Reasons For Boys' Underachievement (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

Attitudes to learning

• Although boys’ achievement has improved, they still tend to underperform compared to girls

• Harris et al. (1993) found that working-class boys often have low self-esteem and poor motivation

• Many boys are pressured to adopt ‘laddish’ attitudes, where working hard is seen as uncool or ‘unmasculine’

• Research suggests that compared to girls, boys are:

  • less able to manage their time effectively

  • more easily distracted and less willing to complete homework

  • less focused on long-term goals such as qualifications and careers

• This attitude can earn them popularity among peers, but often leads to discipline problems and lower achievement

Laddish subcultures

• Sociologists suggest that laddish subcultures encourage boys to reject schoolwork and value peer approval over teacher approval

• Boys may gain status from being disruptive, rebellious, or seen as ‘tough’, rather than from working hard

• Carolyn Jackson (2006) found that many boys felt pressure to appear ‘cool’ and ‘hard’

  • Academic success was viewed as ‘feminine’, so boys avoided showing effort in school

  • Acting tough gave them an excuse for failure, as they could blame it on not trying rather than not being capable

• Boys are sometimes told to ‘stop behaving like a girl’ if they show emotion or effort, reinforcing traditional masculine norms that discourage learning

Changes within schools and the education system

• Some sociologists argue that schools have become ‘feminised’, meaning they are better suited to girls’ learning styles

• Moir and Moir (1998) claim that education has become too 'girl-friendly', focusing on skills and assessment methods (like coursework and communication) that favour girls

• The emphasis on verbal ability, organisation, and independent study is less suited to boys’ preferred learning styles, which may be more active and competitive

• The majority of primary school teachers are female, meaning boys may lack male role models in early education

• Some teachers may hold lower expectations of boys, leading to labelling and possibly a self-fulfilling prophecy where boys live up to these lower expectations

Changes in wider society

• Many sociologists and politicians argue that boys are experiencing a crisis of masculinity

• This refers to the loss of men’s traditional roles in the family and workplace, leaving many feeling uncertain about their identity

• The decline in manual industries (e.g. coal mining, steelwork, and shipbuilding) has led to higher unemployment among working-class men, reducing motivation among boys to achieve academically

• Without clear career paths, some boys lose ambition and turn to anti-school subcultures for status

Evaluation of reasons for boys' underachievement

• Feminist critique

  • Patriarchal attitudes still exist, e.g., male dominance in senior positions and sexist behaviour in schools

  • Feminists argue that although girls are achieving more, they still face inequality and stereotyping in subject choice and future careers

• Not all boys underachieve

  • Some boys, particularly those from middle-class backgrounds, perform very well in education

  • This shows that gender alone cannot explain underachievement — social class and ethnicity also play important roles

• Policy and teacher response

  • Some schools have introduced mentoring schemes and male role model programmes to raise boys’ motivation and confidence

  • However, critics argue that these ‘boy-friendly’ initiatives risk ignoring the ongoing issues of gender inequality that still affect girls