Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
468 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science if, in view of the widening gap between male and female achievement at leaving certificate level, particularly in the Dublin area, she will introduce new initiatives in response to this emerging divergence. [29042/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are multiple factors which contribute to differential performance between males and females in examinations. These include teaching and learning approaches, school culture and classroom organisation, teacher expectations, student attitudes and behaviour, the later maturation of boys, parental expectations, subject choices, course level and the format and style of questioning in examinations themselves. It is evident that more boys than girls are entered for foundation and ordinary levels of the junior certificate and this is likely to impact on performance and choice in senior cycle. The patterns of difference in the performance of boys and girls in the leaving certificate examinations reflect those found in education systems internationally.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment published a research report, Examining Gender: Gender and Achievement in the Junior and Leaving Certificate Examination Systems 2000-2001, in June 2003. The report claims that tiered entry systems such as foundation, ordinary and higher levels can significantly interact with gender and points to international evidence that more boys than girls tend to be entered on lower level courses. The study examined such issues as syllabus content, the selection of content for assessment and the format of examination papers for junior and leaving certificate English and mathematics, junior certificate science and leaving certificate physics. None of the syllabi or areas of content chosen was considered to give undue advantage to either sex.
Communicative styles which are narrative, discursive, involve the use of personal experience, imaginative and personal processes, or collaborative approaches along with subjects which involve a high degree of recall were found to favour girls who tend to be better organised and prepared. Communicative approaches which are concise, deductive, functional, argumentative and non-collaborative were found to favour boys, with males coping better with novel or unfamiliar items. The Economic and Social Research Institute is carrying out extensive longitudinal research for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment on the progress of a cohort of students as they make the transition from primary to second level and progress through junior cycle. The research is providing important information on the factors considered to have significant influence on student performance such as pupil and teacher expectations and school practice in terms of curriculum content on offer to students. Feedback from the study is being disseminated to schools by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The initial report, Moving Up: The Experiences of First Year Students in Post Primary Education, was published earlier this year. The issues raised in the ongoing research are being considered by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment as part of its programme of ongoing curricular review and in the context of the proposals for reform of the senior cycle.
The State Examinations Commission is also considering the research outcomes applicable to the running of the certificate examinations. My Department is committed to providing the high possible educational opportunities for boys and girls alike and to meeting their differing needs to the fullest extent.
