|
  |
|
|
Influence of Gender Identities on Performance of Boys and Girls in School
By James Keightley of giggleberries
General views are boys and girls are suited differently to particular academic subjects. There are statistical and historical patterns between the performance and prowess of particular genders and specific academic domains. Genders concerned with masculine and feminine idiosyncrasies society categorizes to each sex. It’s how we identify to these socially constructed categories that mould and shape how our gender identities emerge and are operated in to our social world. Gender identities can be shaped by many factors. Empiricist views postulate that we are born with no innate abilities and that characteristics develop through experience. Bronfenbrenner (1976) states we are at the centre of several influential systems, which are our immediate family, wider family and membership groups. In support, Turner et al (1987) highlights the importance for us to be able to self categorize and that our gender identity is shaped by our ability to emotionally identify what group we belong to. Our identities are therefore likely to be a reflection of the essentialist and stereotypical categories assigned by the society in to which we are born. However, some still maintain a Natvist View that characteristics are not shaped socially, but are innate and genetically inherited. Traditionally boys have performed best in Science and Maths and girls in English. In 1998 The Observer reported on GCSE performance of 16 year old boys and girls between 1992 and 1997. Overall boys and girls improved, but girls far out performed boys. Performance gaps in English widened in favour of girls, whilst they were marginally ahead in Maths and Science, subjects regarded as a boy’s domain. ‘Girls really are better than boys – official’. The Observer (1998. Page 1). These differences have attracted much interest in relation to the statistical links to gender. Stereotypical identities and beliefs about what women will aspire to have shaped their education. During the early twentieth century, women spent the last half of their final educational year on domestic subjects, excluding them from other opportunities. Girls were prepared in the main for a caring role. During the nineteenth century there was belief that over educated women would be unable to breast-feed and their future role was as mother and wife. Their caring role was still evident in post war Britain, an era of domestic bliss and family life for women. The Butler Education Act 1944 saw a three-tier system of education, where grammar school places were disproportionately favourable for boys. Murphy and Elwood 1998 suggest three main factors impinge on choice of subjects for both genders and their performance. They suggest boys and girls develop different pre school interests and which are perpetuated within school. Gender related interests are shaped during socialization and are evident in the types of play they engage in. Typically boys enjoy constructional types of play and girls creative. The knowledge and confidence this brings supports their subsequent academic choices and teachers may react differently to the respective gender skills. Girls who find that they are not confident in constructional subjects are regarded as having a lack of ability. The consequences being the subsequent judgement of teachers, as 5% more girls are entered for the middle band maths exam, which limits them to no higher than a grade C. Due to these differences boys and girls also represent and express themselves differently in ways that concur with masculine and feminine styles and which receive different recognition from teachers. During the 1970’s feminist identified the extent to which the gender identity of girls has placed them at a disadvantage and that their education was considered secondary to boys. Subsequently, changing social beliefs attributed to a shift in attitudes. The right to vote in 1918, rise of feminism, women working during the War have undoubtedly contributed to these changes. However, these changing attitudes have increased the number of women in work, challenging perceptions about male identities, which has brought about uncertainty for boys in areas of traditionally available for them. Consequently, boys adopt a ‘laddish’ behaviour, seeing no gain from academic achievement and achievement becomes ‘uncool’ as it conflicts with masculine identities. The characteristics society links to the personal genders of boys and girls are a reflection of the society in which they are born. The extent of this impact on gender abilities in performance in specific subjects due to the perception and significance we have of different gender identities. But these vary in relation to the changing views of an evolving society and the extent of such impacts appears less in a contemporary UK than it were perhaps during the Elizabethan period.
|
|
 |
|
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
The copyright for this content entitled "Influence of Gender Identities on Performance of Boys and Girls in School" has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
|
|
|
This intel was contributed by Jimbob
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
