Gender and Educational Achievement
Gender differences in education have completely flipped over the past few decades. Girls now outperform boys in most subjects, but the reasons behind these patterns are complex and fascinating.
Internal factors within schools play a huge role. League tables and selection processes often favour girls because they're seen as natural achievers in coursework-based assessments (Gorard, Mitsos & Browne). Schools have also worked hard to remove gender stereotypes and provide better female role models, with programmes like GIST and WISE encouraging girls into science and technology.
For boys, the story's different. Mitsos and Browne argue there's a "crisis of masculinity" - traditional masculine jobs have disappeared due to globalisation, leaving boys without clear goals. While girls develop language skills through "bedroom culture" (chatting and reading), boys focus on activities like football that don't build academic skills.
Key insight: The "feminisation of education" means schools now reward traits traditionally seen as feminine - cooperation, coursework completion, and verbal skills - which can disadvantage boys who thrive in more competitive, exam-based environments.
