Stephen Machin
Gender and Student Achievement in English Schools
uk marked gender gap educational attainment boys girls end compulsory education 10 per cent fewer boys achieve 5 good gcses gap means confined gcse evident key stages furthermore indicators suggest gap widened time paper document evolution gender gap various stages compulsory education england consider importance possible explanations gender gap particular factors may explain observed changes time analysis issue important context research gender wage gap however also raises policyrelevant issues relation whether changes school system effect change gender gap educational achievement find secondary school rather primary school gender gap widened noticeably time controlling attainment end primary school makes little difference measured gender gap age 16 consider potential role school based factors school inputs teaching practice examination system show average gender differential cannot explained factors vary across schools ie cannot attributed heterogeneity across schools use inputs however mean teachers cannot influence gender gap attainment show introduction literacy hour numeracy hour primary schools made difference gender gap english maths respectively key stage 2 however strategies recent made impact gender gap observed secondary school timing emergence gender gap secondary school coincides change examination system olevels gcses argue importance coursework gcse examination likely key explanation emergence gender gap age 16 another important explanation may gender differential skills taught tested different types system well mode assessment also consider potential role social economic changes would influence relative achievement boys girls age 16 however compelling explanation explain specific timing gender gap age england comes change examination system taken together evidence literacy numeracy strategies shows education policy definitely impact gender gap achievement whether intended