THE “GENDER GAP” IN EDUCATION 2

Literature Review and Analysis: The “Gender Gap” in Education

Introduction
Success in schools pays off at both the individual level and the society level. It
contributes tremendously to social development and economic growth. Education systems that
rank high in performance are those that put emphasis on both equity and quality. Equity in
schools entail individual and social circumstances such as family background, cultural affiliation,
and gender. Such aspects are not hindrances to reaching educational potential as every individual
is able to attain basic minimum educational skills. However, the quality of education in schools
that are yet to achieve equity is affected. Specifically, the level of gender inequality in the school
system in a country has a significant influence on the quality of education. This paper seeks to
establish the relationship between gender gap and educational quality and conducts an analysis
of existing literature to determine whether the gender gap in education is of significance in
determining the quality of schooling.
Literature Review
The gender gap affects the quality of education, consequently affecting economic growth.
According to Klasen and Lamanna (2009), gender disparity in education has an adverse effect on
the growth of the economy. The gender gap affects the quality of education, which translates to
low-quality skills at the employment stage. Since goods and services are produced by employed
people, the quality of education affects the quality of employment and level of employable skills
in the market. The quality of education negatively affects economic growth when the gender gap
is wide. The cost of inequity and low performance in schools is high not only for specific
individuals but for society at large as well (Anyanwu & Oribhabor, 2019). Thus, investing in

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equity in education has high rewards. High-quality education increases the employability ad
productivity of individuals. The underdeveloped human capital of any gender limits the effective
use of resources. Thus, a high gender gap affects the quality of education, and consequently,
economic growth in a country.
Education can come from different sources, such as schooling, peers, culture, and family.
However, schooling is a huge part of education, even though it is not the only part. Therefore,
inequality in attainment in school can be affected by gender gap, as well as other factors such as
policies, and culture, thus making it hard to quantify the impact of the gender disparity on
educational outcomes (Sheehan, 2012). Even though there are two broad paths through which the
effect of the disparities in gender on outcomes of learners can be measured. First, by enhancing
the quality of schooling that students access while in school, and secondly, through improving
the quality of instruction that they access from other sources other than within the classroom
environment. In school, the quality of education can be impacted by the level of instruction
received by female students, male students, as well as the quality of education delivered by
teachers. Decreasing the gender gap would be expected to promote the quality of instruction for
female students.
Female students in a school system where the gender gap is wide may tend to view the
disparity within their school as a representation of the wider society, thus believe that the
opportunities for women are few in society, whether they receive a good education or not. Less
motivated girls perform dismally. Besides, gender inequality may make girls feel socially
marginalized thus feel unaccepted in school (Sheehan, 2012). On the other hand, when girls are
few in a school system, they may be encouraged to perform better and convinced that the quality
of education they are getting is the best because they are few. Consequently, they may be

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motivated to work harder because there are more opportunities for educated women since they
are few in society. Sheehan (2012) states that the gender gap could have an impact on the quality
of schooling in different ways; it could have both positive and negative effects depending on the
attitudes of the disadvantaged gender. Elimination of the gender gap in education can have a
broader impact on eradicating social and economic inequalities. Faubert (2012), states that an
equitable system of schooling allows students to fully benefit from the learning resources and
teaching in schools irrespective of their family background. Thus, students get quality
educations, and learning outcomes are improved because they maximize available resources in a
school.
Research shows that the gender gap has little impact on the quality of education received
by learners (Faubert, 2012). Researchers have argued that the view that disparity in gender
affects the quality of education is based on the assumption that schools provide a “one size fits
all” teaching and learning opportunity. The attention is increasingly changing towards providing
content that promotes equity by being aware of the fact that quality education meets the diverse
educational needs of all learners regardless of their gender. The notion that learners perform
poorly because of their individual limitations is superseded by the notion of the gender gap in
school. Thus, the cause of low-quality education or poor educational outcomes is being seen as a
deficiency in school systems such as gender inequality. Low-quality education is contributed to
by the school’s failure to provide education that appropriately meets the diverse learners’ needs.
Thus, failure here is an issue of equity though not necessarily the issue of gender gap (Faubert,
2012). Thus, the necessary redress of quality of education is not really gender balance, but rather
a reorientation of educational systems so that they move towards achieving the goal of promoting
equity.

