1. Gender and Achievment Summary

2. How has gender attainment changed?  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

3. Social Change?  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)

4. Have things really changed?  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?  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)