Gender and Attainment: In School

Question 1

Boaler

Answer 1

Feminist ideas have had a huge impact on schools. Teachers are more aware of the need to avoid gender stereotyping. The belief that boys and girls are equally capable is part of mainstream thinking. Policies such as GIST and WISE encourage girls to pursue careers in these non traditional areas
Boaler sees the impact of equal opportunities as a key reason for the changes in girls achievement. Barriers have been removed and schooling has become more meritocratic (based on equal opportunities)

Question 2

Role Models

Answer 2

There has been an increase in the proportion of female heads, deputy heads and classroom teachers. These women in positions of authority may act as role models for young girls, since you must work hard to be a teacher. They would show that women can achieve positions of importance, giving them non-traditional goals to aim for.
Primary schools in particular are being ‘feminised’.
2003, 95% of Primary school applications and in 2013, 81% were female.

Question 3

Swann and Graddol

Answer 3

Teachers interact differently with boys and girls.
Swann & Graddol found that boys are generally more boisterous than girls and attract the teacher’s gaze more often than girls, but the way teachers interacted with girls was more positive, and it focused on schoolwork rather than behaviour. May lead to self-fufilling prophecy where successful interactions with teachers promote girls self-esteem and raise their achievement levels.

Question 4

Epstein

Answer 4

The attainment between the genders is due to how masculinity is constructed within school. 
Debbie Epstein found that working class boys are likely to be harassed, labelled as sissies and subjected to homophobic verbal abuse if they appear to be swots. In working class culture, masculinity is associated with being 'tough' and preferring manual work. So WC boys tend to rejct schoolwork as irrelevant t their future needs and undermining their masculine values.

Question 5

Boaler Evaluation

Answer 5

This is supported by the high attainment of girls in education, who are overachieving boys in all subjects excluding maths.

Question 6

Swann and Graddol Evaluation

Answer 6

This theory could explain why there are far fewer male teachers than female, because they do not want to enter a career that is not perceived as masculine.

Question 7

Epstein Evaluation

Answer 7

Her focus appears rather narrow- not all boys desire to be viewed as macho and rejecting education. Some perceive school and future wealth as masculine.