Gender and education

1
Gender and education

• A changing situation

2
Some key facts about gender and education

• The sociological debate falls conveniently into 2
  halves
• From the 1960s through the 1970s and until the
  mid 1980s, girls were seriously underachieving
  in school at every level and sociology sought to
  measure the extent and to explain why this was so
  and to try to remedy the situation. Feminist
  sociologists such as Spender, Stanworth, Kelly,
  Sharpe were particularly influential in this
  field.
• However, since then, the girls have clearly
  overtaken boys and it is now the underachievement
  of boys that is seen to be the problem

3
Situation in the 1970s

• Girls were slightly more successful than boys at
  O level.
• Girls did better in English, MFL, and biology.
• Boys did better at maths, physics and chemistry.
• Boys were more successful at A level.
• Girls were markedly less likely to go to
  University.
• Girls were much more likely to follow secretarial
  type vocational courses.

4
The situation today

• In the early 1990s girls began to outperform
  boys at most levels in education.
• There is still concern over the somewhat
  stereotyped view of girls subjects and boys
  subjects (girls still under represented in
  sciences and technology).
• Sociologists largely concern themselves with the
  problem of the underachievement of boys.

5
Why are girls succeeding?

• The womens movement has raised expectations.
  Women no longer see their automatic first
  priority to be home and family.
• There are increasing job opportunities for women
  especially in the service sector.
• Girls have more positive role models today.
• Schools have become more aware of equal
  opportunities.
• Teachers are better trained and more aware of the
  dangers of gender stereotyping.
• Girls worked harder and are more conscientious.
• Changes in the organisation of education have
  favoured girls. Greater coursework favours the
  ways in which girls tend to learn. The National
  curriculum has guaranteed them access to all
  curriculum subjects.

6
Why are boys failing?

• Teachers apportion negative labels to boys and
  their behaviour and positive labels to girls
  the self fulfilling prophecy.
• Boys are more likely to be removed from class and
  excluded. They lose valuable teaching time.
• The decline in traditional male jobs has had a
  negative effect on the motivation of boys.
• Boys construct counter school cultures as an
  alternative way of achieving self esteem school
  work is seen as unmasculine and sissy.