GENDERS: Internl Factors Flashcards
What are the internal factors of the difference in gender educational sucess?
- Equal Opportunity Policies
- Positive role models in schools
- Assessments and coursework
- Leauge tables
- Subject images
- Archer working class girl
What is internal factor ‘Equal Opportunity Policies’?
Due to feminism there are more equal opportunities in school and an increase in challenging stereotypes in the curriculum
There is a belief in education now that girls and boys are entiltles to the same opportunities.
One example of this is the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1988 which promoted gender equality as boys and girls studied the same subjects. Another example is WISE (women in science and Engineering
What is the internal factor ‘Postive role models in schools’?
‘The feminisation of education’ with a large proportion of female teachers in school this leave girls with many more role models to look up to, but leaves boys with a lack of role models in teaching
There has also an increase in female visitors who come in to schools who come in to inspire and talk to girls and encourage them to go against stereotypes in terms of careers, for example encouraging them to be a women in STEM
What is the internal factor ‘Assessment and coursework’?
Some sociologist argue that the way in which pupils are assessed favour girls in education and disadvantage boys. There has been more introduction of coursework in recent years which seems to favour girls in their organisation and nt boys
Gorard stated that the gender gap in education was constant from 1975-1989, it increases rapidly when GCSE course work was introduced, rather than boys failing
Mitsos and Browne (AO2 Evidence)
What was Mitsos and Browne AO2 evidence?
Girls achieve better results in coursework as they are more conscientious and organised’ than boys. Girls tend to spend more time on their work, care more about presentation of their work and meet deadlines and are prepared with correct equipment in lessons
Evaluation of the assessments argument
Elwood states that coursework may have some influence, buts its not the only cause to explain the gender Gap as exams still have higher percentage of marks which determine final grades
What is the internal factor ‘Leauge tables’?
Marketisation has increased competition between schools. As a result, girls are selected for the better schools they likely to achieve better results
KEY SOCIOLOGIST:
Jackson
Slee
What did Jackson say?
Girls may be selected for the best school, which lead to a self fulfilling prophecy as they recognise their potential purley from being at a good school
What did Slee say?
Schools are reluctant to take on boys as they are more likely to experience behavioural difficulties and are 4x more be excluded. Boys are veiwed as potential liabilities
What is the internal factor ‘Subject images’?
Wiener- in 1970s reading material represented women as inferior. Maths books presented women as inventive and physics books presented girls as afraid of science. Since 1980s gender stereotypes and sexist images have been removed from text books and classroom materials which has helped to raise girls achievements as positive images of hat women can do inspire them
What’s was Archers Study of the working class girl?
By displaying their working class feminine identities girls gained symbolic capital from their peers, which end clashed with their school values, preventing them gaining educational capital and economic capital.
There are 3 ways of girls achieving symbolic capital
-Hyper-Hetrosexual
-Boyfriends
-Being Loud
What does hyper-hetrosexual mean in terms of girls gaining symbolic capital?
Girls invested time, money and effort in constructing ‘hyper-hetrosexual identities’. This was done through ‘sexy clothing’, make-up and hair styles. This gave girls status/support from their peers. However this caused conflict with the school, as they may be punished for the wrong appearance. Teachers saw these girls investing too much time on their appearance, and thought it distracted them from their studies. The school veiwed these girls as not capable of achieving educational success
What is meant by ‘boyfriends’ in terms of girls gaining symbolic capital?
Having a boyfriend was a way of achieving symbolic capital. However it was also a way of interfering with school work and not aiming for a professional career. Having a boyfriend lowered girls aspirations by not aspiring to go to university. Girls privatised getting married and settling for working class femine jobs in the local area, eg childcare
What does ‘being loud’ in terms of girls gaining symbolic capital?
Some working class girls had ‘loud’ femine identities which included being outspoken, independent and assertive. Eg challenging the teachers authority. This clashed with the schools streotype of the ‘ideal pupil’ which included being passive and obedient. Teachers see these girls as aggressive rather than assertive
What did Archer say the result of this was?
That working class girls face a dilemma gaining educational capital by rejecting the working class identity and not conforming to the schools middle class norms of the female ideal pupil or gaining symbolic capital from peers by conforming to a hyper-hetrosexual, loud feminine identity
