Gender Differences in Educational Achievement Flashcards
Internal factors for girls improved achievement
Influence of feminism
Changes in women’s employment
Changes in the family
External factors for girls improved achievement
Equal opportunities policies
Coursework
Selection and league tables
Changes in womens employment - Girls
(2 changes)
Internal
Changes in law - Major increase in women employment. The equal pay Act of 1970 meant it was illegal to pay women less than men for the same job or job of equal value. As a result, female students are more optimistic about their future careers.
Decline of manual jobs – Mining, shipping, manufacturing decreased and increase in service sector, welfare, and communication jobs. Girls have been more ambitious as they can see better opportunities and therefore work harder in school.
Changes in the family - Girls
Internal
Major changes in the family since the 1970’s, such as:
- An increase in divorce ratess
- An increase in lone parent families
- Smaller families and women staying single
These changes change girls’ attitudes towards education. Helps them be more economically independent, have kids at a greater date with a smaller family.
Influence of Feminism - Girls
Internal
Introduction of Coursework - Girls
External
The national curriculum of 1988 saw the introduction of coursework assessment.
(Mitso and Browne) argue that girls are more successful in coursework because they tend to be more hardworking and organized.
Equal Opportunities Policies - Girls
External
The National Curriculum of 1988meant it was compulsory for boys and girls to have the same common core set of subjects, this prevents schools ‘filtering’ students into ‘relevant’ subjects by gender.
Selection and League Tables - Girls
External
Marketisation policies such as the publication of ‘league tables’ and the use of student selection has created a more competitive climate amongst schools.
This them mean that girls are seen as more desirable recruits than boys, as they achieve better exams results. Boys are seen as a liability because that are low achieving and more likely to be badly behaved.
Explaination for boys underachievement
Laddish subcultures
Literacy differences
Feminization of schooling
Gender and subject choices
Laddish subculture - boys
Laddish behavior is based on the idea that working hard at school is uncool and undermining of masculinity, and those who did work were considered swots. They acted tough, messed around, disrupted lessons and rejected schoolwork as feminine.
Literacy differences - boys
(2)
Primary socialization - Boys will spend more time playing with cars and are less likely to be read to than of parents.
Leisure interests – Boys leisure intersects are more focused on video games and sports activities. Which do not encourage the development of language and communication skills.
Feminization of Schooling - boys
(3)
Female teachers - Most classroom teachers are likely to be women, who often outnumber men a ration 6 o 1 in primary education.
Coursework - Educational assessment has been feminized by the introduction of coursework which disadvantages boys.
Feminine styles of teaching – The use of discussion, creativity and expression of ideas rather than the mechanical ‘hands-on’ approach boys prefer.
Gendered subject choice - boys
National Curriculum – Some subjects are compulsory for boys and girls to study at GCSE, where choice is possible, boys and girls choose differently. Boys more likely choose technology and science-based subjects, while girls tend to choose arts and social sciences.
Explainations of gender differences in subject choice
Peer pressure
Gendered subject images
Early socialisation
Gender identities and schooling
The male gaze , Mac an Ghail. Male pupils ‘look down’ on female students, judging their appearance and seeing them as sexual objects.
Double standard , between boys and girls
Verbal abuse , the use of negative labelling are ways in which pupils can control each others identities. Parker , boys were called ‘gay’ if they were friendly and polite, and got on well with girls or female teachers.
