ces

n
e
r
e
f
f
i
D
d
e
Gender-Bas
n:
in Educatio
As well as Social Class, Gender is also said to impact heavily on levels of
achievement within education. There are big differences between the
performance of girls & boys in education as well as interesting patterns in terms
of subject choice.
Learning Objectives for
this Topic; You should;
> Be able to describe the patterns of Gender differences in educational
achievement.
> Understand & be able to evaluate the explanations for these differences.
> Understand & be able to evaluate the explanations for gender differences
in subject choice
> Understand the effect of school experiences in shaping gender identities.

ces
n
e
r
e
f
f
i
D
d
e
Gender-Bas
n:
in Educatio
Sex:

Browne (2008) sh
ows us that
the achievement o
f males &
females within edu
cation has
Roller-Coasted:
Up until the 1980s
there
w
as
major
1980s: females concern about
low achievement
levels.

physical
l,
a
ic
g
lo
io
b
o
Refers t
en males &
e
w
t
e
b
s
e
c
n
differe
females.

learned
e
h
t
o
t
s
r
e
f
Re
en males &
e
w
t
:
e
r
b
e
s
d
e
n
c
e
n
G
differe
learned
females i.e.
emininity
F
&

y
it
n
li
u
c
Mas

1990s:

During the 1990s,

Females began to
significantly begin
to
outperform males
(esp.
W/C males)

y
Present Da

ver that both

e
w
o
h
d
e
t
o
n
It must be
hieving higher
c
a
e
r
a
s
le
a
m
male & fe
efore (it is
b
r
e
v
e
n
a
h
t
success rates
etween the 2
b
e
t
a
n
io
t
r
o
p
simply dispro
groups)

The concern nowad

ays
is that males tend
to
be underachieving
compared to femal
es.

istics
t
a
t
S
e
h
t
o
What d
tell us?...

ng statistics:
wi
llo
fo
e
th
in
d
ce
en
id
ev
is
The Gender-Gap in Education

h, Maths & Science)

lis
ng
(E
Ts
SA
in
e
ag
st
y
er
at ev
> Girls do better than boys
based subjects)
e
nc
ie
Sc
in
t
ep
xc
(e
s
SE
m boys in GC
> Girls generally out perfor
compared with only 1/2
es
ad
gr
-C
A*
e
ev
hi
ac
rls
2/3 of gi
> In GCSE English around
of boys
6 education (FE & HE)
-1
st
po
in
on
ay
st
s
ale
m
fe
> More
A-Level passes.
3
e
ev
hi
ac
to
les
ma
an
th
> Females are more likely
o Universities.
int
ed
pt
ce
ac
e
ar
s
le
ma
an
> More females th
Distinction passes (even
e
ev
hi
ac
to
y
el
lik
re
mo
e
les ar
ere they are the
wh
n
> In vocational studies fema
tio
uc
tr
ns
co
&
ing
er
ts such as engine
in traditional male subjec
minority group.
ing this more rapidly
do
e
ar
/
ve
ha
les
ma
fe

improved
> Although both sexes have
than males.

Browne (2008)
/ Webb (2009)

of
n
o
i
t
c
u
d
o
The Repr uality.
neq
I
r
e
d
n
e
G

within
d
r
a
o
b
e
h
t
s
ales acros
m
g
in
m
r
o
f
r
e out pe
b
o
t
d
n
e
t
s
een, female
s
e
v
a
h
u
o
y
ubjects).
s
As
d
e
s
a
b
e
c
ar scien
education (b
Intern
In order to
ale
explain Fem
success,
sociologists
tend to split
explanations
into 2 main
categories:

side
t
u
O
/
l
a
n
Exter
tions
a
n
a
l
p
x
E
School

inism
The Impact of Fem
he Family
t
in
s
e
g
n
a
h
C
ation)
(inc. Socialis
s
Changes in Women
Employment
Changing Social
Attitudes, Perce
ptions
& Ambitions

al/ Inside
School Ex
planations

Equal Opportunitie
s
Policies

Models
le
o
R
e
iv
t
i
Pos
in Schools
GCSEs & Cours
ework

ention ,
t
t
A
r
e
h
c
a
e
T
g&
Stereotypin
Labelling

Selection & league

Tables