http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/boys-top-numeracy-but-girls-are-best-at-writing/story-e6frf7kx-1226597621780
Recent NAPLAN and HSC results, have displayed that females and males dominate in different areas of learning. These results have been shown to be consistent since the NAPLAN started in 2008, and through enrollment of advanced English extension courses in the HSC. Males have been out performing females in numeracy, while females have been outperforming males in literacy. While there were more females enrolled in Advanced English than males.
These ideas are encapsulated in the four tables below, which present the literacy levels of females and males of year 3,5,7 and 9.
These tables are from NAPLAN results in 2012, and consistently show that there are more females, percentage wise, in the highest bands for Grammar and punctuation than there are males. For example in year 9 2.9 per cent of males attained a band 10, while there was a high 5 per cent of females in this band., These graphs include all grades and states, highlighting the consistency regardless of geographical location and/or age.
However although gender, seen as an individual characteristic influencing educational outcomes, there are more characteristics which can play a role in female/male performance. These include socio-economic status, disability, family outcomes and Indigenous status. Therefore programs must be designed by the education system to target specific groups of females and males rather than all males.
This is due to the presence of high-SES males over-performing low-SES females in literacy, while it can also disadvantage girls, leaving them behind.
Also a gendered approach would cause disruption to the curriculum, while males should not be grouped as a hegemonic whole due to different abilities and needs.
In ‘Reading literacy test data : benchmarking success?’ Martino suggests “that homophobia, and a general fear of being identified as non-masculine, may feature in regulating boy’s engagement with English” (Alloway, N. and Gilbert, P 2007). English is shown as a more 'girlier' subject, therefore males would not spend their time studying English or reading books, as it would put their masculinity in jeopardy.
It is with the intersectionality of different characteristics that play a role on boys literacy levels, rather than just gender based. It can counter specific issues related to the culture/geographical location of a school, e.g. high student population of non-English-speaking backgrounds, rural location with a lack of career opportunities related to literacy
Therefore schools and the education system must focus on groups most detrimentally affected by the female-male literacy, rather than targeting ALL boys and ALL girls which would not need the extra help, leaving the gap present.
References
Harlton, E., Mills, M., Martino, W., & Beckett, L. (2007). Sacrificial Girls: A Case Study of the Impact of Streaming and Setting on Gender Reform. British Educational Research Journal, 33(4), 459-478.
Hosking, W. (2013). Boys top numeracy but girls are best at writing. Herald Sun. Accessed 12th October from http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/boys-top-numeracy-but-girls-are-best-at-writing/story-e6frf7kx-1226597621780
Martino, W., & Kehler, M. (2007). Gender-Based Literacy Reform: A Question of Challenging or Recuperating Gender Binaries. Canadian Journal of Education, 30(2), 406-431.
National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) (2012). National Report for 2012. Retrieved 31st September , from http://www.nap.edu.au/verve/_resources/NAPLAN_2012_National_Report.pdf
Peterson, S. S., & Parr, J. M. (2012). Gender and literacy issues and research: Placing spotlight on wrtng. Journal of writing research, 3(3), 151-161
No comments:
Post a Comment