Gender differences in achievement - INTERNAL Flashcards
Internal factors
- Equal opportunities policies
- Positive role models in school
- GCSE & coursework
- Teacher attention & classroom interaction
5.Challenging stereotypes in curriculum - Selection & league tables.
Equal opportunities
- Teachers more sensitive to avoid stereotyping.
- Belief that boys & girls are entitled to same opportunities = part of mainstream thinking & influences educational policies.
Two examples of equal opportunities policies
- GIST - girls into science & technology.
- WISE - women into science & engineering = encourage girls to pursue careers in non traditional areas.
- Female scientists visit schools acting as role models; efforts made to raise science teachers’ awareness of gender issues; non sexist careers.
How does the introduction of equal opportunity policies increase achievement in girls?
Gender barrier have been removed, further forcing education to be meritocratic. Girls are more likely to work harder than boys and thus achieve higher
What policy has been introduced which promotes gender equality in schools?
National Curriculum in 1988 - where boys and girls both participate in the same subjects
Positive role models
Increase in female teachers & heads = positive role models for girls = show them women can achieve positions of importance & giving them non traditional roles to aim for.
- Teachers must take lengthy & successful education too.
What is GCSE & coursework and what did it lead to?
Way pupils are assessed favoured girls & disadvantaged boys.
Gorard (2005) (GCSE & Coursework)
Gender gap in achievement was constant from 1975 to 1989 when it increased sharply.
- GCSE introduced = bringing coursework as major part of subjects.
What did Gorard argue that the gender gap showed?
Product of changed system of assessment rather than any general failing boys.
Mitsos & Browne (1998) (GCSE & Coursework)
Concluded girls = more successful in coursework as they’re more hard working & better organised than boys.
- Girls: spend more time on their work, take care with way it’s presented, better at meeting deadlines & bring equipment & materials to lessons.
Along with coursework, what has been introduced into GCSE assessments?
Oral exams
Who benefits from oral examinations according to Mitsos and Browne?
Girls because they are generally better developed linguistically.
- Due to primary sociology where they are socialised into the bedroom culture of being new and respectable. This helps them achieve higher in education.
Criticism to GCSE and Coursework?
Elwood argues there are other factors other than coursework that causes the gender gap as exams still have much more weight in qualifications than coursework - geography 20% coursework
Jane & French (1993) - Teacher attention
Way teachers interact with boys & girls differs.
- Analysed classroom interaction, found = boys received more attention because they attracted more reprimands and felt picked on by teachers who tended to have lower expectations of them.
What did Swann find?
There are gender differences in communication styles
What was the communication style for girls?
Girls prefer pair work and group work as they are better the listening and co-operating. This is because they take turn in voicing their opinions unlike the hostility of boys’ styles
What was the communication style for boys?
Boys dominate in whole class discussion. In groups girls speech involves taking turns unlike boys.
How does Swann’s findings explain differences in educational achievement within school?
Teachers respond more positively to girls whom they saw as cooperative than to boys who saw them a disruptive.
- Lead to the self-fulfilling prophecy in which successful interactions with teachers promote girls’ self esteem and raise their achievement levels.
How are stereotypes challenged in the curriculum?
The removal of gender stereotypes, reading schemes and learning materials which utilised traditional gender roles (portraying women as housewives that are frightened by science and avoid maths)
Weiner
Teachers have challenged stereotypes since the 80’s, where sexist images have been removed to learning materials. this has helped encourage girls’ achievement by presenting them with more positive images about what a woman can do
How can selection and marketisation be an internal factor of gendered educational?
Marketisation policies have made schools more desirable to girls as they achieve better exam results, increasing their position on the league table
Selection & league tables
Marketisation policies = created competitive climate in which schools see girls as desirable recruits as they achieve better exam results.
Jackson
Introduction of league tables has improved the opportunities for girls as with girls achieving higher they are more attractive to the better schools.
Slee 1998 - Selection & league tables
Boys = less desirable to schools as they’re more likely to suffer from behavioural difficulties & 4x more likely to be excluded = seen as liability students - obstacles to school.
