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The societal construction of 'boys' underachievement' in educational policies: a cross-national comparison

  • Marie-Pierre Moreau
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education

Abstract

Through the example of what is now known in a large part of the Anglo‐saxon world as the boys’ underachievement debate, this paper explores the construction of gender issues, which underpins educational policies in England and France. It argues that the formation of particular questions as ‘policy issues’ bears limited relation to what happens on the ground, yet is contingent on societal contexts. For example, while England and France share similar patterns in terms of the differential achievement of boys and girls, in the former the boys’ underachievement debate is prominent, but in the latter it is non‐existent. This supports the view that the emergence of the boys’ underachievement debate is not related to a ‘grounded reality’. Rather, the debate appears embedded in the discursive construction of gender and education and, more generally, of notions of citizenship and equality/difference. These findings provide a strong case in favour of a reflexive approach to equality matters in educational policy making. They also suggest that the analysis of what is constructed as a key issue in policy circles represents a rich terrain for feminist analysis, and they highlight that national frameworks continue to structure the thinking on equality issues.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 161-180

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Education Policy (Volume 26, Issue 2)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 17/05/2012

Publication status

Published - 17/05/2012

ISSN

0268-0939

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/224296
  • Scopus: 79953135504

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