Girls are now out-performing boys at GCSE level, giving rise to a debate in the media on boys' underachievement. However, often such work has been a 'knee-jerk' response, led by media, not based on solid research. This study aims to provide a critical overview of the current debate on achievement. It focuses on interviews with young people and classroom observations to examine how boys and girls see themselves as learners, and analyzes the strategies teachers can use to improve the educational achievements of both boys and girls.
