Boys into Modern Languages: An investigation of the discrepancy in attitudes and performance between boys and girls in modern languages

It is widely acknowledged that girls outperform boys across the curriculum in the GCSE examinations which are taken at the end of five years' compulsory secondary education. However, the gap in performance between boys and girls in modern languages is very marked and may suggest a need to reassess patterns of teaching and learning. This paper examines the differences in attitudes between boys and girls in modern languages after five years' study in an attempt to give some explanation for the considerable discrepancy in performance. Although previous research findings relating to boys' and girls' attitudes to their studies were confirmed, the significance of teacher personality and classroom practices emerged clearly from pupil interviews with both sexes. The article recognises the changes in the nature of the modern languages curriculum brought about by the introduction of GCSE and the on-going implementation of the National Curriculum, but points to the limitations and frustrations posed by these new agendas. Drawing extensively on pupil interviews, factors are highlighted which significantly affect pupils' perspectives and attitudes towards modern languages, and tentative suggestions are made which could help to improve the performance of both boys and girls in this traditionally 'female' subject.     

A comparison of the menstruation and education experiences of girls in Tanzania,Ghana, Cambodia and Ethiopia

The barriers to menstrual hygiene management faced by adolescent schoolgirls in low-income countries are gaining interest at practice and policy levels. The challenges include inadequate water, sanitation and disposal facilities for the management of menses with privacy and dignity, and insufficient guidance to help girls feel confident in attending school during menses. The studies described here aimed to examine how menarche impacts the lives of schoolgirls in three low-income countries (Ghana, Cambodia and Ethiopia). The focus included girls’ school participation; their relationship with parents, teachers and peers; their evolving sanitation and hygiene needs; their understanding of cultural issues and taboos around menses; and what education, if any, they received prior to and during puberty. This comparative analysis was aimed at identifying similarities between the three countries that would enable the adaptation to each context of a training book on menstruation issues for girls, which was developed from a previous study conducted in Tanzania. In all three countries, participatory activities were utilised with girls and results were analysed using grounded theory. Findings included: similarities regarding the importance of culture in perpetuating negative attitudes towards menstruation, limited provision of health information and insufficient facilities within schools. Differences were revealed regarding menstrual myths, parent–child dynamics, sources of guidance and student–teacher relations. There is a critical knowledge gap around menstruation and girls’ education in these contexts that must be addressed to ensure that girls experience a positive menarche and can manage menstrual hygiene.     

The effect of instruction on socio-cultural beliefs hindering the learning of science

Although recent studies have shown that the sociocultural characteristics which children in non-western society bring into the classroom from their environment create a wedge between what they are taught and what they learn, very little has been done to solve the problem. A learner who is not positively disposed to, or has a socio-cultural background that is indifferent to, learning science would find it hard to learn science effectively. This study investigated whether instruction through the use of the socio-cultural mode has any significant effect on students' attitude towards the learning of science. The sample consisted of 600 senior secondary year-one students (442 boys, 158 girls) from 15 secondary schools in Nigeria. The Socio-Cultural Environment Scale (SCES) and the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) were used to measure the change in attitude and achievement of subjects in a pretest-posttest situation after a six-week treatment. Evidence was found to support the hypothesis that science instruction which deliberately involves the discussion of socio-cultural views about science concepts engenders positive attitudes towards the study of science. The findings also indicate that anthropomorphic and mechanistic views can be presented in such a way as to promote positive attitudes towards the study of science in traditional cultures.     

Inequality in Experiences of Physics Education: Secondary School Girls' and Boys' Perceptions of their Physics Education and Intentions to Continue with Physics After the Age of 16

This paper explores the factors that are associated in England with 15-year-old students' intentions to study physics after the age of 16, when it is no longer compulsory. Survey responses were collated from 5,034 year 10 students as learners of physics during the academic year 2008–2009 from 137 England secondary schools. Our analysis uses individual items from the survey rather than constructs (aggregates of items) to explore what it is about physics teachers, physics lessons and physics itself that is most correlated with intended participation in physics after the age of 16. Our findings indicate that extrinsic material gain motivation in physics was the most important factor associated with intended participation. In addition, an item-level analysis helped to uncover issues around gender inequality in physics educational experiences which were masked by the use of construct-based analyses. Girls' perceptions of their physics teachers were similar to those of boys on many fronts. However, despite the encouragement individual students receive from their teachers being a key factor associated with aspirations to continue with physics, girls were statistically significantly less likely to receive such encouragement. We also found that girls had less positive experiences of their physics lessons and physics education than did boys.     

