Gender & Achievement: Girls

Gender & Achievement: Girls

1. Patterns of achievement

   • Historically, females have tended to achieve less well than males at higher levels in the British education system.
     • Early 1990s = boys more likely to gain A-level qualifications & went on to study in higher education.
       • During the 1990s, girls overtook boys at all levels in the education system.
   • 2007: 66% of girls achieved 5+ GCSEs at grades A* - C compared with 57% of boys.
   • Proportion of females in the UK achieving 2+ A-levels or equivalent increased from 20% in 1990 to 42% in 2006
     • Over the same period, proportion of males achieving the same level increased from 18% to 33%.
   • 2006: 30% of 17 year old males & 37% of females went on to higher education.
   • On average, women now get better degrees than men.

2. Gender & subject choice

   • A-level
     • Males more likely to do business studies, economics, politics, sciences (apart from biology) & technical subjects.
     • Females more likely to do all other subjects & for English, modern languages, psychology, sociology they are the big majority of candidates.
   • Degree level
     • Men more likely to graduate in physical sciences, maths, engineering, technology, architecture, building & planning.
     • Women more likely to graduate in all other subjects & have overtaken males in medicine, dentistry & business & financial studies.

3. Feminst perspective - female underachievement & gendered curriculum choice

   • Feminists generally believe that the education system is patriarchal/ male-dominated.
   • Miriam David (2008) points out that women are more likely to attend new, post -1992 unis than more prestigious institutions.
   • Female disadvantage may still have an effect on subject choices, & particularly the under-representation of women in most science subjects.
   • Feminist Michelle Stanworth (1983) studied A-level classes in a further education college.
     • She found the following bias against girls: teachers found it difficult to remember the girls in their class, teachers did not expect even the most able girls to go into high-status jobs, pupils believed that boys received more attention than girls, & boys were more likely to join classroom discussions & to be asked ?s by the teachers & girls underestimated their own ability.
     • Stanworth's research has been criticized by Randall (1987) for being based on interviews rather than direct observation of classroom interaction. Randall's own research failed to find the same bias against girls.
   • Francis (2000) - girls & achievement
     • Studies found by Francis suggest that there continues to be some disadvantages for girls in the education system.
     • Research in London schools found that males still dominate classrooms.
     • Boys disciplined more harshly than girls; this leads to girls getting less attention than boys.
     • Gender divisons in subject choice are getting stronger, with fewer women taking IT & pure science degrees.
   • Colley (1998) - gender inequalities in subject choice
     • Explains the continuing differences in subject choice by gender.
     • Traditional definitions in masculinity & femininity are still widspread.
     • Subjects continue to have different images. For instance, computer studies still retains a masculine image.
     • Girls tend to feel comfortable with scientific & technical subjects only when taught in single-sex schools or single-sex classes.
   • Norman et al. (1988) - Socialization
     • Argues that sex stereotyping starts from a very young age.
     • Girls are given dolls which emphasize a caring role; this can affect career aspirations & subject choice.
     • Boys are more likely to be given constructional toys that help develop a scientific & mathematical skills & concept
     • Gender sterotypes are continually reinforced through the media.