The gendered subjectivities of high-achieving pupils
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Roehampton
Department Name: School of Education
Abstract
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Organisations
Publications
Christine Skelton (author)
(2010)
High achieving girls : do they really 'have it all'?
in School leadership today
Francis B
(2009)
The Role of the Boffin as Abject other in Gendered Performances of School Achievement
in The Sociological Review
Francis B
(2013)
The simultaneous production of educational achievement and popularity: How do some pupils accomplish it?
in British Educational Research Journal
Skelton C
(2010)
"Brains before 'beauty'?" High achieving girls, school and gender identities
in Educational Studies
Skelton C
(2010)
Gender and achievement: are girls the "success stories" of restructured education systems?
in Educational Review
| Description | We have provided an account of the gender identities of high-achieving secondary school pupils, and their classroom behaviours and experiences. Especially, we have identified the challenge for secondary students to balance peer popularity with high achievement, the means by which some pupils accomplish this, and the consequences for some of those who fail. Analysis of the complex and intersectional identities of these pupils has also stimulated Francis' elaboration of an innovative contribution to gender theory (gender monoglossia and gender heteroglossia). DETAILS: The social identities and experiences of high achieving pupils remains an under-researched area. Our findings make a significant contribution in documenting the classroom practices of high achieving pupils, and especially their social identities and experiences, in relation to their level of popularity among peers. We have established the role of gender and other aspects of social identity in these practices, and analysed how gender is mobilised by high achieving popular pupils to facilitate a 'balance' between popularity and achievement. We also reflect on the role of educational institutions in perpetuating and constraining particular performances of selfhood in the classroom. Our analysis contributes both to sociological theory and educational practice. Main findings Facilitating high achievement • Three key elements contributed to how high achieving pupils produced and maintained high standards of schoolwork. These were: positive support for education and school from all students; the significance for the pupils of feeling they belong to, and have common understandings with, a supportive group; and, effective relationships with teachers. These factors applied to the high achieving pupils in our sample irrespective of gender, social class, ethnicity or popularity. • Our data clearly shows that some pupils are able to maintain popularity with peers in spite of their open production of high academic achievement. The existence of these pupils provides a timely reminder that not all high achieving pupils are marginalised as 'boffins', and that not all boys are underperforming academically in order to preserve their social status. • This being said, many pupils did articulate potential tensions between high achievement and popularity. High achieving (but not popular) girls were the group most likely to express anxiety in this regard. • • 'Balancing' high achievement and popularity • Various aesthetic factors contributed to high achieving popular pupils' ability to 'balance' popularity with high attainment. These included good looks, and fashionability. These pupils were also highly socially oriented in class. • Popularity was strongly tied to gender performances: popular high achieving pupils tended to produce gender performances that were evocative of the notion of the 'proper girl' and 'proper boy': this involved preoccupation with gender-stereotypical pastimes (e.g aesthetics and celebrity for girls, sport for boys), and the production of themselves as heterosexual. Such productions enabled non-traditional aspects of gender performance relating to high achievement (e.g. 'cleverness' for girls, diligence for boys) to be 'balanced' or hidden. • In terms of popular pupils' management of high achievement, we found them to be highly engaged with pedagogic tasks in class, and not deterred by teacher praise. They were able to maintain 'balance' between popularity and application by being invariably social, and were often at the centre of interaction in the classroom. We also identified a tendency wherein high achieving popular pupils often had a less high-achieving, more disruptive friend. Friendship with more disruptive pupils can result in the high achieving and popular pupil obtaining kudos amongst their peers, without their having to undergo the penalties frequently incurred by these friends. • Social class and ethnicity did not appear to impact strongly on the pupils' different facets of production of high achievement, or 'balance' between high achievement and popularity. It would seem that being regarded as 'high achieving' within the school, and consequent high expectations of these pupils, mitigates patterns of achievement according to gender/social class/ethnic differences. On the other hand, the content of individual performances and practices differed strongly according to gender, and to some extent according to social class. • Consequences of unpopularity • Many pupils talked of the dangers of being identified as a 'boffin' or swot. 'Boffins' function symbolically to remind other pupils of their potential fate - social ostracism - if failing to achieve 'balance' by being seen to be too academically applied. The construction of the 'Boffin' is sexualised, with female boffins constructed as asexual, and male boffins produced as effete (and hence potentially prey to homophobic bullying). Theorising gender and achievement • Our analysis of the subjectivities of high achieving pupils has drawn on a variety of theoretical concepts, and has both developed and revealed limitations in conceptions such as 'female masculinity' (Halberstam, 1998), as well as applying and extending innovative theoretical concepts. • We have analysed the ways in which conceptions of 'high achievement' differed between schools, with implications for in/equality in relation to ethnicity and social class. We also highlight how attuned pupils have become to their precise place in achievement hierarchies, due to the effects of policy preoccupations with educational 'standards' and credentials. We discuss the likely impact of such practices for pupils in terms of educational inclusion/exclusion. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings are of relevance to school teachers and other educationalists, and to those who work with teenagers. They offer reflection on the implications of the difficult balance for pupils between sociability and high attainment, and the implications of gender distinction, and how these issues might be approached by practitioners. |
| Sectors | Education |
| Description | The research has generated considerable interest both within and beyond the academic community. Our seminar on high achievement and social identity has been selected via competitive tender as a Keynote at the forthcoming BERA Conference. There has been considerable interest from the media, (see Dissemination section), enabling dissemination of findings to the general public. In addition to those users that attended our project Dissemination Event, press coverage has led to our being contacted by many more external interested parties respresenting charities and local government (these have been sent our Executive Report). Via the Executive Report and Event we have disseminated key recommendations for practice (these were welcomed by union representatives and teachers at the Event). The new knowledge detailed in the findings section will (via our journal publications) inform debates in the sociology of education; and we hope that our contribution to sociological theorising around social identity and achievement provides a research contribution that is broader than the specific subject matter of the project. The research has subsequently been disseminated in Finland and Hong Kong, and has informed Government publications such as the DfES 'Gender Mythbusters' publications (Francis and Skelton invited to co-author, along with Gemma Moss of IoE) (2008). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Diligent students suffer homophobic bullying by peers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Professional Newspaper Report Sec Ed |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| URL | http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/cgi-bin/go.pl/article/article.html?uid=36347;type_uid=1 |
| Description | Girls shown to be more anxious over achievement |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Newspapaper report The Times Educational Supplement |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| URL | https://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6011254 |
| Description | Make-up, sport, a zany sidekick : how high achievers stay popular |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Newspaper article on research findings The Times Educational Supplement |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| URL | http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6023322 |
| Description | Word has it that excelling in English is now acceptable among boys |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Newspaper article Times Educational Supplement |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| URL | http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6023311 |