Talking about Sex in Sex Education

In the context of the recent controversy and confusion around sex education in Britain, I argue that an understanding of how boys and girls talk about sex and an awareness of the different and changing social worlds boys and girls inhabit, are crucial starting points for formulating sex education policies. Sex education is often embarked on without adequate understanding of the social context of sexuality and of the significance of changes in sexual practice that have occurred over the past few decades. Drawing on interviews and group discussion with male and female adolescents, I illustrate the difficulty boys and girls have communicating with each other and how for boys, to be intimate is to forego their dominance. I argue that there is a need to develop ways in which the power relations between boys and girls can be addressed and the derogatory way menstruation, pregnancy, and girls are perceived by boys can be challenged.     

Parents' views on nursery education: Perceptions in context

The analysis describes the broad consensus which is currently emerging about the nature of the educational changes which are necessary for the creation of a 'learning society' and contrasts this vision with the contemporary reality of an education system which is every day more constrained by formal assessment. The implications of these tightening bonds for the development of universities in the third millennium are explored in terms of research evidence which documents the impact of conventional forms of assessment on student learning. The argument is made that this emphasis on 'categoric' assessment if fundamentally incompatible with aspirations towards the creation of a 'learning society'. This is partly because institutions must necessarily give their attention to obtaining high scores and cannot risk the substantial changes in the reorganisation of teaching and learning that an 'empowering' educational environment would arguably require and partly because of the power of the prevailing assessment discourse to define priorities. The article uses Lyotard's concept of 'performativity' to examine these contemporary tensions in higher education, their origins and potential significance for the creation of a 'learning society'.     

Gender and physics

Unlike many other countries, physics is highly popular in secondary education in Scotland, with large numbers opting for study at the Higher Grade on which entry to higher education is based. This paper reports a project that explored the attitudes and perceptions of Scottish girls and boys towards physics over the age range of 10-18 years old. Towards the end of primary school, attitudes towards science are very positive and both boys and girls are looking forward to studying more science in secondary school, although there is no evidence that the introduction of primary science has been a factor. By the end of the second year of secondary school, these positive attitudes have declined quite markedly and a significant decline of girls' attitudes towards science relative to boys' attitudes was clearly observed. The success of the Standard Grade physics course (a 2-year course taken in third and fourth year, ages 14-16 approximately) is easy to observe in terms of the restoration of positive attitudes of boys and girls again as the pupils move through third and fourth year. This process is especially clearly marked among girls. Surprisingly, over 90 per cent of the observed fourth year pupils wanted to continue studies in physics but a marked decline in attitude is observed during the Higher Grade course (a 1-year course which follows Standard Grade), this being more marked for boys. If the number of girls in physics is an issue for concern within the structure of Scottish system, then the focus of attention should be the structure and nature of the science course in the early secondary school.     

An intervention study to enhance girls' interest,self‐concept,and achievement in physics classes

Many interest studies have shown the decline of students' interest in physics during secondary education, particularly among girls. Research into physics‐related interests of students suggests applying different measures to reduce or reverse that trend such as: (a) suggesting curricular changes that do justice to the specific interests and experiences of girls, (b) improving the ability of teachers to support girls in the development of a positive physics related self‐concept, and (c) changing to an organizational setting that gives girls a better chance to improve their self‐concept about physics. The purpose of this study was to examine whether these hypothetically effective measures lead to an improvement of the situation for girls when implemented in the physics classroom. The intervention took a whole school year of some 60 one‐hour lessons and comprised 12 experimental and 7 control classes of seventh graders (age about 13). Their immediate and long‐term achievements, as well as their change of interest in physics, their subjectively experienced competence, and their physics‐related self‐concept were assessed by written tests at various stages of the intervention. The intervention proved successful and significantly improved most of these indicators for girls (and boys) in the experimental group. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 870–888, 2002     

