gender differences in education

• on starting school: in 2013 teacher assessments of pupils at the end of the year showed girls ahead of boys between 7-17 points in all learning areas. Girls are better at concentrating than boys.
• AT KEY STAFES 1 TO 3: girls consistently do better than boys, especially in english. In science and maths the gap is much narrower, but girls still do better.
• At gcse 2013, gender gaps is at 10 percentage points.
• At AS and A Level: girls more likely to pass, sit, get higher grades than boys. Narrower gap of 46.8% - 42.2%
• Vocational courses: a lot of girls achieve distinctions in every subject even engineering.
• External factors and gender differences in achievement:

  1. Impact of feminism.
  2. changes in the family.
  3. changes in women’s employment.
  4. girls changing ambitions.
• McRobbie- study of girls magazines, in the 1970’s emphasis on getting married, whereas nowdays independence is valued.
• 2. Changes in the family include:

  • increased divorce rate
  • increase in cohabitation
  • decrease in number of first marriages.
  • increase in lone parents.
  • smaller families.
• Changes in women’s employment:

  • 1970 equal pay act.
  • 1975 sex discrimination act.
  • pay gap halved from 30-15%
  • Women are breaking through glass ceiling barrier of aiming for high level jobs.
• Girls changing ambitions:

  SHARPE- interviewed girls from 1970 and 1990 to show how shift in ambition.

  1974- educational success was unfeminine and getting married was attractive.

  1990- girls wanted careers.
• O’Connor- study of 14-17 year old found that marriage and children weren’t part of major plans.
• Beck and Beck Gernsheim - links girls mindset towards individualisation in modern society where independence is valued more strongly.
• Fuller- educational success was central aspect of girls identity.
• Reay- WC girls have their limited aspirations reflect the limited job opportunities they perceive to be available to them.
• Biggart- WC girls likely to face labour market position and see motherhood as the only viable option for their future.
• Internal factors in gender difference:

  1 equal opportunities policies.

  2. positive role models in schools.

  3. gcse and coursework.

  4. teacher attention.

  5. challenging stereotypes in the curriculum.

  6. selection and league tables.
• Equal opportunities policy-

  • policies want more women in GIST and WISE.
  • curriculum made children all study the same subjects.
  • BOALER- impact of equal opportunities policies as key reason for changes in girls achievement.
• Positive role models- more women in positions of importance.
• GCSE and coursework:

  GORARD- after 1989 gap widened, believes it is due to ’changed system of assessment rather than general failing of boys.’
• Mitsos and Browne-

  • girls spend more time on work.
  • better presentation.
  • meet deadlines.
  • more organised.
• Girls have better oral skills due to developed language skills due to early socialisation.
• Elwood: coursework is unlikely to be only cause of gender gap, because exams have more influence than coursework.
• Teacher attention

  French- boys receive more attention due to reprimands

  Francis- were disciplined highly due to low expectations.
• SWANN- boys dominate in whole class discussions while girls were cooperative and listening, in groups girls were more likely to talk taking turns.
• WEINER- argues that teachers challenge stereotypes and sexist imagery has been removed from textbooks. May helped to raise girls achievement.
• Jackson- introduction of exam league tables improved for girls as they’re more attracted to high achieving schools. Low achieving boys aren’t leading to SFP.
• SLEE- boys less attracted to schools because they suffer from behavioural problems and are four times likely to be excluded.
• Liberal feminists- celebrate progress so far, further progress will be made by developing equal policies and overcoming sexist attitudes.
• Radical feminists- recognise improvement, take a critical view and emphasise how the system is patriarchal.

  • sexual harassment in schools.
  • male teachers more likely to be heads.
  • women are underrepresented many areas of curriculum.

  WEINER- history curriculum ‘women free zone.’
• Archer studied differences and conflict between working class girls and values of the school.
• Hyper heterosexual feminine identities- girls spend time on looking glamorous and desirable with American styles, sexy clothes, makeup and hairstyles.
• Boyfriends: having one bought symbolic capital and lowered aspirations, more likely to settle down and have children from a WC girl.
• Being loud: WC were loud, outspoken and independent and do not conform to stereotype of quiet and passive. Teachers interpret their behaviour as aggressive rather than assertive.
• Archer argues that working class feminine identities and educational success conflict with each other.
• Skegg- caring is a crucial part of wc identity and girls wished to stay home and contribute to families.
• BOYS AND ACHIEVEMENT:

  boys and literacy.

  globalisation and decline of traditional men jobs.

  feminisation of education.

  shortage of male primary school teachers.
• DCSF (2007) gender gap is result of boys poor literacy skills. Parents read less to sons and reading mothers comes across as a feminine activity.

  boys leisure is sports, less talking while girls have a bedroom culture of talking.
• Since 1980’s decline in heavy industry like mining and engineering. Traditionally men were employed by these sectors.
• Mitsos and Browne- decline in male employment opportunities led to an identity crisis for men.
• Feminisation of education: sewell claims education has become more feminised. Schools do not nurture masculine strengths nor celebrate them unlike girl traits like attentiveness. Coursework should B

  be replaced with final exams.