Gender // Girls + Internal

Question 1

give all the internal factors explaining girls academic improvements

Answer 1

• equal opportunity policies
• positive role models in school
• GCSE and coursework
• teacher attention
• challenging stereotypes in the curriculum
• selection and league tables

Question 2

say how equal opportunity polices explain girls academic improvements

Answer 2

• it’s now mainstream that schools should have equal opportunities for girls and boys
• GIST and WISE introduced to encourage girls to go into male dominated jobs
• also seen in introduction of national curriculum

Question 3

who supports the theory equal opportunity policies improve girls achievement

Answer 3

Jo Boaler ; also believes schools have become more meritocratic and since girls generally work harder than boys they’re achieving more

Question 4

evaluate education opportunity policies as an explanation for girls academic improvements

Answer 4

women still under represented in STEM fields eg 2015 only 37% those in further education in STEM were women

Question 5

say how positive role models in schools explain girls academic improvements

Answer 5

• number of female teachers and headteachers inc
• 2001 25% hteachers were female 2015 it was 38%
• role models motivate young girls to get good qualifications to get good job

Question 6

evaluate positive role models in schools as an explanation for girls academic improvements

Answer 6

still more male headteachers despite more female teachers

Question 7

say how GCSE and coursework explains girls academic improvement

Answer 7

• gender gap in achievement inc after introduction of GCSEs and coursework in 1988
• oral exams introduced and girls develop better language skills generally
• girls socialised to be more neat, tidy and conscientious which is advantageous in education

Question 8

give 2 studies that support GCSE and Coursework as an explanation for girls academic improvement

Answer 8

Goard
Mitsos and Browne

Question 9

what is Goards study

Answer 9

gender gap increased sharply increased 1988 when GCSEs and coursework introduced

Question 10

what is Mitsos and Browes study

Answer 10

girls more successful with coursework as they are more organised and conscientious and take better care if presentation

Question 11

evaluate GCSE and coursework as an explanation of girls academic improvement

Answer 11

• exams have more influence than coursework on final grades
• DFE 2009 disagree and coursework by itself doesn’t account for gender gap
• coursework removed in 2006 and 2013 and girls still outperform boys

Question 12

say how teacher attention explains girls academic improvements

Answer 12

• teachers respond more positively to girls than boys as they see girls as more co operative and boys more disruptive
• may lead to self fulfilling prophecy and girls esteem and achievement being raised

Question 13

give 2 studies that support teacher attention as an explanation of girls academic improvements

Answer 13

Barber
Francis

Question 14

what is Barbers study

Answer 14

girls feedback from teachers more focused on work

boys feedback more focused on their behaviour

Question 15

say how challenging stereotypes in the curriculum explains girls academic improvements

Answer 15

-removing gender stereotypes from learning materials removed a barrier to girls achievement

Question 16

which study supports challenging stereotypes in the curriculum as an explanation of girls academic improvement

Answer 16

Weiner ; since the 1980s teachers challenged gender stereotypes and sexist images have been removed from teaching materials so achievement improves due to positive images of women being more available

Question 17

say how selection and league tables explain girls academic improvements

Answer 17

• marketisation policies create competitive climate for schools
• girls seen as desirable recruits due to exam resukts and boys seen as liability students due to behavioural difficultie leading to exclusions

Question 18

give a study that supports selection and league tables as an explanation for girls academic improvements

Answer 18

Jackson ; introduction of exam league tables has increased opportunities for girls and produces a self fulfilling prophecy as girls are more likely to be recruited by good schools and do well