Gender and Educational Achievement

Gender inequalities in education have tremendously changed over the course of the 20^th century, particularly in upper secondary education. Historically, female participation in upper secondary general education, and women’s chances to successfully finish this educational pathway, have been lower than men’s. However, towards the end of the 20^th century, women were outperforming men in many European countries and beyond. This book uses examples from across Europe to shed light on the mechanisms behind gender inequalities and the changes made to reduce this inequality. This book was originally published as a special issue of Educational Research.

Gender inequalities in education – in terms of systematic variations in access to educational institutions, in competencies, school marks, and educational certificates along the axis of gender – have tremendously changed over the course of the 20^th century. Although this does not apply to all stages and areas of the educational career, it is particularly obvious looking at upper secondary education. Before the major boost of educational expansion in the 1960s, women’s participation in upper secondary general education, and their chances to successfully finish this educational pathway, have been lower than men’s. However, towards the end of the 20^th century, women were outperforming men in many European countries and beyond.

The international contributions to this book attempt to shed light on the mechanisms behind gender inequalities and the changes made to reduce this inequality. Topics explored by the contributors include gender in science education in the UK; women’s education in Luxembourg in the 19^th and 20^th century; the ‘gender gap’ debates and their rhetoric in the UK and Finland; sociological perspectives on the gender-equality discourse in Finland; changing gender differences in West Germany in the 20^th century; the interplay of subjective well-being and educational attainment in Switzerland; and a psychological perspective on gender identities, gender-related perceptions, students’ motivation, intelligence, personality, and the interaction between student and teacher gender. This book was originally published as a special issue of Educational Research.