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Chapter One The Study
Recent research into gender inequalities in schools (see the Literature Review, pp13 ff.) has tended to focus on the underachievement of boys, particularly in the early years of secondary school. Prior to that, researchers were more concerned to understand girls' lack of involvement and underachievement in specific curricular areas, such as the sciences.
In 1996, the Equal Opportunities Commission published Education Reform and Gender Equality in Schools (Arnot et al, 1996). This was followed by a series of studies aimed at gaining greater understanding of the issues, the identification of contributory factors and the evaluation of strategies to address inequalities such as access, achievement and opportunities. The findings indicated that, amongst other things, the male underachievement phenomenon was not necessarily a class-related matter (Power et al, 1998). Other commentators have argued that gender identities intersect with other forms of identity and, in particular, with 'race' and class identities; creating a complex situation where some social and ethnic groups are multiply disadvantaged in school settings (Archer and Yamashita, 2003; Jackson, 2002; Reay, 2002). The complex ways in which they interact make it difficult to identify strategies that will address inequalities, and to determine which are effective in so doing.
This report presents the findings of a study designed to review the research into gender-related inequalities in schools. It also determines the extent to which Scottish schools have adopted strategies to address these, and how effective they have been.
The study was funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department ( SEED) and involved researchers from both the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow. It was designed in three overlapping phases. The first consisted of a substantial review of the literature; the second involved a survey of the provision for tackling gender-related issues in local authority policy; and the third consisted of a series of case studies of Scottish schools where gender-related strategies were in use. The first phase provided a framework against which strategies could be analysed, while the third provided evidence of their impact.
The specific aims of the study were to:
- develop an understanding of the extent and causes of gender inequalities, particularly in attainment, school experiences and expectations in Scotland compared to elsewhere;
- document the current practices used by Scottish educational authorities and schools (publicly-funded primary and secondary schools) to address gender inequalities;
- identify the effect of these practices on gender attainment, self-esteem, perceptions of gender roles, subject choices, career aspirations, access to vocational training and so on, identifying 'which girls' and 'which boys' are affected; and
- highlight examples of good practice in addressing gender inequality issues through case studies (including publicly-funded schools at primary and secondary levels).
The methods used involved the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, as well as exploring the existing knowledge base through the review of the literature. The aim was to obtain both an overview of the national position and to get at the experiences, aspirations and perceptions of pupils, teachers and representatives of educational policy-making and management across Scotland. Thus there were three key aspects to the study:
- a review of the literature, national and international, on the prevalence of, and reasons believed to underpin, observed differences, as well as strategies developed to address these;
- a survey of Scottish local authorities to identify strategies already introduced and/or developed; and
- a series of case studies on the strategies in action and their impact on teachers and pupils.
The data gathered has been analysed to report on:
- the extent of, and key factors in, gender inequalities in Scottish schools and how these relate to the international context;
- current policies and strategies to address inequalities in Scottish schools;
- the perceptions and views of pupils, teachers and managers in schools on the impact that inequalities have on self-esteem and confidence, aspirations and choice within and beyond the school system; and
- examples of where strategies have been effective in addressing gender inequality issues across the school sector.
Section 2 of this report gives a summary of the literature on gender inequality (which addressed, primarily, the first bullet point on key factors). The full literature review can be obtained from the project team at the universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow ( www.strath.ac.uk and www.gla.ac.uk ) or from the SEED website ( www.scotland.gov.uk ).
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