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Education systems have a responsibility to ensure that they provide education that helps
break the link between life prospects and socio-economic background. Low education quality,
performance, and cases of school drop-outs may be caused by elements that the schools have no
control over. For example, the quality of education that a child has access to can be affected by
issues such as childhood poverty or poor infrastructure as opposed to the ratio of male to female
learners in a classroom. the overrepresentation or underrepresentation of one gender in a certain
school is often caused by factors such as economic status and residential segregation (Sheehan,
2012). Such factors are beyond the school’s control. thus, gender equity in a school depends on
policies such as social development, welfare, health, housing, and justice. Therefore, while
schools are responsible for ensuring that every student gets equal opportunities for educational
success, it is also important to ensure that government policies are aligned towards ensuring that
students have equal opportunities to receive a quality education. Also, in cases of a poor
childhood, incentives designed to help students from poor backgrounds stay in school would help
improve educational outcomes.
On average, female learners are more interested to learn and perform well than their male
counterparts during the early stages of education. According to Davies (2005), this slightly
changes as they reach high school, and they downplay their abilities at school so as to appear
likable. Even though, this tendency does not affect the grades achieved by girls. Freeman (2004)
states that on average, girls register a better academic performance than boys. These scores are
not affected by the number of any of these genders in a classroom. as they diversify and choose
grades in high school, each gender performs well in their preferred subjects. For instance, girls
are known to do better in literature and arts, while boys outperform them in science and math.
Both boys and girls choose their subjects and excel in them; the quality of the education they

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receive and the outcomes are not based on gender gaps. Therefore, student’s preferences affect
educational outcomes in specific subjects as each gender has its most preferred subjects. Davies
(2005) and Freeman (2004) rule out the possibility of a gender gap affecting the quality of
education or the educational outcomes in a school. However, the gender gap could affect the
overall performance per gender such that boys may register a better performance in certain
subjects compared to girls, and vice versa holds.
Analysis
Globally, there are more educated females today than it has been at any point in history.
Even though there are still fewer educated women compared to men. From the literature review
above, I agree with the fact that the level of quality of education provide to learners has very
little to do with gender equality in a classroom. I agree with Faubert (2012), that failure or low
quality of education is an issue of equity though not necessarily the issue of a gender gap. In an
inclusive classroom, where a teacher employs differentiated teaching strategies, every student is
taught individually. The teacher, based on the learning profile for each learner in class, employs
techniques that take into account student diversity while ensuring that the unique learning needs
of every learner are well addressed. The techniques employed do not depend on the number of
girls in the classroom versus the number of boys in the same classroom. I support this point
because the quality of education is more likely to be affected by childhood poverty and scarcity
of resources in a certain school, as opposed to a lesser number of students of a particular gender
in a classroom.
Further, I disagree with Sheehan (2012), who states that a wide gender gap affects the
quality of education negatively. I hold that factors such as grade repetition and lack of resources
in schools affect the educational outcomes, but cannot relate gender gap with quality education.

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For instance, grade repetition is ineffective in enhancing educational outcomes. On the contrary,
it demotivates learners and makes them disoriented towards the learning process. Negative
attitudes and low student readiness and interest affect educational outcomes. The quality of
education received by such a student is lowered by the student’s responsiveness to the content
taught. Thus, other than concentrating on the gender gap may be schools should first eliminate
grade repetition, move for more resources from the government, especially in public schools as
such would help enhance the quality of education. Teachers do not have control of the gender of
students in their classrooms, but they have control over policies such as grade repetition and
improved learning resources, which will then improve educational outcomes.
During the literature review, one of the points that resonated with me is on having
incentives that are aimed at helping students who are from poor families afford a decent
education. I found this relevant because students in financial need are tempted to leave school,
while some miss education on certain days when they are unable to raise the required fees. The
opportunity cost to receive an education is sometimes very high for such students, thus forcing
some to drop out of school. Depending on the affected child or families, this too could widen the
gender gap in a school if more boys drop out or if more girls drop out of school due to poverty.
Thus, it is necessary to use financial rewards or aid to help students from poorer backgrounds
remain in the classroom and receive the same quality of instruction as their counterparts from
richer families. From the literature review, it is evident that educational policies affect the quality
of teaching and learning, while the gender gap has little to do with the level of instruction
received. Rather than affecting the quality of instruction, disparity in gender has an impact on the
economy and the ratio of educated men versus women.

