Gender Education

Question 1

What does Sharpe (1994) say?
(Hint: changing priorities)

Answer 1

1970s girls aimed for love/marriage; 1990s girls wanted careers
→ Shift in values made girls more motivated in school, improving performance and ambition.
Eval: Francis (2001) supports this — but argues barriers still exist, like subject stereotyping and glass ceilings.

Question 2

What do Mitsos & Browne (1998) say?
(Hint: assessment methods and success)

Answer 2

Girls perform better in coursework due to organisation and effort
→ This benefited them under coursework-heavy systems, helping close the achievement gap with boys.
Eval: Elwood (2005) argues final exams have more weight now, so coursework advantage doesn’t fully explain the gap.

Question 3

What does Sewell (2009) say?
(Hint: school environment)

Answer 3

Schools emphasise feminine traits (obedience, quietness)

Boys feel alienated and turn to street culture
→ They disengage and underachieve, especially in literacy subjects.
Eval: Criticised for reinforcing gender stereotypes and blaming teachers — ignores wider societal issues affecting boys.

Question 4

What does Francis (2000) say?
(Hint: classroom interaction patterns)

Answer 4

Boys get more teacher attention, but mostly negative
→ Disruptions and low expectations reinforce failure and poor behaviour.
Eval: Ringrose (2013) criticises this for ignoring class and ethnicity — WC and black girls also face underachievement.

Question 5

What does Weiner (1995) say?
(Hint: classroom content and confidence)

Answer 5

Sexist content was removed from textbooks
Greater focus on strong female role models.
→ This improved girls’ confidence and made school feel more inclusive, supporting their achievement.
Eval: Suggests progress, but subject choice and leadership roles still show gender inequality in schools.

Question 6

What does Epstein (1998) say?
(Hint: boys and ‘coolness’)

Answer 6

Boys avoid hard work to protect their ‘laddish’ identity.

Fear being labelled as ‘geeks’ or ‘gay’.
→ Peer pressure discourages academic success.
Eval: Mac an Ghaill (1994) shows masculinity is complex — not all boys reject education in the same way.

Question 7

What does Archer (2010) say?
(Hint: working-class girls and identity)

Answer 7

WC girls gain status through hyper-feminine identities (makeup, clothes, boyfriends).

These clash with school expectations and lead to conflict.
→ Teachers label them as disruptive, reducing chances of academic success.