Class‐Room Discipline: power,resistance and gender. A look at teacher perspectives

Class‐room discipline, an issue of ‘power’ and ‘control’ for many teachers and students, is investigated in relation to teachers' attitudes towards stereotyped models of masculinity and femininity. Two important issues are considered; firstly, that what is generally regarded as appropriate gender behaviour by teachers plays a major role in determining their approaches and responses to the behaviour of boys and girls in the classroom. This paper focuses on the experiences of girls and teachers' traditional perceptions of femininity and it is believed that the stereotyped, often middle‐class assumptions made by many teachers, which make up an overall view of how girls ‘should’ behave, have serious effects on girls' motivation, self‐esteem, reputations, their ability to fulfil their educational potentials and their futures. It will also seriously affect their class‐room behaviour. Secondly, stereotyped beliefs around women, men and power in our society, can influence the discipline measures of teachers, particularly male teachers, so that ‘controlling’ students in the class‐room becomes paramount, at any cost. The predominantly authoritarian regimes that were incorporated in the structure of the schools that were part of this research, were perpetuated through the ideology of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ that dominates within most levels of the schooling system.     

An exploration of mothers' attitudes towards their daughters' menarche

Menarche is a significant milestone for young women, representing an important juncture between girlhood and maturation. The limited literature that exists suggests that a mother's reaction to her daughter's first periods can shape her experiences and perceptions of menstruation which, in turn, may impact on her self-image and, consequently, sexual risk taking. However, very little is known about UK mothers' attitudes towards their daughters' menarche. This paper aims to add to the body of knowledge by applying a postmodern critique, a Derridian deconstructive analysis, to a discussion thread found on mumsnet.com – a UK parenting website. The thread is concerned with a mother's response to her daughter's menarche to which other mothers respond. The deconstruction revealed a number of meta-narratives and themes within the text: secrecy, sorrow, a lack of competency and knowledge, power, gender and motherhood. Unwittingly, the women appear to be socialising their daughters to comply with and perpetuate the menstrual taboo that they endured themselves, thus repeating the cycles of shame associated with menstruation. The findings of this critique suggest that menstrual education is an area that requires more attention, particularly in the context of perceived menstrual shame and its impact on sexual decision-making.     

Effect of the challenger experience on elementary children's attitudes to science

This research explored how the Challenger experience influenced over 655 elementary boys' and girls' general attitudes to science and space during the 5 months after their visit by examining their responses to four different attitude scales. These were administered to the 10‐ to 11‐year‐olds immediately before and after the Challenger experience as well as 2 and 5 months later. Knowledge tests were also administered before and after the visit. A sample of children completed an existing measure of anxiety. Although there were mainly positive outcomes immediately after the Challenger experience, there were some negative effects. There were also noticeable differences between boys and girls. Some 24% of pupils were inspired to become scientists. There was also less fear of space travel with a greater appreciation of the use of science to protect the planet after the visit. Most girls improved and maintained their attitudes toward science in society. A sizeable number of pupils were relatively unaffected by the experience and there was a significant negative effect on a small group of anxious girls. There are indications that previsit preparation and careful choice of roles during the simulation are important. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 979–1000, 2002     

Reclaiming School Mathematics: The girls fight back

ABSTRACT In this paper I consider what appears to be an emerging feminist perspective within mathematics education that suggests that theories such as 'attribution theory' lay too much 'blame' upon girls and women for their underachievement in mathematics and not enough blame upon the wider school system. I attempt to extend this theoretical position further through the use of case study data from two schools. Interviews with underachieving girls are used to show the way in which girls link their underachievement, not to themselves, but to the type of mathematics that is widely taught in the UK, which they believe denies them access to understanding. An alternative model of mathematics teaching is described that is open and project-based and that may be able to eradicate underachievement and disaffection amongst girls.     

