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Unlock This CourseAn earlier lesson, Patterns in Educational Achievement, showed that in many countries girls now outperform boys at 16. In some societies, however, girls still get fewer chances than boys. This lesson looks at the explanations, and they work for both girls' and boys' achievement. Remember, gender means the social roles and expectations linked to being male or female, not just biology.
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Through the family, peers and media, children learn what is "right" for their gender. If girls are encouraged to be tidy, quiet and hard-working, they may find the habits that school rewards come more easily. If boys are encouraged to be active, competitive and independent, they may see sitting still and revising as less natural.
In some families and societies girls may be watched more closely, with earlier curfews and more chores. This can keep girls in and focused on homework. It can also limit their freedom, or take their time away from study. Boys often get more freedom, which can mean more time with friends and less supervision.
These patterns differ between families and societies, so always say that they can affect achievement, not that they always do.
Teachers may expect girls to be hard-working and well-behaved, and boys to be harder to manage. Boys may be told off or disciplined more often. Girls may get more praise for effort. These expectations can shape how much attention and encouragement each pupil receives.
A teacher's label can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. A boy labelled "disruptive" may act that way and fall behind. A girl labelled "capable" may work harder to live up to it. Labelling theory was explained earlier, so you only need to apply it here.
Gendered sub-cultures add to this. In a laddish sub-culture, some boys gain status by messing about and by appearing not to try. Working hard can then seem uncool, and boys may lose out. Girls' friendship groups often value achievement, praise effort and share notes, which helps girls do well. Pro-school and anti-school sub-cultures were taught in an earlier lesson, so remember that gendered sub-cultures are one version of them.
Wider society also matters. Some sociologists argue that, over time, girls have gained higher ambitions. They see more women in careers, and many societies have equal opportunities laws. Girls may now expect to work for a long time, and so see qualifications as important.
For many boys the picture can be different. Where traditional manual jobs have declined, some boys may feel that school will not lead to a secure job, so they put less effort in. Others feel pressure to match ideas of masculinity, such as seeming tough and not asking for help.
Access to education means being able to attend and stay in school. In some societies, school fees, a long or unsafe journey to school, or a need for extra income can keep some pupils out. Girls' access was met in the lesson The Feminist View of Education, and the lesson Global Differences in Education looks at it across countries. Boys can lose out too: in some places they leave school early to earn money for their family.
Remember that patriarchy means a society in which men hold most power. Feminists argue that it still shapes education, so girls' and boys' experiences of school are not equal. They also point out that girls' success at school does not always turn into equal pay or top jobs later. The details are in the lesson The Feminist View of Education, so here you only need to use patriarchy as one explanation for gender differences in achievement.
No single explanation is enough. Gender is only one factor, and it mixes with social class and ethnicity. A middle-class boy and a working-class girl may have very different experiences. Not all girls achieve more than all boys, and many boys do very well. The best answers use several explanations and then say which seem strongest.
Writing as if all girls are good at school and all boys are bad at it. Describing only boys, or only girls. Explaining a theory such as labelling in full when the question asks you to apply it to gender.
(a) Define the term gendered sub-culture. [2 marks]
(b) Explain three reasons why boys may achieve less than girls in school. [6 marks]
(a) A gendered sub-culture is a group of pupils within school who are mostly of one gender (1) and who share their own values and norms (1).
(b) Reason 1: Differential gendered socialisation. Boys may be brought up to be active and independent and to see revising as less natural, so they may put in less effort (1) and so achieve less (1). Reason 2: Laddish sub-culture. Some boys gain status among friends for not trying (1), so working hard seems uncool and grades suffer (1). Reason 3: Teacher expectations. Boys may be seen as harder to manage and disciplined more (1), which can lead to a negative label that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (1).
For "explain three reasons", give three separate reasons and develop each one with a "so" or "because". Name the explanation first, then link it to boys' achievement.