DIFFERENTIAL EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT - Gender

What is Willis (1977) study?

‘Lads’ rebelled against the school system and preferred having a ‘laff’ and starting work in labour.

What is Iresom and Hallam (2009) study?

Setting effects self-concept, higher set = positive attitude, and vice versa.

What is Stanworth and Spencer (1983) study?

Boys and girls behaviour is judged to different standards, girls held more highly.

What is Mitsos and Browne (1998) study?

Impact on female teachers on female students as role models.

What is Swann and Graddol (1993) study?

Teachers spend more time managing boys behaviour than spending time helping girls.

What is Forde et al (2006) study?

Peer pressure encourages boys to display dominant masculinity which makes boys 3x more likely to be excluded from school.

What is Bleach (1998) study?

Girls favour long, fiction books over non-fiction which helps them as the English curriculum studies old literature.

What is Arnot (1998) study?

Girls prefer process-based and open ended tasks, puts them ahead in essay based subjects.

What is Robinson (2000) study?

Masculinity is in crisis due to advancements in gay rights and feminism.

What is Wilkinson’s study?

There is a ‘genderquake’ causing a feminisation in the workforce.

What is Francis and Skelton’s study?

More girls are choosing higher degree qualifications.

What is Lobban and Kelly’s study?

Books are gender stereotyped, showing sexist demonstrations as girls scared of science, etc.

What is Beck’s study?

Post-modern society is more individualised so girls must be more dependent and self-supporting.

What is Mac and Ghaill’s study?

There is a decline in traditional working-class men as manual labour is looked down upon and there are less work opportunities.

What is Jackson’s study?

Schools are dominated by a ‘hegemonic masculinity’ where masculine behaviour takes over the classrooms.

What are internal factors that cause gender differential educational achievement?

Labelling

Self-fulfilling prophecy

School subcultures

Curriculum

Single-sex classes

Tripartite system

Feminisation of education

How does labelling impact students educational achievement?

Girls are treated differently due to stereotypes e.g. getting ‘strong boys’ for lifting things, makes girls feel unworthy.

How do self-fulfilling prophecies impact students educational achievement?

Students will likely live up to the expectations of labels as it reduces their confidence, self-worth and motivation.

How do school subcultures impact students educational achievement?

Anti-school subcultures form due to labelling/setting which leads to students rebelling against the school system by being disruptive, boys seek validation this way.

How does the curriculum impact students educational achievement?

Textbooks use sexist stereotypes.

Complex language favours girls who tend to be more essay based whereas boys are more practical so dominant STEM subjects.

How do single-sex classes impact students educational achievement?

Removes the distraction from tempting the opposite sex.

Gender segregation promotes inequality.

Behaviour in boy only classes is worsened as they over-present a ‘macho bravado’.

How does the Tripartite System impact students educational achievement?

It is disadvantageous to girls who were better at the 11+ but because there was equal spaces available for boys and girls, the higher-ability girls had to go to normal high schools.

How does the feminisation of education impact students educational achievement?

Teachers are primarily female so there are more role models for girls but less for boys.

What are external factors that cause gender differential educational achievement?

Social policies

Primary socialisation

Individualised post-modern society

Genderquake

Crisis in masculinity

External subcultures

How do social policies impact students educational achievement?

The Equality Act and WISE allows girls to have more confidence in male-dominated subjects, access to resources and equality in male fields.

How does primary socialisation impact students educational achievement?

Boys get validation from bad ‘laddish’ behaviour which disrupts learning as they don’t want to be viewed as hardworking as this is seen as ‘gay’.

Girls are influenced into childcare and beauty due to views of gender roles.

How does post-modern society impact students educational achievement?

Girls try harder in school so they can get higher paid jobs and be self-supporting as they are no longer dependent on men.

How does the genderquake impact students educational achievement?

More female role models in higher paid jobs influences girls to have the confidence to take higher degrees.

How does the crisis in masculinity impact students educational achievement?

Putting effort into school work is seen as ‘gay’ and traditional labour is looked down upon so they feel like there is no path for them to go down.

How do external subcultures impact students educational achievement?

‘Bedroom subcultures’ - girls are more developed in language based subjects from the forms of play e.g. role play games, this means they are better at literacy/reading and so are ahead of boys.

What causes gender differences in subject choices?

Gender socialisation: different social roles

Male dominated STEM subjects: girls feel intimiated from taking these subjects.