education-gender-external and internal factors Flashcards
(14 cards)
How have changes in the family affected gender differences in schools? EXTERNAL
- Increase in divorce rate, cohabitation, no of lone parent families and smaller families
-> Impacted girls attitudes towards education
How has changes since 1970 impacted girl’s attitudes towards education? EXTERNAL
-Increased lone parent households-> more women becoming a breadwinner-> creates a role model for girls
- Similarly, increased divorce rates suggest it’s unwise to rely on men to be the provider which encourages girls to look to themselves to gain qualifications to make a living and gain access to well paid jobs .
Impact of feminism on gender differences
EXTERNAL
Feminists have actively challenged the traditional role of women in Patriarchal family
-> Women have gained equal rights and opportunities-> girl’s experiencing positive self-image and ambition changes toward family and career choices
Give an example of the impact of feminism
EXTERNAL
-Feminism has led to positive changes in girl’s achievement e.g McRobbie’s study of girls’ magazine in the 1970s emphasized the importance of getting married but now they contain images of independent women
What is the impact of changes in women’s employment?
EXTERNAL
-The proportion of women in employment has risen from 53% to 67%.
-Girls have a higher incentive to work harder in school due to role models of successful women and changes in careers.
-This means that they will aim to be engaged in paid work-> increased opportunities and not be financially dependent
Give 2 examples of law changes that have caused this change
EXTERNAL
-1970 Equal Pay Act- Illegal to pay women less than men for work of equal value
-1975 Sex Discrimination Act- Outlaws discrimination at work
How has girls ambitions changed? Give an example of a study that presented this
EXTERNAL
Sharpe- Interviewed girls in the 70s and 90s- shifts in the way the girls see their future
-> 70s girls had low aspirations and believed educational success was unfeminine
->90s girls more likely to see a future as an independent woman with a career
-Francis (2001) girls now have higher career aspirations
How have selection and exam league tables impacted gender differences within school
INTERNAL
-created a competitive environment within schools where schools compete for the highest achieving students- girls are more desirable recruits because they achieve better exam results
Who believes league tables have improved girls’ opportunities and how?
INTERNAL
Jackson
-Argues that this is due to girls’ attitudes towards education-> seen as hard-working and high achieving pupils which means they are attractive to schools-> self-fulfilling prophecy as they have more opportunities to do well by being recruited by good schools
How have GCSE and coursework caused gender differences in education? Give an example
INTERNAL
Some sociologists argue that changes in ways pupils are assessed favour girls
-> Gorard (2005)- gender gap in achievements fails constant from 1995-1989 but increased suddenly after thus as GCSE’s were introduced-> increase in coursework
Give another example of how GCSE’s impacted gender achievement
INTERNAL
Mitos and Browne (1998)-girls spend more time on work, take more care with presentation and meet deadlines. Showing that introduction of coursework benefits their achievement.
How have more equal opportunities affected gender achievement?
-Teachers are more sensitive toward gender stereotypes
-GIST (girls in science and technology) ad WISE (women in science and engineering)
-1988 education reform act-removed inequality by making both sexes study the same subjects
How does teacher attention impact gender achievement? with 2 examples
INTERNAL
-Jane and French-boys received more attention in classroom bc they attracted more reprimands
-Swann- found gender differences in communication styles- B dominates whole-class discussions while G prefer pair and group work
How have positive role models impacted gender achievement?
INTERNAL
Women in senior roles act as role models for girls, showing girls that women can achieve important positions
