Examining the Gender Gap in Educational Outcomes in Public Education: Involving Pre-Service School Counsellors and Teach
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Examining the Gender Gap in Educational Outcomes in Public Education: Involving Pre-Service School Counsellors and Teachers in Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Research Mary Ann Clark & Paul Thompson & Wilma Vialle
Published online: 12 January 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2008
Abstract International educational statistics have reported a gender gap in educational outcomes, with boys falling behind girls in regard to grades, high school graduation and university enrollment and retention. This study involved pre-service teachers and school counsellors in Colleges of Education at three universities on three continents carrying out focus groups with public school students, interviews with educators, and examining national and international quantitative data to investigate this issue from a local and a cross cultural perspective. Common themes were found in each country and implications for addressing the problem considered. Keywords Achievement gap . Gender . Educational attainment . Cross-cultural
Introduction The gender gap with regard to educational achievement in public education has become an international issue over the past decade, with male students lagging behind their female counterparts on a number of important indicators of school success (Burns and Bracey 2001; Clark et al. 2006; Kafer 2004). The topic of male underachievement has in recent years received national media attention in the USA and considerable examination in other countries worldwide.
M. A. Clark (*) Department of Counselor Education, University of Florida, 1215 Norman Hall, P.O. Box 117046, Gainesville, FL 32611-7045, USA e-mail: [email protected] P. Thompson School of Education, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK W. Vialle Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
Int J Adv Counselling (2008) 30:52–66
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Extent of the Issue: Examining National and International Data The past generation has seen an emphasis on providing more encouragement, support, and equal opportunities for girls with regard to education and career development. However, internationally, boys are having more academic difficulties and are achieving at lower levels across most school subjects as shown by test scores, grades and drop out rates (Australian Council for Educational Research 1997; Gray et al. 2004; US Department of Education 2004). Further, they have a significantly higher incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), special education referrals and placements, behavioral issues, and school discipline referrals (Kafer 2004; National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES] 2006; West 1999). Women have surpassed men not only in high school graduation rates, but in university enrollment and degree completion (NCES 2006; US Department of Education 2004). Internationally, fourth grade girls significantly outperformed boys in every G8 country (Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the USA) that participated in the 2001 Progres
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