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Gender differences in achievement (Girls (Internal Factors (GCSEs and…
Gender differences in achievement
Girls
Internal Factors
GCSEs and Coursework
Mitos and Brown- Girls do better than boys in coursework because they are more conscientious and better organised
Gorad- The gender gap in achievement increased sharply when GCSEs were introduced in 1988
Equal Opportunity Policy
GIST and WISE Programmes encourage girls into science and technology
National curriculum- Girls and boys largely study the same subjects by making them compulsory
Role Models
There are more female teachers, which feminises the learning environment and encourages girls to see school as part of a 'female gender domain'
Teacher Attention
Swann- Boys dominate class discussions, whereas girls are better at listening and cooperating. Teachers respond more positively to girls and give them more encouragement
French and French- Teachers pay boys and girls a similar amount of attention for academic reasons, but boys received more attention overall because they were disciplined more often
Selection and League Tables
marketisation policies have led to increased competition between schools, they therefore have the incentive to recruit more able students. Girls are generally more successful than boys, so are more attractive to schools
External Factors
Impact of Feminism
McRobbie- Girls magazines in the 1970s emphasised the importance of getting married. However, nowadays, they contain images of strong, independent women
Feminists have campaigned for women's rights and changes in the law, e.g. Equal Pay Act
Changes in Women's Employment
Changes in the law have improved the position of working women, e.g. The Equal Pay Act and the Sex Discrimination Act
Changing Girls Ambitions
Sharpe- Conducted an interview to find out girls ambitions in the 1970s; they were to marry and be housewives and mothers. However, in the 1990s, the girls priorities had changed to careers and wanting to be independent
Boys
Internal Factors
Feminisation of Schooling
Boys fall behind because education has been 'feminised', meaning schools no longer nurture masculine traits
The introduction of coursework has disadvantaged boys
Lack of male primary school teachers- only one in six primary school teachers are male
Laddish Subcultures
There is a peer-pressure on boys to demonstrate their masculinity by being 'anti-school'
External Factors
Boys Literacy
Parents spend less time reading to sons because it's seen as a 'feminine' activity
Boys leisure interests don't encourage language and communication skills, whereas girls 'bedroom culture' does
Decline in Manual Labour
Globalisation had led to the decline in heavy industries in the UK. This has led to a male 'identity crisis', giving them little motivation to get qualifications for jobs