Gender differences in achievement

Question 1

What did McRobbie’s study on girls magazines find about the impact of feminism? (External factor)

Answer 1

-found that in 1970s, they emphasised the importance of getting married
- now, they contain images of strong, assertive and independent women

Question 2

What laws has caused changes in women’s employment? (External factor)

Answer 2

• Equal pay act (1970) and Sex discrimination act (1975) have improved the position of working women

Question 3

What did Sharpe’s interview on girls find about the changing in girls ambitions? (External factor)

Answer 3

• Their ambitions in 1970s were to marry and have children + saw their future in terms of domestic role
• In 1990s, girls priorities had changed to careers and wanting to be independent

Question 4

What did Mitos and Brown find about GCSE and course work? (Internal factor)

Answer 4

• Girls do better than boys in coursework because they are more conscientious and organised

Question 5

What did Gorad find about GCSE and course work? (Internal factor)

Answer 5

The gender gap in achievement increased sharply when GCSE was introduced in 1988

Question 6

Give 2 equal opportunity policies? (Internal factor)

Answer 6

GIST and WISE programmes to encourage girls into science and technology
- National curriculum, girls and boys largely study the same subjects (eg. making science compulsory)

Question 7

How do role models affect achievement? (Internal factor)

Answer 7

• More female teachers, feminises the learning environment + encourages girls to see school as part of ‘female gender domain’

Question 8

What did Swann find about teacher attention? (Internal factor)

Answer 8

• Boys dominate class discussions, girls are better at listening + cooperating
• Teachers respond more positively to girls + give them more encouragement

Question 9

What did French + French find about teacher attention? (Internal factor)

Answer 9

Teachers pay boys and girls similar amounts of attention for academic reasons but boys received more attention overall because they were disciplined more often

Question 10

How does selection and league tables affect achievement? (Internal)

Answer 10

-Marketisation policies have led to increased competition between schools
-Gives schools the incentive to recruit more able students
- Girls are generally more successful than boys, so are more attractive to schools

Question 11

How does boys literacy affect achievement? (External factor)

Answer 11

• Parents spend less time reading to sons because it is seen as a ‘feminine’ activity
• Boys leisure interests do not encourage language and communication skills, whereas girls ‘bedroom culture’ does

Question 12

How does a decline in manual labour affect achievement? (External factor)

Answer 12

-Globalisation had led to the decline in heavy industries (eg. mining)
- Led to a male ‘identity crisis’, giving them little motivation to get qualifications for a job

Question 13

How has the feminisation of schooling affect achievement? (Internal factor)

Answer 13

• Boys fall behind because education has been ‘feminised’, no longer nurture masculine traits
• Introduction of coursework has disadvantaged boys
  -Lack of male primary school teachers- 1 in 6 are male

Question 14

How do laddish subcultures affect achievement? (Internal factor)

Answer 14

There is a peer pressure on boys to demonstrate their masculinity by being ‘anti-school’