Education - Gender Flashcards
(89 cards)
By the end of year 1, how much further ahead are girls than boys?
7-17%
What was the gender gap before and after 1988?
1986: 1%
1989: 6%
- intro of national curriculum and course work
What are the 4 external factors explaining girls’ achievement in education?
- The Impact of feminism
- Changes in the family
- Changes in women’s employment
- Girls’ changing ambitions
How has feminism affected girls’ achievement in education?
The feminist movement has worked to create equal opputunities for women and men, compared to the comprehensive requirements for girls. They have also changed the way women are represented, likely pushing up their self esteem - affecting effort in education.
McRobbie (1994) and girls’ magazines:
In the 1970’s, they emphasized the importance of getting married and how to be a good wife, such as Jackie magazine; nowadays, they contain images of assertive, independent women.
How has feminism affected the achievement of boys?
It hasn’t, boys have been unaffected so have not experienced the changes that girls have experienced to increase self esteem and open up oppurtunities
How have changes in the family affected girls’ achievement?
The rise in matrifocal families (22% of all) may mean more young girls have a female role model that is financially independent, this motivates young girls to achieve the same by getting well-paid jobs that require higher education.
How have changes in the family affected boys’ achievements?
The increase in matrifocal families have caused boys to lose a stable familiar role model of educational or financial success, with many online role models (like Bill Gates) not promoting higher education, so are less inclined to care for education.
Give two examples of changes in women’s employment.
- The 1970 Equal Pay Act made it illegal to pay women less than men for work of equal value
- The 1975 Sex Discrimination Act outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex at work
How have changes to women’s employment affected girls’ achievement?
Girls are now being encouraged to see their futures in terms of financial success and paid work rather than as a housewife, encouraging them to get better qualifications for better jobs and put more effort into school
Sharp (1974; 1994) and girls’ ambitions:
- In 1974, girls had low aspirations, viewing educational success and ambition as unattractive and unfeminine, and their highest priorities being love and marriage.
- By the 90’s, girls were more likely to prioritise careers and independence with an aversion to being dependant on their husband and his income.
Fuller (2011) and girls’ identities and meritocracy:
Girls are more likely now to see educational success as part of their identities and believe in meritcocracy - this enables them to try harder in education.
How does class affect girls’ ambitions? Why?
Working-class girls are more likely to have gender-sterotyped aspirations of marriage and expect to enter low paid ‘women’s work’. This is because of the reality of their position: Reay (1998) found they have percieved limited job opputunities so turn to traditional gendier identity as an attainable source of status.
What are the 6 internal factors affecting different gender’s achievement?
- Equal opportunity policy
- Positive role models in school
- GCSE and coursework
- Teacher attention
- Challenging stereotypes in the curriculum
- Selection and league tables
Give two examples of policies that encourage girls to pursue careers in non-tradional fields and how.
- GIST (Girls into science and technology)
- WISE (Women into science and engineering)
These bring female scientists to schools and attempt to ameliorate teacher sexism, that encourages girls to go into these careers and view them as feasible.
How did the introduction of the national curriculum in 1988 affect girls’ achievement?
Girls began to do better as they were now in the same classes as boys rather than classes like home sciences.
Boaler (1998) and equal oppurtunity policies:
Wqual oppurtunity policies are a key reason for girls’ achievement, with many barriers being removed and school becoming more meritocratic.
How has the precentage of female headteacher and teachers in secondary schools changed?
Number of female headteachers has increased by more than 50% and more than half of teachers are women, since 1992.
How does the change in number of female teachers and headteachers affect girls’ achievement?
Women in senior positions act as role models to young girls, and subconciously normalise the idea of feminine success and independence.
How do Mitsos and Browne (1998) argue the 1988 education reform act caused boys to underachieve and girls to achieve?
GCSEs have coursework as a large component; girls, on average, spend more time on work and are more organised due to socialisation into tidyness and patience, giving them an advantage in education. Girls also do better in oral exams due to having better developed langage skills.
Give a criticism of the theory that the intro of coursework cause boys to underachieve.
Elwood (2005): exams still take precidence so it can’t be the sole cause.
How and why do teachers percieve different gender students differently?
Teachers are more likely to percieve girls as cooperative and paying attention; Swann (1998) found that boys are more likely to dominate in whole-class discussions and interrupt one another during paired work, whereas girls will take turns and paired or group work.
Francis (1993) and the effect of teachers’ gendered expectations:
Because teachers are more likely to see girls as cooperative and boys as diruptive, they will give girls more help and reprimand boys more frequently, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
How have stereotypes in curriculum changed?
Reading schemes and textbooks in the 70’s and 80’s largely portrayed women as housewives and mothers and boys as more inventive.
