Gender and Achievement - Internal Factors

Question 1

Labelling and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Answer 1

• Teachers respond more positively to girls because they see them as more cooperative and hard working compared to boys.

→FRANCIS:

• Girls have become labelled as hard working and capable, whilst boys are seen as less able and more disruptive, in some cases leading to self-fulfilling prophecies.
• For example, a female student is given a positive label of ‘bright’ and internalises it and believes it, so works hard.

Question 2

Equal Opportunities Policies

Answer 2

• Schools now place great importance on providing equal opportunities for girls in education.
• Teachers want to avoid stereotypes.

GIST: girls in science and technology.
WISE: women in science and engineering.
Encourages girls into typically male jobs e.g. physics and engineering.

Question 3

Coursework

Answer 3

• Girls do better at coursework.
• Mitos and Browne argue that girls are more successful in coursework because they work harder and are more organised than boys. Girls spend more time in their work and are better at meeting deadlines and bringing the right equipment.
• The characteristics and skills commonly found amongst girls are the result of early gender socialisation in the family.

Question 4

Laddish Subcultures

Answer 4

→EPSTEIN: w/c boys often feel pressured by their peers to be seen to be working as little as possible or else they’ll be bullied and harassed. W/c boys see school as girly and a waste of time because they want manual jobs. The boys feel under pressure to rebel against the school in order to avoid being labelled as gay.

Question 5

Feminisation of Education

Answer 5

• Education has become a female-dominated environment. Especially in primary schools were most teachers are female.
• This has benefited girls and boys feel uncomfortable.

→SEWELL: schools have become increasingly feminised; schools value feminine traits such as attentiveness and and consistent work patterns, rather than competitiveness and leadership which are seen as masculine traits. There are few male role models.

Question 6

EVALUATION

Answer 6

• Not all girls do well in education, it depends on social class. m/c girls have cultural capital e.g. their parents encourage them.

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