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Gender - Internal Factors - Coggle Diagram
Gender - Internal Factors
Government Policies & Programs
Baoler
highlighted positive impact of government policies on girls' achievement
notes effectiveness of girl-specific programmes such as GIST + WISE in creating more meritocratic education system
by removing some of the barriers girls face in pursuing subjects such as science + technology these programmes are providing girls with equal opportunities in schools + promoting greater gender equality
has increased girls' aspirations to succeed academically + excel in a wider range of subjects
changes to the curriculum mean the national curriculum is more diversified
introduction of coursework has provided support to girls who are more likely to take their time + achieve higher grades as a result
policymakers now much more aware of gender issues
teacher more sensitive to need to avoid stereotyping
belief that boys + girls entitled to same opportunities now part of mainstream thinking + influences educational policies
GIST + WISE encourage girls to pursue careers in non-traditional areas
introduction of the national curriculum in 1988 removed a source of gender inequality by making girls + boys study mostly the same subjects
boys 4x more likely to be excluded than girls which can harms school's reputation if it has a high exclusion rate so schools have covert interest in admitting more girls to maintain reputation + potentially funding
various policies + programmes have been introduced to address issue of boys underachievement
Raising Boys' Achievement Project (2002-2004)
investigated obstacles + challenges faced by boys in education that were preventing them from excelling academically
focused on KS2 + KS4 + led to introduction of several policies, primarily in primary schools, to enhance literacy levels
Playing for Success
offered literacy, numeracy + ICT support to demotivated KS2 + KS4 students
students were given after-school support, sports clubs + football clubs among other extracurricular activities to not only improve their numeracy, literacy + ICT skills but also to transform their attitudes towards education :
Reading Champions
prioritized literacy + was established to increase the value of reading among students
policy to enhance the recruitment of male primary school teachers
by increasing number of male primary school teachers it's possible to instil higher aspirations among young boys + show them education + learning are worthwhile pursuits which aren't exclusive to females
stigmas are unfounded + wrongly suggest men who opt to teach small children are in some way deficient which can prevent men from applying for primary school teacher training
Role Models
increase in proportion of female teachers + heads
women in senior positions act as role models, breaking traditional stereotypes as high level positions are attainable for women
girls more likely to work harder to achieve goals
lack of male primary school teachers may contribute to perception teaching is a gendered occupation + that male involvement is limited to more senior administrative roles
EVALUATION
:( external factors are also important
:) liberal feminists celebrate the progress made so far in improving achievement + believe further progress will be made by continuing development
:( radical feminists, while recognising girls are achieving more, emphasise that system remains patriarchal + coveys message it's still ' a man's world'
sexual harassment of girls in school continues
girls subject choice + career prospects limited still
males still more likely to take up superior positions
women underrepresented in many areas of curriculum
:( still male domination in positions of power
:( gendered subject choice + isolation of subjects can limit girls opportunities + affect their choices when they leave school
:( extent of which gender influences achievement varies depending on social + ethnicity
Curriculum Changes
Coursework
Mitsos & Browne
conclude girls more successful in coursework because they're more conscientious + better organised
girls:
spend more time on their work
take more care with the way their work is presented
are better at meeting deadlines
are more likely to bring the right equipment + materials to lessons
these factors have helped girls benefit from introduction of coursework
Gorard
prior to the introduction of coursework, achievement gap between boys + girls was relatively even but after coursework was introduced the gap began to widen
gender gap in achievement product of changed system of assessment
:( Elwood argues although coursework has some influence, it's unlikely to be only cause of gender gap because exams have much more influence than coursework on final grades
Feminisation of Education
Sewell
schools have become feminised in their focus on celebrating qualities such as attentiveness, passivity + quietness in class
development of masculine traits such as competitiveness, leadership + assertiveness neglected
girls tend to perform better in school as education system values + prioritizes traits that more commonly associated with females
boys who possess more masculine traits may experience discipline problems + may develop anti-school subcultures that lead to underachievement
14% of nursery + primary school teachers are male + 35% of secondary school teachers are male which leaves boys without a role model + means they're inclined to see education as a feminine activity
:( Skelton et al found that the feminisation of teaching doesn't have a negative impact on educational performance of boys as most pupils + teachers reported matching by gender didn't significantly affect pupils’ educational experiences
:( Francis found that 2/3 of 7-8 year olds believed gender of teachers didn't matter
some argue female teachers are unable to control boys behaviour + that male teachers are better able to impose strict discipline boys need to concentrate
:( Read studied the type of language teachers used to express criticism or disapproval of pupils work + behaviour + identified 2 types of discourse: disciplinarian discourse where teachers authority is made explicit + visible + liberal discourse where teachers authority is implicit + invisible, creating child centred approach
Read found most teachers used a disciplinarian discourse to control pupils behaviour which is typically regarded as a masculine approach, disproving claim culture of schools has become feminised + showing female teachers are able to provide stricter classroom culture
Challenging Gender Stereotypes
Weiner
argues diversification of textbooks + content taught has contributed to the removal of gender stereotypes
greater diversity + equality in content + imagery used in teaching leading to greater achievement in girls as they're presented with more positive images of what they can achieve beyond traditional gender roles
Teacher attention
girls often referred to using endearing terms such as 'sweetheart' or 'darling,' + boys addressed as 'mate' or 'dude' which reinforces traditional gender stereotypes
Jane & Peter French
found boys received more (negative) attention because they attracted more reprimands
may lead to self fulfilling prophecy in which successful interactions with teachers promote girls self esteem + raise achievement
teachers respond more positively to girls who are seen as cooperative compared to boys who were more likely to be seen as disruptive
Swann
girls better at listening + cooperating + would take in turns when working in groups
boys dominate in whole class discussions whereas girls prefer pair work + group work
Becker
girls embody characteristics of ideal pupil being quiet, passive, + committed to their education
results in girls being given more challenging work + opportunities to showcase their abilities
gifted + talented groups often have a higher proportion of girls than boys in academic subjects reflecting the tendency for girls to be identified as gifted + talented
girls tend to gain symbolic capital through academic achievement
Francis
while boys got more attention, they were disciplined more harshly + felt picked on by teachers who tended to have lower expectations of them
gendered language persists both in primary school + HE, contributing to formation of school subcultures + disruptive behaviour among boys
Selection & League Tables
Jackson
introduction of league tables has improved opportunities for girls as high achieving girls are attractive to schools + low achieving boys aren't
Slee
boys less attractive to schools as they're more likely to suffer from behavioural difficulties + are more likely to be excluded
boys may be seen as obstacles to schools improving league table scores
Subcultures
emergence of laddish subcultures
acquisition of symbolic capital as boys gain status + recognition from peers by engaging in disruptive, anti-school behaviours
girls acquire symbolic capital through academic achievements
such behaviour can lead to exclusion
exclusion can hinder academic progress as student will be absent from class + opportunities for learning
Epstein
found working class boys likely to be harassed, labelled as sissies + subject to homophobic verbal abuse if they appear to favour academic success
Francis
boys more concerned than girls about being labelled by peers as swots because this label is more of a threat to their masculinity than it is to girls feminiity