ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author shows some of the ways in which activity in the classroom impacts on male and female learning and attainment. Equity within the education system is fundamental if a society is to offer equal opportunities to both men and women. Genetic explanations of gender differences have been and remain a powerful influence on assumptions about an appropriate curriculum for men and women supported by views of what is considered 'natural'. The perceived 'underachievement of males' has dominated discussions about attainment, particularly in the media and become part of a moral panic about a so-called 'crisis of masculinity'. If expectations are affected by pupil gender, it is no surprise that they will also be influenced by ethnicity. The final explanation to address is the idea that single-sex education allows teachers to tackle behavioural issues and break down stereotypes away from the assumptions that are reinforced by male/female interactions.
