Differential Educational Achievement: Gender (Internal Factors)

Gender Gap in Achievement → Starting school

2013 teacher assessments showed that girls were outperforming boys in literacy, language, maths and PSED (personal, social and emotional development)

Gender Gap in Achievement → Key stage 1-3

Girls continue to do better than boys especially in English where the gap continues to widen but the gap begins to narrow in the sciences and maths

Gender Gap in Achievement → Key stage 4

The average gap at KS4 stand about 10 points but the gap is increasing

Gender Gap in Achievement → Key stage 5

The gap at A level is much narrower than at GCSE but girls still outperform boys even in the so called ‘boys’ subjects such as maths and science

Gender Gap in Achievement → Vocational education

Although boys are more likely to take a vocational qualification than girls, girls are still more likely to receive a distinction

What are the 6 factors affecting educational attainment? (Gender)

• Equal opportunities

• Role models

• GCSE and coursework

• Teacher attention

• Challenging stereotypes

• League tables/selection

Factor affecting achievement → Equal opportunities

Government policies for education that have aimed to create more opportunities for girls to take part in what have traditionally been male subjects eg GIST and WISE. The national curriculum also levelled the playing field as girls and boys had to study the same subjects

Factors affecting achievement → Role models

In the last 20 years there has been an increase in the number of females taking up head teacher and senior teacher roles. They act as role models for girls, showing them that they can achieve positions of importance and power

Factors affecting achievement → GCSE and coursework

Coursework was introduced in 1988. Gorard noted that the achievement gap was fairly constant between 1979 and 1989, however once coursework was introduced girls began to outperform boys and the gap widened

Factors affecting achievement → Teacher attention

Peter and Jane French analysed classroom interactions and noted that teachers interact with girls and boys differently. Boys get more attention in the classroom but it is negative attention. Boys also tend to dominate in whole class discussion whereas girls tend to be more democratic

Factors affecting achievement → Challenging stereotypes

The removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks and reading schemes has removed a barrier to girls aspirations and achievement. In the 1970s and 1980s girls were portrayed as wives and mothers and textbooks would reinforce this image as well as putting girls off science and maths

Factors affecting achievement → League tables/selection

The introduction of league tables have made girls more desirable for schools as they are likely to achieve better grades. Slee points out that boys are more likely to have behavioural issues and are four times more likely to be excluded which reflects badly on a school in the competitive nature of education today

What is the impact of ‘equal opportunities’ for gendered achievement?

Boaler suggests that these policies are the key reason for changes in girls achievement as they removed many of the barriers faced by girls and has made education more meritocratic

What is the impact of ‘role models’ for gendered achievement?

By having role models to look up to in no traditional positions. Girls are more likely to work harder to achieve these goals themselves which leads them to achieving more educationally

What is the impact of ‘GCSE and coursework’ for gendered achievement?

Mitsos and Browne suggest that girls are more successful in coursework because they are more conscientious and better organised than boys which puts them at an advantage

What is the impact of ‘teacher attention’ for gendered achievement?

This negative attention could explain why teachers respond more positively to girls which could lead to a self fulfilling prophecy allowing girls to achieve and boys to underachieve

What is the impact of ‘challenging stereotypes’ for gendered achievement?

Weiner shows that since the 1980s there has been significant change with teachers and textbooks challenging the traditional stereotypes which has led to greater achievement in girls as they are presented with more positive images of what they can achieve

What is the impact of ‘league tables/selection’ for gendered achievement?

Jackson links this desire for high achieving girls (in schools) to a self fulfilling prophecy. League tables have created greater opportunities for girls and the fact they are more desired by schools means that girls take on a self fulfilling prophecy and master status of higher achievement

Eval - Liberal feminists

• Celebrate the progress that has been made in education and achievement for girls but believe that there is still work to be done. They see the need for continued equal opportunity policies, more positive role models and education against sexist attitudes and stereotypes in order for true equality in education to be achieved

Eval - Radical feminists

Radical feminists recognise that girls are achieving more but the emphasise that this is in spite of the patriarchal nature of the education system rather than due to major changes in education. They use the following as evidence of patriarchy in education

• 1/3 of 16 to 18 year old girls said they have experienced unwanted sexual touching in school

• Women are hugely underrepresented in the curriculum, Wiener calls history a Women Free Zone

• There are still more men in positions of authority in education such as head teachers especially in secondary

• There is still the genderisation of subjects and career options which limit girls choices and options