Gender and Educational Achievement

External and Internal reason why girls do better than boys in education:

External

• The impact of feminism
• Changes in the family
• Changes in women's employment 
• Girl's changing ambitions

Internal

• Equal oppertunities policies
• Positive role models in schools
• GCSE and coursework
• Teacher attention and classroom interaction
• Challenging stereotypes in the curriculum
• Selection and league table

External reasons for gender differences in education

E1: The impact of feminism

Angela McRobbie( 1994) compared girls' magazine of the 1970s to those of the 1990s and found vast differences in how women were promoted or portrayed.In 1970s, it emphasised the importance of marriage and domesticity whereas in the 1990s girls were ecouraged to learn to be independent. Feeling more positive women have higher self-esteem and will want to work harder and concentrate on their education and careers.

E2: The changes in the family

There have been a major change in the family since the 1970s; an increase in divorce rate; an increase in the number in cohabitation... 

Thses changes are affecting girls' attitudes toward educatio.Girls feel that they need to work hard at school, to obtain good qualifications, to get a job where they can finacailly support themselves.

E3: Changes in women's employment

There have been lots of changes in women's employment since the 1970s.

In 1970 The Equal Pay Act made it illegal for men to be paid more then women in the same postition.

In 1975 the Sex Discrimination Act made it against the law for men and women to be treated differnetly.

Some women are now breaking throught what is known as the glass ceiling. The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier which stops people from progressing. Feminism allowed women to fight for their…