The issue of gender has a great impact on the lives of various individuals in the contemporary society. However, it is evident that there are some people who stand bold and study what they want regardless of the societal perception that raised debates on the issue of gender inequality since from the past to the present such kind of cultural perception should not be condoned in the society (Chapman et al., 2016, page 1). Conversely, there is a dramatic change that has altered the way individuals handle different circumstances concerning education (Chapman et al., 2016, page 1). For a long period, there has been a cause of change that determines what is required to be done in an educational profession that people get in without fearing gender discrimination (Volken et al., 2017, p. 157). This report attempts to look at the various perspectives of the gender issue in educational achievement where students' performances in different careers are influenced by individual and societal perceptions across various academic institutions as well as in workplaces all over the world.
Changes in Educational Attainment According To Gender over Time
Gender issue has influenced the education field for a very long time in different parts of the world. The issue has raised many heated debates at the current moment. In the past, the belief that boys learners were the ones to study courses like Engineering has fed away because, at the present, it is observed that even female learners do well in the field of engineering. For instance, it is approximated that there were a few numbers of female engineers in 1950s and the matter has changed in the recent times since female and male students can study any course of their choice as well as work in any department may it be as a receptionist or an engineer (The Education Union 2004, p. 19). At currently, girls do well in subjects that are considered dominated by male counterparts and this has played an integral role in enhancing the social perception regarding the field of academics (The Education Union 2004, p. 19). Conversely, regarding pupils who choose occasional training courses, boys lead the group by providing about 52% of the students in the class hence indicating a significant change in the field of education in terms of choosing careers (The Education Union 2004, p. 19). However, the girls represent a lower percentage of about 48% of the entire population studying catering course. Besides, the notion that boys alone are the ones who graduate has vanished since it is evident that girls perform better than boy in schools at the current times.
On the other hand, from the recent past, the education system has focused on making sure that the girl child gets educated where the rights for a girl child have been enforced in order to guide them throughout their learning period in schools. Similarly, career choices have also been generalized among boy and girl child and this has ensured that women can work in any department as well as they can secure top positions at their jobs (May et al., 2014, p. 68).
Information about Perceptions of the Subject Concerning Gender and Career Expectations
The issue of how various people perceives their career expectation depending on gender has changed significantly in today's society. The act of choosing career has changed over a period where women have been allowed to work in any department as long as they are well qualified (Li et al., 2017, page 1354). Additionally, it has become evident that women have chosen careers that are mostly considered as male dominated in the past. Women has managed to secure jobs as civil engineers, electrical engineers, doctors, and drivers in the modern times as compared to the past.
Students' Performance against Years Concerning Gender (1962-2006)
The research done in the years 1962 to 2000 illustrates students' performance concerning years. In the year 1962 to 1966, statistics show that boys were performing well approximately scoring 18As compared to girls who were scoring approximately 15As less than boys (Chapman et al., 2016, page 1). From 1996 to 1980 statistics shows that both boys and girls were performing equally, whereby their scores were colliding, they were both scoring an average of 25As. From 1980 to 1986 the statistics indicate that girls were rising gradually compared to boys the percentage of scoring was differentiating with approximately 0.5 in both cases (Chapman et al., 2016, page 1). However, from 1986 to 2006 the statistics show that girls were at the top by scoring over 62As compared to boys who were behind by 52As posing a difference range of 10as between boys and girls (Chapman et al., 2016, page 1).
Pupils' Percentage on Choosing Vocational Subjects According To Gender
Statistics vary on the percentage of pupils who choose vocational subjects concerning gender. Those who took hair and beauty were girls scoring 98% being ahead of boys by 2%. In the topic care and childcare, girls scored 95% defeating boys by 5% (The Education Union 2004). In the third topic, animal care girls were leading by 76% defeating boys 24%; girls seem to perform well than boys. Next topic construction, boys did better than girls did by scoring 97% meaning that girls were defeated by 3%. Boys tied in the next topic called engineering and motor, they scored the 97% leaving behind girls who had managed to score 3% in the same topic (The Education Union 2004). Boys seem to maintain the top position in the topic manufacturing they scored 83% defeating girls who had scored 17% on the same topic. Boys continued to lead in the topic land-based industries; they have scored 72% defeating girls who had scored 28% in the same topic, boys seem to be strong by leading in many topics compared to the girls. In the topic administration and business still, boys are ahead of girls by scoring 58% defeating the girls by 42% (Chapman et al., 2016, page 3). In the topic catering, girls are defeated by scoring 48% while boys have lead by scoring 52% on the same topic. The next topic, which is ICT boys, scores 61% defeating the girls who had posted 39%. Girls in the topic arts lead by scoring 58% defeating boys who had scored 42% on the same topic (Chapman et al., 2016, p 4). The last three topics, which are sports, leisure, and tourism, retail and science, girls, have to lead by scoring higher concerning percentages compared to boys. In sports, leisure, and tourism they have led by 58% while boys have been defeated by 42%. In the topic retail, girls have lead by scoring 61% over the boys who scored 39%. Lastly, in the topic science, girls have scored 56% compared to boys who have scored 44% (Chapman et al., 2016, p 1).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the field of learning is changing over time with people exchanging careers to meet their desired objectives and goal. The girl pupils have decided to go for what was believed to be boys' course and performing better than men in such area like boys were when they were many in engineering. Conversely, the boy pupil has decided to do best in courses like catering a course that is perceived to be girls oriented hence indicating gradual changes as time goes by in the world.
References
Chapman, S., Holborn, M., Moore, S. and Aiken, D., 2016. AQA A Level Sociology Student Book 2 (AQA A Level Sociology). Collins Learning.
Li, J., Dow, W.H. and Rosero-Bixby, L., 2017. Education Gains Attributable to Fertility Decline: Patterns by Gender, Period, and Country in Latin America and Asia. Demography, 54(4), pp.1353-1373.
May, A. M., and Rodgers, Y. M., 2014, ‘Gender and Graduate Education in the United States: Women's Advancement in STEM Fields' in, Dhar, D. (ed.), Education and Gender, London: Bloomsbury, pp67-94.
The Education Union, 2004, Gender in Education 3-19, [pdf], London, Available at [Accessed 23 Nov 2017].
Volken, T., Wieber, F., Rüesch, P., Huber, M. and Crawford, R.J., 2017. Temporal change to self-rated health in the Swiss population from 1997 to 2012: the roles of age, gender, and education. Public health, 150, pp.152-165.
