School Alienation, Patriarchal Gender-Role Patterns and The Lower Educational Success Of Boys In Secondary Education. A Mixed-Method Study

This paper attempts to be an empirically backed contribution to the current debate on gender differences in educational success in favour of girls. As explanatory factors, school alienation and gender-role patterns – together with other crucial factors – are analysed (controlling for social origin). School alienation is characterised by a low attachment to school, low school commitment, a low identification with school and learning and an emotional detachment from academic goals and values (Finn, 1989). Gender-role patterns – and images of masculinity and femininity – are orientations that are assumed to structure attitudes, aims, motivations and, finally, behaviour, and are therefore also relevant for educational success. Analyses are based on a Swiss mixed-method study (standardised survey among 872 eighth-graders, group discussions, class room observations). Results indicate that the gender gap in educational success is caused partly by boys being more alienated from school and preferring patriarchal gender roles. The impacts of these factors on educational success are mediated by school deviance. Further important issues emerging from this analysis are peer attitudes towards school and teaching style; both of them environmental factors which influence school alienation. In particular an authoritative teaching style can largely reduce school alienation.