Sociology: Learning and Gender Week 1 – The gender gap in achievement

Learning objectives: To ask ourselves ‘what is education for?’ To discover whether there is a gap in achievement between males and females To assess/analyse the reasons for a gender gap in achievement

Assignment brief This assignment is ‘Graded’ The grade descriptors used are:- 1.Understanding of the Subject 4.Use of information 5.Communication and Presentation 7. Quality

What is the purpose of education in society? Education is the engine of our economy, it is the foundation of our culture, and it’s an essential preparation for adult life. We all have a responsibility to educate the next generation of informed citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said, and instilling in them a love of knowledge and culture for their own sake. But education is also about the practical business of ensuring that young people receive the preparation they need to secure a good job and a fulfilling career, and have the resilience and moral character to overcome challenges and succeed. (Schools Minister Nick Gibb in his speech to the Education Reform Summit, July 2015)

So… Learning for its own sake…or betterment To help people get jobs and be able to provide economically for themselves Transmit range of knowledge & values about who we are & where we fit in society

Timed writing exercise Choose either: I. Yes, my gender has affected my educational experiences. OR No, my gender has not affected my educational experiences. II. Explain why Write a short essay – you have 20 minutes.

What does education by gender look like? What are your perceptions of how men and women compare in their educational lives? What are the stereotypes? Educated guesses?

Gender and achievement – 1960s, 70s and 80s It was only in 1948 that Cambridge University accepted full membership of women into most of its colleges. In the 1960s and 70s sociologists of education focused on the under- achievement of females within the education system, asking: 1.Why were they not more ambitious? 2.Why did fewer girls than boys take high status subjects like Maths, Physics and Chemistry? 3.Why were they less likely to go to university?

Traditional explanations for female under- achievement Sue Sharp (1976) argued that females had different aspirations – ‘love, marriage, husbands and children’ were the main priorities. Feminist Angela McRobbie (1978) argued that females in the 70s were influenced by magazines that highlighted romance over career. G Griffin (1995) argued some females leave school early to get out of the ‘housewife’ role they occupy within the family. They studied subjects that would prepare them for their futures roles as housewives and mothers. Examples?...

R Deem (1990) focused on the school curriculum during the late 1970s and early 1980s and how teachers encouraged girls to take/not take certain subjects e.g Home Economics and Science. Teachers also gave boys and girls different kinds of attention – girls would be praised for their appearance, good behaviour and neatness of work – but these qualities are valued less highly that what is seen as individuality or creativity in boys. What does it mean that school subjects are ‘gendered’?

Gender and achievement – 1990s onwards Since the 1990s the concern has shifted to underachieving boys and girls have begun to out-perform boys at virtually all levels of the education system.

At GCSE: In 2013 the proportion of girls achieving 5 GCSEs at grade C and above was 72% compared with 64% for boys (JCQ, 2013) This gender gap is around 8-9% generally but about 6% at the highest grades.

Gender gap in achievement On starting school – at the end of Year 1, girls are ahead of boys in all 7 areas of learning. They are also better than boys at concentrating DfE (2013) found boys were 2.5 x more likely to have statements of special educational needs. Key stages 1-3 girls do better than boys, especially in English where the gap widens. In Science and Maths the gap is much narrower but girls still do better.

At AS and A level Girls are more likely to sit, pass and get higher grades than boys, although the gap is much narrower than at GCSE. Even in ‘boys’ subjects like Maths and Physics girls are more likely to get grades A-C. On vocational courses, results are similar, even in subjects like engineering and construction where girls are a tiny minority.

University Women are now the majority of undergraduates in British Universities, comprising 55% of the total. In 2000 women achieved more first class honours than men for the first time.