Sociology: Learning and Gender Week 2 – The achievement gap explained and subject choice differences.

Learning objectives: To provide explanations for the achievement gap between boys and girls at school. To discuss gender role socialisation To assess the different subject choices made by males and females throughout the education process

Recap gender gap - reasons Girls are out-performing boys at every academic level. The concern is that boys are under-performing, but this picture is not clear cut. Other factors affecting achievement within both genders are social class and ethnicity. There are some concerns about the subject choices made by girls e.g. they are still less likely than boys to apply for degree courses in the ‘hard’ sciences (Chemistry and Physics) and IT. This impacts on jobs.

Why has girls achievement improved? Along with the women’s movement (Feminism) in the 1970s, the media played a major role in promoting female individuality and ambition in the 1980s. Introduction of the National Curriculum – males and females studied the same subjects. School initiatives in the late 1980s and early 1990s such as GIST (Girls into Science and Technology) that encouraged the role of females within traditional male dominated vocational areas.

Allison Kelly (1985) argued that increased awareness of equal opportunities in schools meant books were closely monitored for gender-biased language and teacher-training courses modified to take into consideration gender roles in the classroom. Changes in the workplace with greater reliance on technology, so physical strength no longer a requirement for some typically ‘male’ jobs. Such as? A report by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) in the late 1990s said that if Britain was to remain economically competitive with other countries, the top 100 companies should be run by female managers because they were better team leaders and more able to multi-task.

Other factors affecting girls achievement… Job market – increasing job opportunities for women in the ‘service sector’ (equalising with men in 2002) Working mothers are positive role models for their daughters, and girls’ education valued highly. Female expectations – Sue Sharpe repeated her research in 1994 (in 1976 she found girls’ priorities were ‘love, marriage, husbands, children, jobs and careers in that order) and found that their priorities had changed to ‘job, career and being able to support themselves’. Feminism – sociological reports from the 1970s and 1980s led to greater emphasis on equal opportunities in schools. Teaching approaches and resources were monitored for gender bias. Teachers now conscious about avoiding gender-stereotyping in the classroom.

Behaviour – on average girls work harder and are more motivated than boys. They spend more time on homework and are better organised, so meet deadlines more successfully. Changes in education: 1.Abolition of the 11+ meant girls no longer ‘artificially failed’ to get an equal number of boys and girls into grammar schools. 2.National Curriculum – girls cannot avoid doing some ‘hard’ science. Coursework involved in GCSE, GNVQs and some A levels requires skills that girls are better at: organisation and motivation.

Better socialisation for schooling. Girls spend their leisure time talking and boys spend theirs doing, i.e. being active. Girls are at an advantage because school is all about language (comprehension, writing etc). Girls also prefer reading and boys prefer more active communication media such as computers and gaming – why?

Why are some boys failing? Lack of male role models. 1. Jane Clark (1996) – males are bombarded with macho or anti- authority stereotypes. Contrasts with image of woman as ‘carer’ or ‘organiser’ that males associate with the role of female teachers. 2.Many boys brought up in female headed single parent households. 3.Only 14% of primary school teachers are male. Yougov (2007) survey found 39% of 8-11 year old boys have no lessons at all with a male teacher. But most boys said that they behaved better for a male teacher and 42% said it made them work harder.

According to the DCSF (2007), the gender gap is because of boys poorer language and literacy skills. This may be because parents spend less time reading to their sons, and/or because of boys leisure pursuits – active rather than communicative.

Decline in ‘male’ jobs and professions such as manufacturing industry, and heavy industry, has led to an ‘identity crisis for men’ (Mitsos and Brown, 1998). Many boys believe they have little prospect of getting a proper job. This goes against their socialisation into being the ‘breadwinner’. Teacher attitudes to boys in school – there is evidence that teachers are not as critical with boys as with girls, expecting them to be disruptive and work to be late, rushed and untidy. But, Becky Francis (2001) found that boys get more attention because they attract more reprimands.

Government policies to raise boys’ achievement. The Raising Boys Achievement project – range of teaching strategies, including single-sex teaching. The National Literacy Strategy – includes a focus on improving boys’ reading. The Reading Champions scheme uses male role models talking about their own favourites. Playing for Success uses football and other sports to boost learning skills and motivation. The Dads and Sons campaign encourages fathers to be more involved with their sons’ education.

Moral panic about boys Jessica Ringrose (2013) – there is a fear that failing boys will become a dangerous, unemployable underclass. The education system is preoccupied with raising boys’ achievements. But this has two negative effects: 1.It ignores the problem of disadvantaged working class and minority ethnic pupils. 2.By narrowing gender policy down to a discussion of achievement, it ignores other problems faced by girls in school, such as sexual harassment, bullying, self-esteem and identity issues, and stereotyped subject choices.