Download Gender and Achievment

Gender and
Achievment
Summary
How has gender attainment
changed?
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Sociologists have noticed a complicated and
changing relationship between gender and
achievement
Historically boys have outperformed girls but over
the past 30 years, girls have become the higher
attainers
This rise may reflect broader social changes such
as
Legal and policy reforms; Sex Discrimination Act
1975; programmes such as GIST; National
Curriculum
Social Change?
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Higher expectations from parents, (Douglas)
teachers (Stanworth, Francis)
Shifting aspirations of girls themselves
Some Sociologists describe boys as “new
underachievers” (Phillips) and explain this with
the following factors
The decline of traditional “male” work
The “Feminisation” of Education
Changing expectations of boys (Myhill & Jones)
The attitudes of boys themselves (Sukhnandan)
Have things really changed?
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Some theorists would say that gender bias still
exists in subjects (Colley 2001)
There are still less girls taking subjects such as
Maths, Science and Technical courses
 Why?
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Early socialisation through toys, books and
teachers’ expectations determine gender
expectations (Oakley, Francis)
Limited opportunities in the workplace
Discuss Sociological explanations for the
underachievement of boys in education (12mks)