Feminism on Education

Question 1

What do liberal feminists view on education?

Answer 1

• Celebrate the progress made so far in impoving girls’ achievement.
• They believe that the ‘future is now female’ now that girls are outperforming boys

Question 2

What do radical feminists view on education?

Answer 2

Argue that patriachy still works through school to reinforce traditional gender norms and to disadvantage

Question 3

What are radical feminists concerned about?

Answer 3

• Boy’s relative underachievement as ‘moral panic’.
• Boys have still been improving thier achievement in the last 30 years, just not as fast as girls.

Question 4

What is the feminist argument on the focus of education at the moment?

Answer 4

• On ‘raising boys achievement’ reflects the male dominated system panicking at the fact that old patriachal power rekatuins are starting to break down.

Question 5

Despite improvements in girls’ education…

Answer 5

subject choices still remain heavily gendered and girls do not seem to be ‘breaking the glass ceiling’

Question 7

Sharpe

Answer 7

Girls changing priorities
1974 - girls had low aspirations, educational success was unfeminine and unattractive - priority on family
1990 - girls are ambitious, priorities changed to career focused, more independent

Question 8

Stanworth

Answer 8

teacher expectations
studied - teacher and student interactions in A - level classrooms
found - teachers were more likely to remember boy names, even if girls performed better and girls received less encouragement for careers and higher education
impact - shows how gender bias in the classroom effects students identity and opportunity

Question 9

Spender

Answer 9

Invisible women and male dominance in classroom
Found - teachers give more attention and time to boys even when they dominate and disrupt and girls are often ignored and undervalued
impact - girls may feel less confident or visible in classroom settings

Question 10

Wiener

Answer 10

challenging stereotypes - curriculum is becoming less sexist
found - removal of sexist content in textbooks, increased representation of female role models
impact - education is becoming supportive of gender equality, especially curriculum material