internal factors gender differences in educational achievement

Question 1

6 internal factors for gender differences in educational achievement

Answer 1

1. equal opportunities policy
2. positive role models in schools
3. gcses and coursework
4. teachers attention
5. challenging stereotypes in curriculum
6. selection and league tables

Question 2

equal opportunities policies

Answer 2

1. GIST(girls into science and tech)
   WISE (women into science and engineering)
   encourage girls to pursue non traditional careers

female scientists visit act as role models, teachers aware of gender issues, non sexist career advice

2. national curriculum 1988 - boys and girls have to study same subjects

these policies made school more meritocratic (girls work harder means they achieve more)

Question 3

positive role models in schools

Answer 3

increase in female teachers / headteachers = role models show girls can aim for important positions

Question 4

gcses and coursework

Answer 4

girls better coursework - spend more time on it, more effort, more organised = MCROBBIE - bedroom culture (spend more time in bedroom bc more safe and society encourages them to stay at home, see friends, read etc)

gcses = more oral exams = girls better developed lang skills

Question 5

teachers attention

Answer 5

boys more attention = negative more harsh and strict = worse behaviour

teachers respond more positively to girls = see them as cooperative, boys more disruptive = lead to self fulfilling prophecy= rosenthal and jacobson (teachers promote girls self esteem’s and help raise achievement)

ao3 boys = self denying prophecy = fuller

Question 6

challenging stereotypes in curriculum

Answer 6

removing gender stereotypes in textbooks etc has removed a barrier to girls achievement
70/80s girls portrayed as housewives, boys more inventive = SUE SHARPE (interviewed girls 70s = priorities family husband kids by late 90s = job career supporting themselves )

helps raise girls achievement = show more positive images of what women can do

Question 7

selection and league tables

Answer 7

marketisation policies = education more competitive and same with league tables (girls more desirable for schools to recruit bc better exam results)

create self fulfilling prophecy = girls more likely to be picked by good schools = more likely to do well (boys less attractive more likely to have behaviour problems)