Internal Factors: Girls' improved achievement Flashcards
Equal opportunities policies
The belief that boys & girls should have the same opportunities in school is now part of mainstream thinking. Policies such as GIST (Girls into Science and Technology) & WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) encourage girls to pursue careers in non-traditional areas.
Similarly, the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1988 meant that boys & girls had to study the same things
Equal opportunities policies A03
Boaler argues that equal opportunities policies are a key factor in the improvement of girls’ educational performance. Schools have become more meritocratic which means that because girls in general work harder than boys in school, they achieve more
Positive role models in school
In recent years, the proportion of female teachers & female head teachers has increased (37% in 2013). Moreover, the dominance of women in primary schools (88% in 2013) shows the extent to which schools have become feminised, places associated with female success.
Positive role models in school A03
Women in positions of power & authority have acted as important role models for girls because they show girls that it is possible for them to achieve important positions. This then reinforces the importance of education in gaining such positions.
Introduction of GCSE’s & coursework
Gorard argues that changes in the way students are examined have favoured girls & disadvantaged boys. The gender-gap in achievement increased after the introduction of GCSEs & coursework in 1988. He says the gender gap in achievement is a “product of the changed system of assessment rather than any more general failing of boys”.
Mitsos & Browne argue that girls are more successful in coursework because they are better organised & more conscientious than boys. They found that girls tend to spend more time on their work, take more care on its presentation, & are better at keeping to deadlines. All of this helped girls to benefit from the introduction of coursework in GCSE, AS & A level.
Introduction of GCSE’s & coursework A03:
Elwood notes that exams have more influence on final grades, so the introduction of coursework had only a limited effect on gender differences in achievement. Moreover, coursework has been phased out in many subjects & girls still achieve higher results overall despite this & the more recent introduction of linear exams
Teacher attention & classroom interaction
Research suggests that teachers respond more positively to girls than boys. This is because teachers see girls as more co-operative & boys as more disruptive.
Barber found that teacher-pupil interactions were very significant. For girls, feedback from teachers focused more on their work rather than their behaviour; for boys the reverse was true. Research by Abraham suggests that teachers perceive boys as being more badly behaved than girls in the classroom, & as such expect bad behaviour.
Teacher attention & classroom interaction A03:
This may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy in which positive interactions raise girls’ self esteem & levels of achievement.
Challenging stereotypes in the curriculum
Some sociologists argue that removing gender stereotypes from reading schemes, textbooks & other learning materials has removed a barrier to girls’ achievement.
Weiner argues that since the 1980s, teachers have challenged gender stereotypes. Also, in general, sexist images have been removed from teaching materials.
AO3: This may have helped to raise girls’ achievement by presenting more positive images of what women are capable of in society. The removal of gender stereotypes also shows the positive impact of equal opportunities policies & the influence of feminist ideas on education
Selection & league tables
Marketisation policies & greater use of selection have created a much more competitive climate among schools. In this light, girls are seen as more desirable recruits as they achieve better exam results. Conversely, boys are seen as ‘liability students’ which are barriers to efforts by schools to climb the league tables.
AO3: Jackson found that the introduction of exam league tables, which place a high value on academic achievement, has improved opportunities for girls. This tends to produce a self fulfilling prophecy in which girls are more likely to be recruited by good schools & are therefore more likely to do well.
