gender gap in achievement

• gender gap in achievement

  
  

  • external- impact of feminism, changes in the family ,changes in women employment ,girls changing ambition
  • internal -equal opportunities policies ,positive role models in schools, GCSE and coursework ,teacher attention, challenging stereotypes in the curriculum ,selection and league tables
• gender differences in achievement 


  • identity, class and differences in girls achievement - symbolic capital, hyper-hetrosexual feminine identities ,boyfriends, being 'loud', w/c girls dilema, successful w/c girls
  • boys - literacy, globalisation and decline of traditional mens jobs, feminisation of education, shortage of male primary school teachers, moral panic about boys,
  • gender and subject choice - National curriculum options,
  • pupil sexual and gender identities - double standards, verbal abuse , male gaze, peer groups, teachers and discipline
• the gender gap in achievement 


  • end of reception - girls ahead of boys by 13.6% ,girls are better at concentrating . state primary school boys were 2 and 1/2 more likely to have statements of special educational needs
  • key stage 1-3 - girls do better than boys, especially in english , science and maths the gap is narrower but girls still do better
  • GCSE - 3/4 girls grades were pass vs 2/3 of boys
  • A-level - girls are more likely to pass and get higher grades than boys but narrower than GCSE
  • vocational- larger proportion of girls achieve distinction even in (male) gendered subjects
• (external) the impact of feminism 


  • equal rights for women
  • 1960s - feminist movement , challenged traditional stereotype, improved women's rights through changes of law
  • raised women expectations and self-esteem
  • McRobbie's - study of girls magazine - images of independent women and assertive
• (external) changes in the family (1970s)


  • increased divorce rate
  • increase in cohabitation and decrease in the number of first marriages
  • increased lone parent families
  • smaller families

  encourages women to not rely on men and to be independant and the breadwinner
• (external) changes in women's employment

  • 1970 equal pay act - illegal to pay women less than men for equal value
  • 1975 sex discrimination act
  • 53% in 1971 women in employment too 72% in 2020
  • some women are breaking through the 'glass ceiling' (invisible barrier keeping them from high level professional and managerial jobs)
• (External) girls changing ambition

  • change in family and employment changed girls ambition
  • Sharpe's - 1974- believed educational success was unfeminine and unattractive focusing on marriage
  • 1990- girls are more likely to be an independent women with a career , not relying on their husband for income
• external - class, gender and ambition 


  • w/c girls continued to have gender stereotyped aspirations and traditional low paid women's work
  • this limit aspiration reflect the limited job opportunities they perceive as being available to them
  • w/c girls see motherhood as the only option for their futures
• (internal) equal opportunities policies 


  • GIST and WISE
  • female scientists visited schools acting as role models
  • national curriculum in 1988
  • many barriers have been removed and schooling become more meritocratic
• (internal) positive role models in school 


  • more female teachers and head teachers
  • acting as role models for girls
• (internal) GCSE and coursework 


  • when gcse and coursework was introduced gender gap is no longer constant
  • girls spend more time on their work, take more care with how its presented, better at deadlines, brings right equipment and materials to lessons
  • this is because of early gender role socialisation in the family
• (internal) teacher attention 


  • boys received more attention but discipline more harshly and felt picked on
  • boys dominate whole class discussion - hostile interruption
  • girls prefer pair-work and group work - listen and cooperate, take turns
• (internal) challenging stereotypes in the curriculum 


  • removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks, reading schemes and other learning materials removed barrier to girls achievement
  • reading schemes -housewives and mothers
  • physic books - frightened by science
  • math- boys are more incentive
  • sexist images have been removed from learning material
• (internal) selection and league tables 


  • marketisation policies - competitive climate (school see girls as desirable recruits because they achieve better exam results)
  • girls are more likely to be recruited by good school so they are more likely to do well
  • boys are more likely to suffer from behavioural difficulties and 4x more likely to be excluded
• (internal) feminist view of girl achievement (liberal)


  • celebrate progress made so far
  • further progress will be made by the continuing development of equal opportunities policies
  • similar to functionalist view that education is a meritocracy
• (internal) feminist view of girl achievement (radical)


  • critical view
  • system remains patriarchal
  • sexual harassment of girls continues in school
  • education limits girls subject choice and career
  • male headteachers are still more likely to become heads of secondary schools
  • women contribution to history is ignored
• symbolic capital (girl achievement)


  • girls fain symbolic capital from their peers although this conflicted with school preventing them from acquiring educational and economic capital (middle class careers)
• hyper heterosexual feminine identities 


  • girls invest a lot of time, effort and money to be 'desirable' and 'glamorous'
  • this is to gain status from their female peer groups and avoid being ridiculed or called a 'tramp' for wearing the wrong brand
  • girls get punished for having too much jewellery, wrong clothing, makeup, etc.
  • teachers saw these as a distraction from education
  • symbolic violence is the harm done by denying someone symbolic capital
  • ideal pupil - de-sexualised, m/c
• boyfriends

  • symbolic capital
  • lowered girls aspirations like going to university
  • aspired to have children, work locally in w/c feminine jobs (childcare)
• being 'loud'

  • outspoken, independent and assertive
  • e.g. questioning teachers authority
  • going against school stereotype of ideal female pupil identity as passive and submissive to authority
  • teachers saw them as aggressive rather than assertive
• working class girls' dilemma 


  • either gaining symbolic capital - hyper-heterosexual feminine identity
  • or gaining education capital - rejecting w/c identity
• 'successful' working-class girls 


  • Sarah Evans - girls motivation to succeed and go to university was too help their families
  • fear of getting into debt
  • girls prefered local and familiarity over the distance
  • successful w/c girls have a 'caring' aspect of w/c feminine identity too live at home with their families while studying - resulting in self-exclusion from elite universities
• boys and literacy 


  • poorer literacy and language skills
  • parents spend less time reading to their sons
  • reading is seen as a feminine activity
  • boys prefer sports which has little to help develop language and communication skills
  • girls have a 'bedroom culture' - staying in and talking with friends
• Globalisation and the decline of traditional men's jobs 


  • 1980- decline in heavy industries (iron and steel, shipbuilding,mining and engineering) and more manufacturing industry
  • identity crisis for men - believe they have little prospect of getting a proper job
  • undermines their motivation and self-esteem
  • however -w/c jobs requires few if any qualification, not making it a big impact
• Feminisation of education 


  • school does not nurture traits like: competitiveness and leadership
  • sewell says - coursework should be replaced with final exams and greater emphasis placed on outdoor adventure in the curriculum
• shortage of male primary school teachers

  • lack of male role models at home and at school cause boys' underachievement
  • this is because the culture of the primary school has became feminised as a result of being staffed by female teachers who are unable to control boys behaviour
  • disciplinarian and liberal discourse
  • both female and male teachers tend to use disciplinarian discourse (masculine ) proving you don't need more male teachers and school has not become feminised
• laddish subcultures 


  • w/c boys are likely to be harassed, labelled as sissy and subjected to homophobic verbal abuse if they appear to be 'swots'
  • labels is more of a threat to boys than girls
  • w/c, masculinity is equated with being tough and doing manual work
  • schoolwork is seena s effeminate and inferior