ABSTRACT
Gallagher (1997) carried out a review of the research evidence on the apparent underachievement of boys. He found that evidence from Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the European Union and the USA suggested that there was a general pattern of increasing attainment levels of all pupils over time and that within this overall pattern the rate of increase tended to be higher for females than for males (see also West et al. 1999). Both trends have developed steadily over time and, Gallagher concludes, appear to be linked to broader processes of social change.
