male underachievement

Question 1

shortage of male primary teachers

Answer 1

• lack of male role models (single parents)
• 14% primary teachers are male
• research shows boys said they work harder with a male teacher

Question 2

boys + literacy

Answer 2

• gender gap is mainly the result of poor literacy and language skills
• mums tend to read to children so it is seen as a female activity
• boys prefer leisure activities such as football which doesn’t promote language and literacy skills

Question 3

national curriculum

Answer 3

means everyone does the same thing and there is less coursework

Question 4

a level results

Answer 4

• girls do more humanities/english while boys do stem subjects
• as/a level girls are more likely to pass with higher grades
• vocational courses girls are more likely to pass with a distinction
• more females go to uni and get higher degrees (girls 75% more likely to go to uni)

Question 5

policies introduced to raise boys achievement

Answer 5

• RAISING BOYS ACHIEVEMENT PROJECT involves a range of teaching strategies, including single sex teaching
• READING CHAMPIONS SCHEME uses male role models celebrating their own reading interests
• THE DADS AND SONS CAMPAIGN encourages fathers to be more involved with their sons education
• PLAYING FOR SUCCESS uses football and other sports to boost learning skills and motivation among boys
• THE NATIONAL LITERACY STRATEGY includes a focus on improving boys reading

Question 6

MITSOS AND BROWNE - globalisation in the labour market

Answer 6

• globalisation has caused masculine jobs to move overseas
• boys no longer have prospects so no educational motivation
• masculinity crisis

Question 7

EPSTEIN - laddish subcultures

Answer 7

• how masculinity is created in schools
• WC boys suffer abuse if they work hard
• peer pressure - ‘street cred’ and peer group status by not working in school
• homophobic comments
• WC male culture is tough and focuses on manual work

Question 8

what is moral panic about boys?

Answer 8

• idea that female success is at the expense of male underachievement
• fear that WC boys are becoming unemployable and a threat to social stability
• we have seen a shift in educational policy to help ‘failing’ boys
• RINGROSE argues it ignores sexual harassment, low self esteem and stereotyped subject choices

Question 9

gendered subject images
(KELLY & COLLEY)

Answer 9

• KELLY says males dominate science classes by grabbing equipment, shouting and having male teachers
• COLLEY says ICT is also a male subject, as they use machines and practice individual style learning

Question 10

BROWNE AND ROSS - gender domains

Answer 10

• tasks/activities seen as male or female territory
• both genders are more confident when doing tasks that they see as part of their own gender domain
• girls focus more on feelings (health and social care)
• boys focus more on how things are made (mechanics)
• both genders face peer pressure

Question 11

SEWELL - feminisation of the education system

Answer 11

• schools no longer nurture masculine traits such as leadership and being competitive
• female traits are methodical working and attentiveness in class
• he believed we need more final exams and more emphasis on outdoor adventure

Question 12

NORMAN - gender socialisation

Answer 12

toys and encouragement to participate in certain activities are treated differently

Question 13

LEONARD - single sex schools

Answer 13

• pupils who attended single-sex schools tend to hold less gender stereotyped subject images
• LEONARD’s findings are supported by the institute of physics study which found that girls in a single sex state school were 2.4 times more likely to take a-level physics then those in mixed schools
• the same study found that the lack of female physicists on tv formed perceptions of physics