Constructing dominant masculinity and negotiating the 'male gaze'

One of the suggested strategies for tackling boys' underachievement is for primary schools to recruit more men teachers to provide boys with positive male role models. However, little is known of how those men teachers already working in primary schools contribute towards the construction of dominant modes of masculinity in schools or how girls engage with those dominant forms. This paper sets out to explore the ways in which two male teachers of one primary class contributed towards the development and maintenance of a particular mode of masculinity. It will be shown that male teachers'attitudes and behaviours were crucial to the construction of a mode of masculinity framed around white, middle-class values (‘intelligence’ and ‘proficiency’) and contextualized within an environment reminiscent of an exclusive men's sports club. It will further be shown how, during the course of the year, the girls devised strategies that challenged the heterosexualized behaviours of one of their male teachers by reversing the ‘male gaze’.     

Constructions of locality and gender and their impact on the educational aspirations of working-class children

Over recent years the moral panic that has surrounded 'boys' underachievement' has tended to encourage crude and essentialist comparisons between allboys and allgirls and to eclipse the continuing and more profound effects on educational achievement exerted by social class and 'race'/ethnicity. While there are differences in educational achievement between working-class boys and girls, these differences are relatively minor when comparing the overall achievement levels of working-class children with those from higher, professional social class backgrounds. This article argues that a need exists therefore for researchers to fully contextualize the gender differences that exist in educational achievement within the overriding contexts provided by social class and 'race'/ethnicity. The article provides an example of how this can be done through a case study of 11-year-old children from a Catholic, working-class area in Belfast. The article shows how the children's general educational aspirations are significantly mediated by their experiences of the local area in which they live. However, the way in which the children come to experience and construct a sense of locality differs between the boys and girls and this, it is argued, helps to explain the more positive educational aspirations held by some of the girls compared with the boys. The article concludes by considering the relevance of locality for understanding its effects on educational aspirations among other working-class and/or minority ethnic communities.     

“It’s Funny that We Don’t See the Similarities when that’s what We’re Aiming for”—Visualizing and Challenging Teachers’ Stereotypes of Gender and Science

This study illuminates teachers’ conceptions of gender and science and possibilities to challenge these conceptions. Since 2005, a group of teachers (K-6) in Sweden have met approximately once a month in two-hour seminars to discuss and develop their instruction in science and technology based on a gender perspective. The present data consist mainly of audio-recordings of the teacher seminars and video-recordings of science activities with students. Analysis of the empirical data has been carried out in several stages and was inspired by thematic analysis, the theoretical framework of which is based on Hirdman’s and Beauvoir’s theories of gender. The results show that the teachers’ ideas about gender/equity and science exist on several levels, within which various conceptions are represented. On the one hand, “reasoning around similarity”, where teachers consider that both girls and boys should have the same prerequisites for working with science. In contrast, stereotypical conceptions of girls and boys occur when the teachers evaluate their activities with students, and condescending attitudes toward girls are also observed. The girls’ ways of working with science are not as highly valued as the boys’, and this outlook on children can ultimately have consequences for girls’ attitudes towards the subject. When teachers are allowed to read their own statements about the girls, they get “a glimpse of themselves”, and their condescending ideas about girls are made visible. In this way, the teachers can begin their active work towards change, which may lead to new outlooks on and attitudes towards students.     

论习近平新时代生态文明思想及其现实意义

习近平新时代生态文明思想,既是传承马克思主义经典作家生态文明理念的结果,也是发扬我国传统优秀生态文明思想的结果,更是立足于新时代我国社会主义生态文明建设新要求的必然趋势,它是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的重要组成部分,这一新思想的产生有着深厚的理论基础、丰富的传统养料和多维的科学内涵。这一新思想对于满足人民对美好生活的需要,实现人民对建成美丽中国和全面小康社会的愿望,以及推进中国特色社会主义生态文明建设不断取得新胜利都有着极其丰富的现实意义。     

