ABSTRACT
We are all affected in some way by issues of social class, ethnicity and gender in our society. In this chapter we look specifically at the influence of gender on the achievement of pupils in our education system. We consider how, for much of the twentieth century, research concentrated on the inequality of opportunity for girls and the social changes that have attempted to rectify this. We then look at the current debates surrounding the apparently poor achievement of boys and the culture of underperformance accompanying this. We conclude by suggesting that any examination of the self-perception, motivation and achievement of children and young people needs to include a consideration of social class, ethnicity and gender issues. It is only by being aware of such factors that policies promoting social inclusion can have any hope of success. All classroom practitioners, including teaching assistants, need to understand these significant forces in pupils’ lives in order to make their practice more effective.
