girls and internal factors Flashcards
factors under internal factors
Equal opportunities policies
Positive role models
GCSE and Coursework
Teacher Attention
Challenging Stereotypes to the Curriculum
Selection and League Tables
sociologist behind equal opportunities policies
Boaler
Equal Opportunities Policies
Feminist ideas have become more mainstream and policymakers are now much more aware of gender issues, the belief that boys and girls are entitled to the same opportunities is now part of mainstream thinking and it influences educational policies. For example, policies such as GIST and WISE encourage girls to pursue careers in non-traditional areas. Similarly, the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1988 removed one source of gender inequality by making boys and girls study the same subjects. Boaler argues that equal opportunities are a major reason for the changes in girls’ achievement, many of the barriers have been removed and the school has become more meritocratic so that girls who generally work harder achieve more.
positive role models
There has been an increase in the proportion of female teachers and heads. These women in senior positions may act as role models for girls, showing them women can achieve positions of importance and giving them non-traditional goals to aim for. According to the House of Commons Library 2021, 66% of teachers in secondary schools in 2020 were women and 40% of head teachers were women compared to 22% and 49% in 1992. Women teachers are likely to be particularly important role models, since becoming a teacher requires a lengthy and successful education
Sociologists behind GCSE and Coursework
Gorard - gender gap in achievement was fairly constant from 1975 until 1989 when it increased sharply due to the introduction of GCSE and Coursework
Mitsos and Browne - Girls are more successful at CW because they are more conscientious
GCSE and Coursework
The way pupils are assessed has increased the gender gap in achievement. For example, Gorard found that the gender gap in achievement was fairly constant from 1975 until 1989 when it increased sharply due to the introduction of GCSE and Coursework, this change in assessment benefits girls according to Mitsos and Browne girls are more successful at coursework because they are more conscientious and better along than boys, which had helped girls to benefit from the introduction of CW. Along with GCSE, there has become a greater use of oral exams which benefit girls because of their generally better-developed language skills. These characteristics can be argued to be a result of socialisation, girls are encouraged to be tidy which helps them achieve greater success than boys
evaluation of GCSE and Coursework
Elwood argues that although coursework has some influence, it is unlikely to be the only cause of the gender gap because exams have much more influence than coursework on final grades. Moreover, since 2011 coursework has been scrapped for most subjects.
Sociologists for teacher attention
French - found that boys received more attention because they attracted more reprimands
Francis - while boys got more attention they were disciplined more harshly
Swann - found gender differences in communication styles
teacher attention
The way teachers interact with boys and girls differs. French analysed classroom interaction and found that boys received more attention because they attracted more reprimands. Francis also found that while boys got more attention, they were disciplined more harshly and felt picked on by teachers who tended to have lower expectations of them. Swann also found gender differences in communication styles. Boys dominate in whole class discussions, whereas girls prefer pair work and are better at listening than boys who, they see as potentially disruptive. This may lead to a SFP in which successful interactions with teachers promote girls’ self-esteem and raise their achievement levels.
sociologist behind removing stereotypes from the curriculum
Weiner argues that since the 80s teachers have challenged such stereotypes and sexist images have been removed from learning materials.
challenging stereotypes in the curriculum
The removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks and other learning materials in recent years has removed a barrier to girls’ achievement. Research in the 70s and 80s found that textbooks portrayed women mainly as housewives and science books depicted them as frightened by science and boys as more incentive. Weiner argues that since the 80s teachers have challenged such stereotypes and sexist images have been removed from learning materials. This has helped raise girls’ achievement by presenting them with more positive images of what women can do.
sociologist behind selection and league tables
Jackson argues that the introduction of exam league tables has improved opportunities for girls.
Slee found that for example, boys are less attractive to schools because they are more likely to suffer from behavioural difficulties and are four times more likely to be excluded
Selection and League Tables
Marketisation policies have created a more competitive climate in which schools see girls as desirable recruits because they achieve better exam results. Jackson argues that the introduction of exam league tables has improved opportunities for girls. High-achieving girls are attractive to schools whereas low-achieving boys are not. This tends to create a SFP because girls are more likely to be recruited by good schools, and they are more likely to do well. Slee found that for example, boys are less attractive to schools because they are more likely to suffer from behavioural difficulties and are four times more likely to be excluded, as a result, they are seen as liability students - in essence, obstacles to the school improving its league table scores.
liberal feminist explanation of these changes
Liberal Feminists celebrate the progress made so far in improving achievement. They believe that further progress will be made by the continued development of Equal Opportunities policies, encouraging positive role models and overcoming sexist attitudes. This is similar to the functionalist’s view that education is a meritocracy where all individuals regardless of gender, ethnicity or class are given an equal opportunity to achieve
radical feminist explanations of these changes
While they recognise that girls are achieving more, they emphasise that the system remains patriarchal and conveys the clear message that it is still a man’s world. Women are under-represented in many areas of the curriculum. For example, their contribution to history is largely ignored. Weiner describes the secondary school history curriculum as a woman-free zone. Although there are more female headteachers, male teachers are still more likely to become heads of secondary schools. Sexual harassment also exists in schools