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Studies in educational psychology show that in elementary school, girls are more
motivated than boys, but the trend changes as they move up the educational ladder. Davies
(2005) holds that at higher levels of education, girls perform lower as they tend to downplay
their academic ability with the aim of making themselves more likable. Although this tends to
occur, the effect on the grades is not significant. Girls still tend to achieve significantly higher
grades than boys on average (Freeman, 2004). From this, it is evident that the gender gap in a
classroom does not affect the quality of grades achieved by any gender. Thus, from the
educational psychology perspective, the quality of education is not affected by the gender gap in
education. Boys and girls learn and perform as per their abilities, all other factors held constant,
regardless of their respective ratios in a classroom.
Summary of Practical Implications
Knowledge acquired from the literature review will have a number of implications on my
role as a teacher in the near future. First, I look forward to interacting with students individually,
and succeed and delivering content based on the learning profiles that I will have created for
each learner. Gender will be one of the factors that I will consider when creating a learning
profile. I will strive to create an inclusive learning environment, where every learner will feel
comfortable. Regardless of the ratio of boys to girls in the classroom, I will cater to the learning
needs of every learner.
Further, I will give all learners, regardless of gender, space to voice their learning
experiences and concerns. Establishing good and professional relationships with the students,
and taking them through the learning process helps them understand their learning needs and
how their gender affects that. I will strive to understand social gender dynamics and cultural
beliefs, that could affect the interaction of boys and girls in the learning environment. I will then

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maximize the positive aspects and help the students work towards the achievement of their
educational goals.
As a teacher, I will align gender indicators in my classroom with other standards and
regulations. I will advocate for programs that help teachers on how to create inclusive
classrooms. Gender inclusiveness is important in ensuring that every learner feels highly
regarded regardless of gender differences. I will work closely with the school administration to
ensure that my colleagues and I are well-equipped with the necessary resources that will enable
us to create gender-inclusive classrooms. As a teacher, I will strive to create a gender-inclusive
classroom and establish gender relations. I have little control over the gender gap, but I can
create a learning environment where every gender feels appreciated and learning is fostered
regardless of a student’s gender.
Lastly, I will work towards creating equal academic and behavior expectations for all
learners, regardless of their gender. From the literature review, I know that girls do better than
boys on average. However, I will not try to make things easier for either boys or girls. I will not
assign tasks based on a student’s gender, but rather on cognitive abilities, interest and readiness. I
will consider learning styles and preferences, as opposed to gender differences. Giving boys
easier questions or girls, depending on the group that appears to be performing better, creates a
perception that a certain gender is smarter than another. Also, through differentiated teaching, I
will ensure that every learner is comfortable taking part in classroom discussions. Those who
may be shy presenting in front of a large class will work in groups and have a chance to make
their presentations. I will have equal standards while striving to create a safe and secure learning
environment.
Conclusion

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Overall, the gender gap in education is not significant in determining the quality of
schooling. The ration of boys and girls in a classroom does not constitute fuel school failure or
affects the quality of education received. On the contrary, aspects such as lack of fairness and
inclusion in a classroom affect the educational outcomes. Further, the administration has control
over issues such as inclusivity in a classroom but cannot control the gender gap. Gender
disparities in schools are caused by other factors such as childhood poverty. Equity in education
can be improved by providing incentives to children from poorer backgrounds, and thus giving
them an equal opportunity to receive education just like their counterparts from well-off
backgrounds. However, even though the gender gap does not explicitly affect the quality of
education and educational outcomes, the literature review made me think deep. I think that there
is a need for further research on this topic because there is a possibility that a very wide gender
gap could affect educational outcomes. For instance, in a classroom of twenty students, where
only two are boys, they may not appear inclusive. Boys may feel demotivated by the disparity.
They may tend to think that there are fewer opportunities for them out there hence no need to
struggle with education as they may still lack good jobs. The same may be the case for girls who
find themselves in such a learning environment. The research provoked a lingering question and
left me wondering, “what is the effect of a wide gender gap on student’s performance?” I thought
that even if the quality may not be affected, then the gender gap could have an impact on a
student’s performance.

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References

Anyanwu, C. A., & Oribhabor, C. B. (2019). Gender Equality: An Assessment of Gender
Differences on Undergraduate Students’ Academic Achievement and Causes of Gender
Gap in Education. Gender & Behaviour, 17(4), 14059–14067.
Davies, J. (2005). Expressions of gender: an analysis of pupils’ gendered discourse styles in
small group classroom discussions. Discourse & Society, 14(2), 115-132.
Faubert, B. (2012). “In-school policies and practices for overcoming school failure: A Literature
Review,” OECD Education Working Paper, OECD, Paris.
Freeman, C. E. (2004). Trends in educational equity of girls & women: 2004. Education
Statistics Quarterly, 6(4), 357-66.
Klasen, S., & Lamanna, F. (2009). The impact of gender inequality in education and employment
on economic growth: new evidence for a panel of countries. Feminist economics, 15(3),
91-132.
Sheehan, K. (2012). Does Gender Inequality in Education Affect Educational Outcomes?