What Do We Know About Girls’ Aspirations and Achievement?

This chapter provides a context for the research study. It reviews published literature, research, national education policy and government reports concerning issues of working-class students’ aspirations and achievement. These highlight the aspects relating to girls, but where appropriate, also draw on wider discourses, irrespective of gender. The primary focus is on education and school-based issues, but wider social influences like those of families and peer groups are also explored to help understand how these inter-relate within girls’ educational and social identities.