1. Today’s title: Gender and achievement: GIRLS external factors
Starter Question:
Which student is likely to leave school with the best qualifications and why?
Use your own ideas, write down your thoughts & be ready to share.
For your information:
For now we will assume both children come from the same social class and ethnic background

2. What’s our LEARNING? BIG QUESTION?
Why is there a difference in achievement between girls and boys?
What will I know?
Key ideas and facts
Key statistical data
Relevant studies relating to gender and achievement
The External and internal factors affecting both girls and boys
What will I understand?
Processes and Concepts
Research methodology used by relevant scholars
How the internal and external factors affects girls and boys achievement
How changes in the law and family structure shape aspirations and achievement
What skills will I develop?
Skills List
Interpretation of data
Application of concepts to real life
Evaluation of significance
Speaking starter to share cuurent practice

3. Get you thinking: Why has a mum felt the need to do this….

4. TASK 1 Heading: what do the statistics tell us?
Use page 51 to discover 5 statistics about female performance in school.
Be ready to feedback
You have 5 minutes

5. What do the Statistics tell us?...
The ‘Gender-Gap’ in Education is evidenced in the following statistics:
> Girls do better than boys at every stage in SATs (English, Maths & Science)
> Girls generally out perform boys in GCSEs (except in Science based subjects)
> In GCSE English around 2/3 of girls achieve A*-C grades compared with only 1/2 of boys
> More females stay on in post-16 education (FE & HE)
> Females are more likely than males to achieve 3 A-Level passes.
> More females than males are accepted into Universities.
> In vocational studies females are more likely to achieve ‘Distinction’ passes (even in ‘traditional’ male subjects such as engineering & construction where they are the minority group.
> Although both sexes have improved – females have/ are doing this more rapidly than males.
Browne (2008) / Webb (2009)

6. Gender-Based Differences in Education:
Browne (2008) shows us that the achievement of males & females within education has ‘Roller-Coasted’:
Refers to biological, physical differences between males & females.
Sex:
Gender:
1980s:
Up until the 1980s there was major concern about females’ low achievement levels.
Refers to the learned differences between males & females i.e. learned ‘Masculinity’ & ‘Femininity’
1990s:
During the 1990s, Females began to significantly begin to outperform males (esp. W/C males)
Present Day
The concern nowadays is that males tend to be underachieving compared to females.
It must be noted however that both male & females are achieving higher success rates than ever before (it is simply disproportionate between the 2 groups)……

7. The ‘Reproduction of Gender Inequality’.
As you have seen, females tend to be out performing males across the board within education (bar science based subjects).
In order to explain Female success, sociologists tend to split explanations into 2 main categories:
External/ Outside School Explanations
Internal/ Inside School Explanations
Equal Opportunities Policies
The Impact of Feminism
Changes in the Family (inc. Socialisation)
Positive Role Models in Schools
Changes in Women’s Employment
GCSEs & Coursework
Teacher Attention , Stereotyping & Labelling
Changing Social Attitudes, Perceptions & Ambitions
Selection & league Tables

8. Explaining Female Educational Success:
External/ Outside School Explanations
External/ Outside School Explanations
The Impact of Feminism
Changes in the Family (inc. Socialisation)
Changes in Women’s Employment
Changing Social Attitudes, Perceptions & Ambitions

9. 1) The Feminist Movement & Women’s Rights
The ‘Feminist Movement’ has improved the rights of women as well as raising expectations & self-esteem/ motivation of women. Women are no longer strictly bound to the ‘Mother/ Housewife Role’.
Although Feminists would argue that true equality with males has not been fully achieved, many would agree that the position of women has greatly improved (particularly since the 1960s) & continues to do so.

10. Be the sociologist: Jackie McRobbie METHOD: Content analysis
‘Teen’ magazine 1974
What Kind of messages does this send to girls about what’s important in their lives
Magazines such as Jackie and Teen in the 1970s emphasised the importance of getting married whereas nowadays priorities have changed & women are faced with more positive role models within the media.

11. 2) Changes in the Family:
What are the major changes & might they be linked to the improved educational success of females?
Primary Socialisation:
Perhaps traditional ‘Female’ socialisation is more suited to education than typical ‘Male’ socialisation?
Increased Divorce Rate
Decline in Marriage Rate
Decline in Birth Rates
Increase in Lone-Parent Families (Usually Female headed)
Decreasing Family Size
Increase in Cohabitation
This can also be linked to the March of Progress Theory (Young & Willmott 1973)

12. Link to Methods (Methods in Context)
3) Employment Opportunities for Women:
Mitsos & Browne (1998) highlight how the growing Service Sector/ Economy has created more ‘feminised’ career opportunities for women e.g. in Health Care, Hospitality, Teaching, Clerical, Childcare professions.
According to Webb et al (2008):
> The number of women in employment went up from 47% in 1959 to 70% 2007
The 1970 Equal Pay Act:
Makes it illegal to pay one sex more than another for work of equal value.
> The pay gap between men & women has fallen from 30’% to 17% since 1975.
> More & more women are breaking through the ‘Glass Ceiling Effect’.
The 1975 Sex Discrimination Act:
Prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace.
Interviewed girls about their career aspirations & concluded that, due to increased employment opportunities, females have become extremely ambitious & aim for ‘high professions’ such as Doctors & Solicitors.
Francis (2001):
Link to Methods (Methods in Context)

13. Increased Educational Success of Females
4) Changing Social Attitudes, Perceptions & Ambitions:
All of the previous arguments add weight to the argument that women are being perceived differently in contemporary society & that the ambitions of women are becoming bigger & more adventurous. +
4) Changing Social Attitudes, Perceptions & Ambitions:
3) Employment Opportunities for Women: +
2) Changes in the Family: +
1) The Feminist Movement & Women’s Rights
Increased Educational Success of Females =
Remember it is important that you identify these arguments, explain them, link them to increased educational success and ALSO evaluate the arguments before moving on……
You should also be aware that processes WITHIN schools might also contribute to female educational success…….

14. What impact might these laws have had on female aspirations?
4) Changing Social Attitudes, Perceptions & Ambitions:
Girls Priorities
(1976): Love, Marriage, Husbands, Children, Career.
(1994): Career, Independence THEN MAYBE relationships etc.
Link to Methods (Methods in Context)
Sharpe (1976/1994): Just Like a Girl
Equal pay act 1970
Sex Discrimination Act 1975
The Abortion Reform Act 1969
Divorce Reform Act 1970
What impact might these laws have had on female aspirations?

15. Exam question No text books, no notes, no discussion
Outline three reasons why girls achievement has increased (6 marks)