Educational attainment and gender

On average, girls do better than boys. However, in the past this was not true and it was believed this was because, girls had different ambitions, due to gender roles. Some reasons for this change are: 

1. Genetic theories- biological and genetic differences cause the attainment differences. They believe that girls and boys learn differently. 

2. Gender socialisation- boys and girls opting for subjects they believe are specific for their gender. Some subjects are still increasingly associated with boys or girls, although the National Curriculum tried to break these down.

3. School organisation- teaching has become dominated by women, offering boys fewer male role models in schools.

4. Feminism- expectations of girls have changed and with the possibility of careers they have become more determined. 

5. Role models- due to the increase of single parent families, boys don't have good male role models in the home, so look to the media and sport, often where success is portrayed without doing well in school.

Functionalists- gender being linked to male and female social roles, education is a reflection of society.

Marxists- concerned with class so gender inequality is seen as not important.

Interactionists- teachers and pupils share ideas about gender roles and so traditional gender patterns tend to be reproduced in schools though formal and hidden curriculum.

Feminists- showed how patriarchy extended into schools from wider society, girls lost out in education, and now boys are underachieving.

Sue Sharpe- gender differences in school reflect the creation of gender identity- starts at home and is reinforced in secondary socialisation. 

Willis- HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY- some boys are likely to reject the values of education and form anti- school subcultures- a form of masculinity. 

Sue Sharpe- girls were in the past focused on getting a husband, but when study repeated they were focused on getting a successful career.