gender differences in achievement - internal factors - subject choice

Question 1

national curriculum

Answer 1

1988

reduced pupils’ freedom to choose or drop subjects, with most being
compulsory until 16

Question 2

a levels

Answer 2

gendered choices become more obvious in post-16 education.

boys are more likely to opt for maths and physics

girls are more likely to opt for sociology and english

Question 3

vocational courses

Answer 3

directed at a particular occupation and its skills.

gendered differences are even more pronounced in vocational education.

only 2 in 100 construction apprentices are girls.

Question 4

gender role socialisation

Answer 4

ann oakley (1973) - gender is the learned cultural differences between males and females

primary socialisation shapes gender identity

fiona norman (1988) - girls and boys are dressed differently, given different toys, encouraged to take part in different activities

boys are rewarded for being active

girls are rewarded for being passive

Question 5

gender role socialisation - schools

Answer 5

schools are also important in gender socialisation.

eileen byrne (1979) - teachers encourage boys to be tough and to show initiative. girls are expected to be quiet and helpful and not rough or noisy

boys and girls develop different tastes in reading

murphy and elwood (1998) - these tastes inform subject choices

boys prefer hobby books and information texts - science

girls prefer books about people - english based subjects

Question 6

gender domains

Answer 6

browne and ross - children’s beliefs about ‘gender domains’ are shaped by their early experiences and expectations of adults

see some tasks as part of male or female ‘territory’ and therefore as relevant or irrelevant to themselves

children are more confident in tasks they see as part of their own domain.

when set a mathematical task:
girls are more confident if it is presented as a problem about food and nutrition.

boys are more confident if it presented as a problem about cars

patricia murphy (1991) - girls and boys pay attention to different details even when tackling the same task

boys focus more on how things work, girls focus more on people.

Question 7

gendered subject images

Answer 7

kelly - science is a boys’ subject
- male teacher
- boys dominate textbooks

colley - computer studies is a boys’ subject
- machines are a male domain
- formal and abstract

Question 8

single sex schools

Answer 8

less stereotyping

leonard - girls more likely to take maths and science a - levels and boys take english and languages

Question 9

gender identity and peer pressure

Answer 9

pressure if outside gender domain

girls and sport:
- paechter - girls in sport not seen as feminine
- dewar - sporty girls seen as ‘lesbian’

peer pressure relieved in single-sex setting.