore don’t try which leads to failure.
Gender differences in achievement:
what is/how does gender role socialisation impact gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. N 2. B
Norman (1988) - from an early age, boys and girls are dressed differently, given different toys and encouraged to take part in different activities. This means for when they are older they are more likely to go into careers that suit their gender.
Byrne (1979)- teachers encourage boys to be tough and show initiative and not be weak or behave like sissies. Girls on the other hand are expected to be quiet, helpful, clean and tidy.
Gender differences in subject choice:
what is/how does gender domains impact gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. B+R 2. M
Gender domains = tasks and activities that boys and girls see as male or female e.g. cooking v mending a car.
Browne and Ross (1991)- When they are set the same maths problem girls are more confident in tackling it when it is presented as being about food and nutrition, whereas boys are more confident if it is about cars. This shows how ‘gender domains’ are shaped by their early experiences.
Murphy (1991) - found that boys and girls pay attention to different details even when tackling the same task e.g girls focus more on how people feel, whereas boys focus on how things are made and work. This helps to explain why girls choose humanities (to do with feelings) and arts subjects, while boys choose science (to do with facts).
Gender differences in subject choice:
how does single-sex schooling impact gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. L 2. IoP
Pupils who attend single-sex schools tend to hold less stereotyped subject images and make less traditional subject choices.
Leonard (2006) - found that, compared to pupils in mixed schools, girls in girls’ schools were more likely to take maths and science A levels, while boys in boys’ schools were more likely to take English and languages.
The Institute of Physics - found that girls in single-sex state schools were 2.4x more likely to take A-level physics than those in mixed schools.
Gender differences in subject choice:
how does gender, vocational choice and class affect gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. F
W/C pupils may make decisions about vocational courses that are based on a traditional sense of gender identity.
Fuller (2011) W/C girls had ambitions to go into jobs such as child care or hair and beauty. This reflected their working-class habitus - their sense of what is a realistic expectation for ‘people like us. This also shows how schools steer girls towards certain types of job.
Gender differences in subject choice:
what is/how do double standards impact gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. L 2. P
Lees (1993)- highlights the double standard of sexual morality in which boys boast about their own sexual exploits, but call a girl a ‘slag’ if she doesn’t have a steady boyfriend or if she dresses in a certain way.
Paechter - sees name-calling as helping to shape gender identity and maintain male power. The use of negative labels such as ‘gay, ‘queer’ and ‘lezzie’ are ways in which pupils police each other’s sexual identities and helps to keep traditional gender roles.
Pupils’ sexual and gender identities:
what is/how does the male gaze impact gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. MaG
male gaze- a way of portraying and looking at women that empowers men while sexualizing and diminishing women.
Mac an Ghaill - the male gaze is a way to reinforce men’s heterosexual identity by sexualising women therefore proving their masculinity. Those that don’t are labelled as gay.
Pupils’ sexual and gender identities:
how do male peer groups impact gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. E+W 2. MaG
Epstein and Willis - boys in anti-school subcultures often accuse boys who want to do well at school of being gay or effeminate. Helps to show male power and domination.
Mac an Ghaill’s (1994) peer groups reproduce a range of different class-based masculine gender identities. e.g the W/C ‘macho lads’ dismissed other boys who worked hard and aspired to have m/c careers, referring to them as the dickhead achievers’. M/C boys projected an image of ‘effortless achievement’ - of succeeding without trying though in reality they worked really hard.
Pupils’ sexual and gender identities:
what is an idealised feminine identity, sexualised identity and a boffin identity (use sociologists) e.g. R
Ringrose’s (2013) - found that being popular was crucial to the girls’ identity.
‘an idealised feminine identity’- showing loyalty to the female peer group, being non-competitive and getting along with everybody in the friendship group.
‘A sexualised identity’ - involved competing for boys in the dating.
‘A boffin identity’ - girls who want to be successful educationally were called this. Links to the ideal feminine pupil identity.
Pupils’ sexual and gender identities:
how does policing identity impact gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. R 2. R
Ringrose’s (2013) - found that being popular was crucial to the girls’ identity. As the girls gained thought about boyfriends they had to think about they has to choose between an ‘ idealised feminine identity’, ‘sexualised identity’ and a ‘boffin identity’
Reay (2001) found, this involved the girls having to perform an asexual identity, presenting themselves as lacking any interest in boyfriends or popular fashion. As a result, they risk being given the identity of ‘boffin’ and excluded by other girls (as well as boys).
Pupils’ sexual and gender identities:
how do teachers and discipline affect gender achievement (use sociologists) 1. H+G 2. A+R
Haywood and Mac an Ghaill (1998) - found that male teachers told boys off for behaving like girls and teased them when they got lower marks then girls. Teachers also tended to ignore the verbal abuse that boys said to/about girls and even blamed girls for attracting it.
Askew and Ross (1988) - male teachers often have a protective attitude towards female colleagues, coming into their classes to ‘rescue’ them by threatening pupils who are being disruptive. However, this reinforces the idea that women cannot cope alone.
