Last Updated on April 1, 2019 by Karl Thompson
This is a possible 6 mark question for the AQA’s 7192/1 Education and Theory with Methods Paper –
The technique to answering such a question is to think of it in terms of 3 lots of 1 + 1 – you need 3 identifiers and then three developments
Possible identifiers
- Teacher’s sexist ideas channeling girls into ‘girls subjects’
- Science taught in a male way using male examples (engines), put girls off
- Biological differences. Girls better at communication, not much discussion in science subjects
- Differential parental encouragement
- Boys more likely to play with technical toys
- Fewer girls in text books
- Fewer female science teachers
- Boys dominate classroom by dominating practical equipment
Three identifiers plus three explanations/ developments…
- (ID) Teachers may have stereotypical ideas that girls would struggle in male dominated subjects such as physics, (EX) and they may try and put them off, steering them towards other, more traditionally feminine subjects such as English, meaning fewer girls end up doing science subjects.
- (ID) Science subjects are often taught using masculine examples – for example, physics text books might use cars to illustrate the laws of motion. (EX) This might put girls off doing physics because they have no interest in the masculine examples used to teach these subjects.
- (ID) Girls are more likely to be socialised into discussing their feelings, (EX) and thus they might be more likely to choose subjects such as history and English where you need to discuss things more, rather than sciences where there is less discussion and ‘one right answer’.
For more examples of exam practice questions, please see links on my ‘exams page‘!
