Topic 4: Gender - In-school factors Flashcards
What were the overarching ideas that Spender (1983) and Stanworth (1990) found in their studies of schools?
They carried out observation-based research on the interactions between teachers and pupils, finding that schools reinforced gender inequalities.
Teacher expectations of girls led to labelling that led to teacher discrimination.
Specifically, what did Spender find?
When boys questioned teachers, they were treated with respect, whereas girls were criticised for being too assertive.
Further, boys’ work was judged by a different standard. The same work got better marks when the teacher was told it was by a boy.
What specific thing did Stanworth find about schools?
Teachers gave more time to boys and also had higher expectations of them.
What was the impact of Stanworth and Spender’s work?
It influenced social policies that aimed to make education more female-friendly.
How do the findings of Weiner (1995) demonstrate the influence of Stanworth and Spender?
Since the 1980s, teachers are confronting stereotypes more and many sexist images have been removed from school materials.
Also, boys have become more aware of the unacceptability of sexist behaviour.
Why does Rothermel (1999) feel that in-school factors have a large part to play in determining gender differences in achievement?
Among home-educated children, boys are as successful as girls. This is clearly not the case within school, however.
What is Eptein’s (1998) “poor boys” discourse?
He blames the schools for male underachievement.
They ignore the learning needs of boys and fail to appreciate and understand their masculinity.
Some argue that schools should be made more masculine.
Why have some criticised the feminisation of schools?
Female-dominated schools, exerting an emphasis on neatness and tidiness, may have a negative impact of boys.
They may feel alienated.
How does Carrington et al (2007) refute the idea that feminisation has negatively impacted boys?
Research shows that the gender of the teacher actually has little to no impact on learning.
Why do Sukhanda et al (2000) claim that boys find schools to be alien places?
Boys feel that they receive less support and encouragement from teachers.
Teachers have higher expectations of girls and are more critical of boys for non-academic reasons (behaviour, scruffiness…).
Why does Abraham (1995) argue that schools fail to confront traditional notions of masculinity?
In his study, deviant boys were actually more popular with teachers than the academic boys or girls.
Schools may be reinforcing stereotypes.
What do Mitsos and Browne (1998) state about the attitudes and expectations of teachers towards boys?
Teachers expected less of boys and were not as critical of them as they were girls.
These expectations may have had a self-fulfilling effect, depressing the achievement of boys.
Why do Coffey and Delamont (2000) believe schools to be patriarchal?
The discourse of schools was fundamentally male - hierarchical and competitive. Further, most senior staff were men.
Many secondary schools were very masculine: authoritarian, regulatory, and sexist (some schools did not allow girls to wear trousers).
Why does Myhill (2000) believe that, despite doing better academically, girls are not actually receiving the best education?
Their success is down to compliance and passivity.
Boys actually get a better education as they interact more with teachers.
This compliance may hinder girls in the workplace as few people get to the top jobs by being passive.
Why can one argue that the overall schooling experience of girls is more negative?
They are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse or harassment, and are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses and eating disorders.
