Gender in Education (AQA A-Level Sociology): Revision Notes

Gender in Education

Introduction

The relationship between gender and educational achievement has undergone a dramatic transformation since the 1990s. Prior to this period, boys consistently outperformed girls across all educational levels, dominating classroom environments and facing higher expectations. However, this situation has completely reversed, with girls now outperforming boys in numerous areas and educational levels. This pattern extends beyond the UK and represents a global phenomenon.

Historical context and current evidence

The gender gap in achievement has reached its widest point in over a decade. According to 2014 GCSE data, girls achieved an A*-C pass rate of 73.1% compared to 64.3% for boys - representing a gap of 8.8 percentage points. This gap has remained remarkably consistent since GCSEs were introduced in 1989, even as overall performance for both genders has improved.

Outside school factors

Changing women's roles

The position of women in society has transformed considerably over recent decades. Feminist campaigns have led to significant changes in attitudes and legislation, promoting greater gender equality in domestic life, public sphere, and workplace environments.

Employment patterns demonstrate these shifts clearly. Women's participation in the workforce has increased dramatically - from 53% of women aged 16-64 in employment in 1971 to approximately 67% by 2013. Conversely, male employment rates have declined. More women now attend university than men, and women increasingly occupy senior positions in society.

Notably, women in their twenties now earn slightly more than men of the same age, representing an important turning point. This transformation provides girls with increasing numbers of female role models, inspiring greater educational aspirations and future prospects.

School factors

Feminisation of education

Some sociologists suggest that education has undergone a process known as feminisation of education - meaning schools have become female-dominated environments. This benefits girls whilst making boys feel less comfortable within their learning environment.

Labelling and teacher expectations

As girls' educational achievement has improved, teachers have begun to label female students as more likely to succeed, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. For boys, teachers are more likely to apply negative labels. Research indicates that it becomes harder for some boys to be perceived as hardworking, as this conflicts with the 'laddish' subculture prevalent in many schools.

This peer pressure requires boys to conform to typically masculine behaviours - playing sports, breaking rules, and minimising work effort. Such pressures create barriers to success. Working-class boys particularly may experience bullying or negative labelling if they appear hardworking.

Coursework advantages

Girls demonstrate several learning behaviours that align with educational success. They place higher value on work presentation, spend more time improving their output, care more about teacher opinions, and derive greater enjoyment from school life. Most importantly, girls tend to enjoy reading more than boys.

Crisis in masculinity

Some boys experience what researchers term a 'crisis in masculinity'. This occurs when boys feel removed from education and employment opportunities. Traditional manual jobs (such as mining) have largely disappeared, replaced by service industry roles requiring office-based, presentational, and interpersonal skills - often considered more typically feminine abilities.

This leads to boys lacking motivation, experiencing low self-esteem, and sometimes forming anti-school subcultures. Gendered socialisation often results in boys being socialised into adventurous, physical, competitive, and sporty behaviours. These values can conflict with school culture, which demands listening, conforming, and sitting still for extended periods.

Gendered subject choices

Despite girls' improved performance, gendered subject choices remain pronounced. When given options, boys typically choose traditionally masculine subjects like science and mathematics, whilst girls tend towards traditionally female subjects such as languages, English, and caring-related subjects.

Several factors contribute to these patterns:

• Gendered primary socialisation: Girls receive toys encouraging caregiving roles, whilst boys get toys promoting more active behaviours
• Gender identities created through subcultures, media, and institutional influences like family
• Peer pressure from both genders and the 'male gaze' whereby behaviour reflects dominant masculinity ideas
• Gender domains - imagined areas considered either male or female territories

These factors can be reinforced by school resources, teaching approaches, and learning styles. For example, attempts to attract boys to traditionally male subjects might involve competitive tasks or physical activities.

Social policy interventions

New Labour introduced various policies addressing boys' underperformance:

• Raising Boys' Achievement project involving single-sex teaching
• Reading Champions Scheme where high-profile male public figures supported boys' reading
• Dads and Sons campaign encouraging fathers and sons to read together
• Attempts to attract more men into primary school teaching

More recently, the Education Act 2011 introduced plans for returning to traditional subjects and reducing coursework. The impact of these changes on gender differences remains to be assessed, though coursework reduction might benefit some boys who perform better in exam-based assessments.

Key research studies

Contemporary challenges

Despite girls' academic success, some issues persist. Gendered subject choices continue at A-level and beyond, with potential implications for career paths. Some feminists argue that schools still reflect patriarchal ideology, as evidenced by persistent subject choice patterns. This means many women still gravitate towards traditionally female subjects leading to lower-paid, lower-status caring professions.

Máirtín Mac an Ghaill (1996) argues that gender categories are changing rather than fixed. He suggests there are multiple constructions of masculinity rather than a single type. The crisis in masculinity particularly affects specific sectors - young working-class men with low academic achievement and limited future work prospects.