Gender Differential

Question 1

Girls external Factors

Answer 1

Impact of feminism, changes in the family, changes in women’s employment, girls changing ambitions

Question 2

Girls Internal

Answer 2

Equal opportunity policies, positive role models in school, GCSE and coursework, challenging stereotypes and the curriculum, selection and league tables

Question 3

McRobbie (1994)

Answer 3

Study of girls magazines: 70s - importance of getting married and ‘not left in the shelf’. Nowadays - assertive independent women

Question 4

What changes in the family have there been since the 70s?

Answer 4

• Increase in divorce rate
• Increase in cohabitation
• Increase in lone- parent families
• Smaller families

Question 5

Key changes in women’s employment:

Answer 5

• 1970 Equal Pay act
• 1975 Sex discrimination act
• Proportion of women in employment has risen from 53% in 71 to 72% today

Question 6

1970 Equal Pay Act

Answer 6

Illegal to women less than men for work of the same value

Question 7

1975 Sex discrimination act

Answer 7

Outlaws discrimination at work

Question 8

Sharpe (1994)

Answer 8

Interviews with girls in 70s compared to 90s.
70s: low aspirations, education success unfeminine, ambition unattractive, prioritize marriage and kids
90s: ambition to be Independent women with career not dependent on husbands income

Question 9

Beck and Beck (2001)

Answer 9

Individualism in modern society - a career promises women self sufficiency and independence

Question 10

Reay (1998) A03

Answer 10

Working class girls ambitions reflect their class:
- limited aspirations reflect limited job opportunities available to them
- Being mother and wife is an attainable source of status

Question 11

Official Stats:

Answer 11

On Starting school: at end of year 1 assessments girls were ahead of boys 7-17%

Question 12

Equal Opportunity policies

Answer 12

GIST
WISE

Question 13

GIST

Answer 13

Girls in science and technology

Question 14

WISE

Answer 14

Women in stem and engineering

Question 15

What percentage of secondary school teachers are female?

Answer 15

69.5%

Question 16

What percent of head teachers are female?

Answer 16

65%

Question 17

Gorard (2005)

Answer 17

Gender gap increased sharply in 1989 when GCSEs including coursework was introduced

Question 18

Peter and French (1993)
Francis (2001)

Answer 18

• Boys are reprimanded more for behavior
• Boys are disciplined more harshly
• Teachers have lower expectations of boys

Question 19

Boaler (1998)

Answer 19

See the impact of equal
Opportunity policies and change to the curriculum as being key reason for girls achievement levels

Question 20

Weiner (1995)

Answer 20

Teachers now challenge stereotypes
- removal of gender images in textbooks and learning materials
- impact of women in maths and science books

Question 21

Jackson (1998)

Answer 21

Exam league tables has improved opportunities for girls as high achieving girls are more attractive to schools than low achieving boys

Question 22

Radical feminists (A03)

Answer 22

Recognize that girls are achieving more but the patriarchal system still remains:
- girls still sexually harassed in school
- Education limits girls subject choice and career options
- Women underrepresented in areas of the curriculum (Weiner describes history as a ‘woman free zone’

Question 23

Elwood 2005 (A03)

Answer 23

Argument of coursework is weak as exams have much more influence on grades

Question 24

External Factors boys:

Answer 24

Boys and Literacy
Globalization and male identity crisis

Question 25

DCSF 2007

Answer 25

The gender gap is mainly due to boys poor literacy and language skills

Question 26

Boys and Literacy

Answer 26

• Reading feminine activity: mothers who read to children
• Girls bedroom culture: diaries, reading, write plays
  Boys leisure: sports has little impact of language skills

Question 27

Policies to raise boys achievement (A03)

Answer 27

The raising boys achievement project
The national literacy strategy

Question 28

The Raising boys achievement project

Answer 28

Single sex teaching

Question 29

The national literacy strategy

Answer 29

Focus on improving boys reading

Question 30

Globalization and male identity crisis

Answer 30

Since 80s heavy industries like steel and mining has declined
Manufacturing industries relocated to developing countries with cheap labour

Question 31

Mitsos and Browne ‘Identity crisis’

Answer 31

Decline in male employment as:
- Many boys believe they have little prospect of getting a proper job
- undermines motivation and self esteem so give up on getting qualifications

Question 32

Internal Factors Boys

Answer 32

Feminization of education
Shortage of male primary schools teachers
Laddish subcultures

Question 33

Sewell (2006)

Answer 33

• schools don’t nurture masculine traits like leadership
• celebrate feminine traits like attentiveness and methodical working
• need more emphasis on outdoor adventure

Question 34

Yougov (2007)

Answer 34

Only 14% primary school teachers are male
Most boys surveyed male teachers more them behave
42% said work harder

Question 35

Francis 2006 (A03)

Answer 35

Found that 2/3 of 7-8 yr olds believe gender of teacher doesn’t matter

Question 36

Francis (2001)

Answer 36

Boys are more concerned with being labeled as swots than girls as threat to masculinity
- Become laddish as to not be feminine

Question 37

Marxists (A03)

Answer 37

Boys underachievement not solely due to gender - what percentage are working- class