Unit 2 SCLY2 - Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods
Institution
AQA
A* Sociology Student, sat exams in 2022 and received a grade of over 95%.
These are notes for AQA (but would work for all exam boards).
This document is Subject choice, under the Gender and Educational Achievement topic, notes for Paper 1 - Education. These are a set of extensive notes that g...
Unit 2 SCLY2 - Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods
All documents for this subject (403)
Seller
Follow
jasonmclark
Reviews received
Content preview
Gender Differences in Education: Subject Choice
National Curriculum: There continues to be a fairly traditional pattern of ‘boys’ subjects and
‘girls’ subjects.’. Boys still tend to opt for subjects such as maths and physics, while girls are
more likely to choose modern languages, for example: The National Curriculum gives pupils
little freedom to choose or drop subjects by making most subjects compulsory until 16.
However, where choice is possible, both in the National Curriculum and much more so after
16, boys and girls tend to follow different ‘gender routes’ through the education system.
This is shown in National Curriculum options, AS and A levels and vocational courses.
-
National Curriculum Options: Where there is a choice in the National Curriculum, there is a
distinct difference between girls and boys choices.
For example, although design and technology is a compulsory subject, girls tend to choose
food-technology whilst boys are more-likely to choose resistant materials and woodwork.
Therefore, whilst compulsory these set subjects see a divide in choices between boys and
girls as they can be typically seen as either ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’.
-
AS and A Levels
Gendered subject choices become more noticeable at AS/A Levels when students have
more choice. For example, there are big gender differences in entries of A-Level subjects
(I.E. DfE found that in 2019, Boys opted for physics 80% with girls choosing Sociology 23%
and English 26% more likely).
Such differences are mirrored in subject choices at university.
These patterns are not new, for example the Institute of Physics (2012) found that the
proportion of A-Level physics students who are girls have been ‘stubbornly consistent’ at
around 20% for over 20 years hence criticising the effectiveness of WISE and GIST as they
may not have had their intended effects in getting girls into science.
-
Vocational Subjects
Vocational courses prepare students for specific careers
Gender segregation is a very noticeable feature of vocational training; for example, only one in 100
childcare apprentices is a boy.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jasonmclark. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.08. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
