1. What about boys?

2. Write on the post it note WHY you think boys underachieve today

3. Mitsos and Browne 1998
4 areas that explain why boys underachieve at school:
Teachers
Disruption
Status
The changing job market

4. 1. Teachers
Evidence shows that teachers are not as strict with boys as they are with girls
They are more likely to extend deadlines for work, to have lower expectations of them and to be more tolerant of their unruly behaviour

5. Stanworth (1983) Spender (1983)
Teachers gave more time and attention to boys
Expected more from boys
Expressed more concern and interest in boys
Spender (1983)
Boys received over 60% of teachers’ time
Allowed boys to get away with insulting comments to girls

6. 2. Disruption
Boys are generally more disruptive than girls in the classroom
In 2008/09 the permanent exclusion rate for boys was approximately 3.5 times higher than that for girls
78% of permanent exclusions were boys

7. Boys lose more learning time than girls because of this behaviour
Approx 30% of exclusions from school in 2008/09 were due to ‘persistent disruptive behaviour’
Boys lose more learning time than girls because of this behaviour

8. 3. Status
Boys appear to gain 'street cred' and peer group status by not working
Develop almost an anti-education, anti-learning sub-culture
School work is seen as un-macho
This may explain why boys tend to be less conscientious and lack the persistence and application required for exam success

9. Paul Willis Learning to Labour
How does Willis’ study support the idea that boys see school work as un-cool?

10. 4. The changing job market
Decline in traditional male jobs
Boys may lack motivation and ambition because they may feel their prospects are limited
Unemployment has resulted in a number of (mostly white working class) boys and men having lowered expectations, a low self-image and a lack of self-esteem

11. Traditional male jobs are now in decline Growth of the ‘service sector’ where the jobs are mainly done by women Women seem to have more employment opportunities than men, today

12. Anything else? More emphasis on coursework
Increase in single parent families: fewer male role models?
Parental attitudes/early socialisation
Boys spend less time reading
Boys less motivated?
Gender regimes in the home: women as organisers, men as ‘macho’ with little regard for authority
Boys socialised to be aggressive