Gender differences in Education

Education

Gender Differences in Education

Gender Gap in Achievement

Girls generally perform better than boys, especially in English, and this gap widens with age.
In science and maths, the gap is narrower, but girls still tend to do better.
More girls achieve higher grades in GCSEs and A-Levels.
Girls are more likely to pass and get higher grades, though the gap is narrower than at GCSE level.
Girls achieve more distinctions in every subject, including engineering and construction, where they are a minority.
Girls are better able to concentrate and spell correctly compared to boys.
A large percentage of children with special educational needs are boys.

Factors Influencing Gender Differences in Education

Feminism: The feminist movement has improved women’s rights, raised expectations, self-esteem and motivation, and broadened career aspirations.
Changes in the family: Traditional female socialisation is more suited to education, bedroom culture encourages traits that are beneficial in school, and the increase in female-headed lone-parent families raises girls’ aspirations.
Changes in women’s employment: The growth in the service sector has created more ‘feminised’ career opportunities, and equal pay and sex discrimination acts have opened up more opportunities for girls, encouraging them to pursue careers and financial independence.
Changing girl’s ambitions: Girls are more likely to see their future as independent women with careers.
Crisis of masculinity: The decline in traditional men’s jobs has led to an identity crisis for boys, resulting in low self-esteem and a lack of motivation.
Overestimation of ability: Boys tend to overestimate their abilities, leading to a lack of preparation and a tendency to blame others for their failures.

Internal Factors in Education

Equal opportunities policies: Government policies such as GIST and WISE aim to create more opportunities for girls in traditionally male subjects.
Role models: An increase in female headteachers and senior leaders act as role models for girls.
GCSEs and Coursework: Girls are more successful in coursework because they are more conscientious and organised.
Teacher attention: Teachers tend to interact differently with girls and boys, with girls often receiving more positive attention.
Challenging stereotypes: The removal of gender stereotypes from textbooks has removed a barrier to girls’ achievement.
League tables: League tables have made girls more desirable for schools.
Literacy: The gender gap is partly a result of poorer literacy skills among males.
Feminisation of education: Schools are seen to nurture feminine traits rather than masculine ones.
Laddish sub-cultures: Boys may join anti-school subcultures to gain status among peers, leading to bullying and the rejection of schoolwork.

Subject Choice

Gender role socialisation: Boys and girls are raised differently, channelling them into different subjects.
Gendered subject image: The image of a subject affects who chooses it.
Gender identities and peer group pressure: Students face pressure to conform to gender stereotypes.

Feminist Perspectives

Liberal feminists celebrate progress but believe more work is needed to achieve true equality through equal opportunities policies and challenging sexist attitudes.
Radical feminists argue that girls’ achievements are despite the patriarchal nature of the education system, which still limits subject choices and career options and underrepresents women in the curriculum.