Gender in Education: Subject Choice

Question 1

stats: top 5 female subjects

Answer 1

1. psychology
2. biology
3. history
4. maths
5. chemistry

Question 2

stats: top 5 male subjects

Answer 2

1. maths
2. business
3. physics
4. chemistry
5. biology

Question 3

4 reasons for divide in subject choices

Answer 3

1. Early Socialisation
2. Stereotypical subject reputations
3. Stereotypical careers
4. Peer pressure and Gender domain

Question 4

Early socialisation: Francis

Answer 4

• girls: skills toys encourage feminine interest, imaginative, creative play. subject choices lead to hairdressing, childcare
• boys: skills toys encourage action, problem solving. subject choices lead to maths, construction, physics
• from early ages girls and boys dress diff and play with diff toys

Question 5

Stereotypical subject reputations: Kelly

Answer 5

science seen as ‘male’ bc most science teachers male (apart from bio as plants and animals)
examples in text books drawn from ‘boys world’

Question 6

Stereotypical subject reputations: Colley

Answer 6

computer science seen as masculine as involves working w machines and way taught puts off females as less group work

Question 7

Stereotypical Careers

Answer 7

male- plumber, mechanic, salesman
female- nurse, teacher, secretary
impact subject choice as boys choose more science/ construction. girls choose more childcare and health

Question 8

evaluation of stereotypical careers

Answer 8

‘crisis of masculinity’ - decline in manual jobs so don’t know what to do so may take feminine subjects so stereotypical careers may not have as much of an influence

Question 9

Peer pressure and gender domain: Carrie paetcher

Answer 9

Looked at PE
- girls often pressured into not taking subject at exam level by others who see it as ‘male domain’

Question 10

Term: gender domain

Answer 10

Tasks/activities that are viewed as being either male or female. Children much more confidence in engaging in tasks they see as part of their gender domain

Question 11

Peer pressure and gender domain: supporting evidence Leonard

Answer 11

SINGLE SEX SCHOOLS
- students who attend single sex schools tend to have less stereotypes subject images. Results in them taking less traditional subjects