Gender And Educational Achievement

Question 1

Gender socialisation

Answer 1

Primary socialisation in the family is the earliest socialisation and takes place in the family before a child enters education. Socialisation continues inside and outside of education for older age groups and impacts with internal factors within the school.

Edward’s and David (2000) suggest that gender-differentiated primary socialisation gives girls an initial advantage in both primary and secondary schools.

For example girls may have better language skills than boys because mothers talk to baby girls more frequently than baby boys.

Question 2

Gender socialisation- girls

Answer 2

Edward’s and David’s suggests that girls are taught more to conform to more formal standards of behaviour by their parents than boys are, which familiarises them with what is expected in the classroom.

E.g at home they are taught to sit still, be quiet, to read and to listen. Which helps as by the age of 7 girls within the education system are more likely to pay attention in class and be self disciplined than boys.

Question 3

Socialisation in girls attitudes and behaviour through school

Answer 3

Burns and Bracey (2001) found that girls at secondary schools generally work harder and are more motivated than boys,

Girls put more effort into work and spend more time on homework than boys. They take better care and are better organised and than boys and meet deadlines more successfully.

From the age of 6 girls read more books than boys.

Question 4

Gender socialisation - boys

Answer 4

Edward’s and Davis (2000) boys more likely to break rules and be less bothered when told off than girls as parents allowed boys to be noisier and more attention-seeking at home.

Edward’s and Davis also found that boys by the time they started secondary had trouble sitting still and concentrating.

Question 5

More on boys socialisation

Answer 5

Frosh et al (2001) say some boys regard schoolwork as ‘feminine’ and ‘unmanly’ and have tendency to engage in hyper-masculine behaviour, such as backchatting teachers and being disruptive in class.

Question 6

Peer groups

Answer 6

Not only primary socialisation that influences gender roles in education but also peer groups.

A peer group is a group of friends and fellow pupils. Often boys and girls are pressured into conforming with the expectations about how males and females should behave in school and in the classroom. E.g they may be negatively labelled, or bullied if they do not.

Hannan (2000) shows girls in peer groups relate to each other by talking whereas boys relate to their peers by being active, this puts girls at an advantage as most subjects require good levels of comprehension and writing skills.

In boys peer groups the culture tends to be organised around masculine or ‘macho’ values. These set out rules and behaviours for boys that means they are subject to social control from other boys. E.g this may mean not showing or talking about personal feelings.