Girls and Transition to Second-level Schooling in Ireland: 'Moving on' and 'moving out' Correspondence : Maeve O'Brien,Department of Human Development,St Patrick's College of Education,Drumcondra, Dublin, 9. E-mail: Obpm@eircom.net

This article explores how groups of Irish girls from different social class backgrounds negotiate the transition from first- to second-level schooling and seeks to understand how their classed and gendered identities are produced and reproduced at this time of change. We hope to argue that the school choice process, although highly significant, is only one step in a series of challenges that girls and their families must negotiate at this disjuncture in schooling. Having made a 'choice' and secured a place at second level, girls face a complex web of emotional, social and academic transitions that shape and are shaped by their social classed and gendered identities. While transition to second level is a highly significant move for all groups, it is especially challenging for groups of working-class girls who experience emotional pain and loss in leaving their familiar and familial primary schools. The experiences of female students suggest that they are included, excluded and differentiated on the basis of their adherence to and acceptance of dominant middle-class and gendered norms, particularly in convent, single-sex secondary schools. Girls' resistance to these controlling mechanisms within their schools leads to alienation and marginalisation even in this first year in the second-level system and signals a step towards moving out of the system while others move on.     

Interaction between sexual stereotypes and high IQ: The case of the gifted woman as reflected in the Terman study

Conclusion The information that has been presented in this paper seems to have two major implications for the understanding of female achievement.First, the findings of the Terman study clearly strengthen the position that the underrepresentation of women among the great artists and scientists is due to social rather than biological factors. As the study indicates, the number of gifted girls was, at age 10, almost as high as the number of gifted boys (about 45% of the gifted population). From the first grade through college, these girls equalled or excelled the boys in school achievements. However, in contrast to the boys, they did not become leaders of society, brilliant scientists, or artists. In fact, in terms of occupational status, income, and intellectual contribution to society, they proved to be less successful than average (nongifted) males.Second, the findings of the Terman study clearly strengthen the position that superior intellect and even superior qualifications cannot overcome structural discrimination. In a society in which sexual stereotypes determine the allocation of power and economic rewards even the best qualified, highly intelligent women are likely to end up in low-paying, low-prestige, and dead-end occupations. It only remains to see whether the recent changes in social attitudes towards women will result in significant structural changes and consequently in a better chance for gifted women to make full use of their potential.     

Environment–attitude relationships: girls in inquiry-based mathematics classrooms in the United Arab Emirates

Girls’ attitudes towards mathematics can impact their achievement and career choices in STEM fields. Can the introduction of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in mathematics classes generate positive associations between girls’ perceptions of the learning environment and their attitudes towards mathematics? Based in the United Arab Emirates, this study provided important information about the relationships between learning environment factors central to an inquiry method and student engagement. Data collection involved administering two surveys to female mathematics students (N?=?291) in four schools: one to assess students’ perceptions of the learning environment and another to assess students’ attitudes towards mathematics. Positive and statistically-significant (p?<?.01) associations emerged between learning environment factors important to an inquiry approach and students’ attitudes. These findings provide important information about how IBL might improve girls’ attitudes towards mathematics classes and whether IBL environments are related to their attitudes.

     

Ethnic and gender differences in mathematics achievement and in dispositions towards the study of mathematics

The study examined the effects of gender and ethnicity on mathematics achievement on a national test and on dispositions (attitudes, perceived parental expectations, effort, and help) towards the study of mathematics of a representative sample of Jewish and Arab eighth graders in Israel. The results indicated a large ethnic gap in achievement in favor of the Jewish students. Significant gender–ethnicity interactions emerged whereby Arab girls, compared to Arab boys, attempted more items on the test. In the Jewish sample, either the reverse held true or there were no significant differences between the sexes. Arab girls also reported receiving less help in doing mathematics homework and perceived their parents' expectations for their success in mathematics as higher than did Arab boys. Jewish girls, on the other hand, perceived their parents' expectations as lower and reported investigating more effort in coping with mathematics tasks and using more supporting tools than did Jewish boys. The results were discussed in light of cultural differences between Jews and Arabs in Israeli society and their respective learning environments.