Colleges and sixth forms also offer the subject history as an A-Level. Unlike the GCSE history curriculum, the A-Level curriculum offers the students a more varied view of history, developing more understanding of women in history.[1] The GCSE curriculum was heavily dominated by political and military events, with men being a big influence and women secondary. The A-Level curriculum promotes for deeper discussions based on gender roles within history.
One of the biggest differences between GCSE and A-Level history is that the A-Level curriculum actively includes women’s history in wider classroom discussions, and not as stand-alone scenarios. For example, this can be seen in the topic ‘The making of modern Britain’, as women’s contributions are included within discussions.[2] Through the discussions and debates about women’s contributions for this topic, students are being exposed to varied prerogatives.
Additionally, the A-Level module ‘The American dream or civil rights in the USA’ introduces the works of female activists that has helped to shape the civil rights movement.[3] Although the GCSE curriculum vaguely covers Rosa Parks, the A-Level module introduces her as key person of the period and expands into how Parks and women alike were vital for the movement. A-Level students are encouraged to be pro-active with their learning and investigate how these women were active agents of change through wider discussions.[4]
The A-Level syllabus encourages students to develop a deeper understanding about the historical figures they are learning about through comparing and contrasting. This learning technique prevents students from only accepting what they are told and makes them develop their own ideas and conclusions. By comparing and contrasting historical figures of both genders, students are able to visualise how these people are similar and different in ways that are beyond the surface.[5] This technique encourages critical thinking amongst students and will help them to look at both male and female history figures as agents of change, and with equity.[6]
The A-Level curriculum shows a vast improvement compared to the GCSE history curriculum, especially with involving more topics with female contributions. It integrates women and their contributions into topics and encourages students to compare and contrast male and female figures to develop a rich and varied understanding.[7] However, there is still a lot of growth required for the syllabus to become totally inclusive.
Case studies
There are many different A-Level history modules that show a varied representation, such as in the topic ‘The British experience of warfare’. In the GCSE World War Two topic, women are presented in traditional roles with minimal inclusion, which limits students understanding on how impactful women were in the war.[8] The A-Level topic presents students with many opportunities to learn about the roles women had in this era and allows students to see women outside of a traditional viewpoint. A-Level history allows students to explore the roles women had in the armed forces, political activism, and the kind of impact the wars had on women. The impact of war on women has been displayed by activist Vera Brittain, especially through her memoir ‘Testament of youth’.[9] Not only does this informatise people about the impact of war on women, but it also opens the topic up for a wider discussion and many learning opportunities.
In modules like ‘Civil Rights in America’ it is evidently clear that A-Levels are shifting towards the focus on women.[10] In the GCSE curriculum, Rosa Parks is displayed as a passive side character. The A-Level curriculum actively encourages students to gain a wider understanding of her involvements within the Civil Rights Movement.[11] Parks was a long-time member of the NACCP, where she worked tirelessly as an investigator and secretary, A-Level students are encouraged to further develop their understanding of this by considering how her activism was a part of a constant campaign against racial injustice.[12]
Ella Baker is a name that is rarely mentioned at GCSE, but she is a fundamental figure in grassroots activism. Baker played an important role in many different activism strategies, such as the Sothern Chrisitan Leadership Conference (SCLC) and she was a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).[13] Her dedication to the eradication of segregation and racial violence often goes unappreciated at GCSE level. The A-Level curriculum shows a shift in how women are represented through the use of Baker’s long-time activism. Parks’ and Baker’s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement is essential to students understanding of the hardship of Black Americans, especially Black women.
The topic ‘The Making of Modern Britain’ studies and examines the leadership of Margaret Thatcher.[14] Although she may be controversial, her role as the first female prime minister is essential to female power. Thatcher not only represents politics, but she was a ground-breaking figure for creating discussions about gender and leadership identity, and she is a prime example of what it is like to be a female in power in male dominated territory. The study of Margaret Thatcher allows students to deeply analyse the role women have within traditionally male-dominated spheres.[15] The A-Level curriculum promotes deep analysis beyond the surface, especially towards how Thatcher being a woman had an influence on her political style and identity.
The modules taught at A-Level encourage students to expand their own learning and understanding of women, and to view women as active agents of change within a historical narrative. Through this, students are able to achieve a more inclusive understanding of history, and actively challenge gender bias.
Comparison to international curriculums
Although the English high school curriculum is not very inclusive towards women, that does not mean that other countries are too. Other global education systems are actively including the contributions of women across topics.
In the United States of America (USA) the Advanced Placement (AP) curricula is includes many classes that encourage the analysis of women, especially within a political, social, and economic standpoint.[16] This can specifically be seen in the topic ‘Gender in history’. These AP history course have adopted a thematic approach to learning and encourages students to analyse the impact of gender roles in history and how these roles have shaped history to what it is today.[17]
The textbooks that go alongside these courses are equally as inclusive and have dedicated sections for the involvement of women. Women are also not illustrated to be secondary characters in a male dominated world, they have a place where they belong in these textbooks. This is a forward and inclusive approach, an approach that is ultimately shaping the way students understand the contributions of women in modern day America.[18]
On the other hand, other European countries, such as Germany, have opted to integrate women in history topics into the main curriculum as opposed to isolating them as singular case studies. This can be seen with topics such as women suffrage, 20th-centry social change and the evolution of gender norms. These topics are not isolated as their own topics, but they are apart of a wider discussion and of a wider historical narrative. This approach allows the students to see that women’s contributions are not supplementary topics, as the curriculum is balanced and inclusive in a way that is not forced.[19]
The British A-Level curriculum is more inclusive than the GCSE curriculum, yet it still relies on student choice or teacher initiative to choose these topics through optional modules. The core modules that the curriculum offers are still male dominated.
Through this comparison, it is clear to see that the British A-Level curriculum is slightly more advanced that the GCSE curriculum when it comes to inclusivity, yet it still has not been able to fully integrate the study of women’s experience into the mainstream curricula. The British approach still has a lot of inclusive growth to undertake, as it is still presenting women as secondary rather than central to historical debates.
Challenges and limitations
One big issue that is holding back the inclusivity of A-Level history is the structure of the exam specifications. Although making slight changes, the examinations are still prioritising military and pollical history; both of which are male dominated spheres. Schools do sometime offer optional modules, yet this would then become the students responsibility to find an inclusive theme.[20]
A big limitation and challenge in creating an inclusive education is resourcing. The availability of inclusive resources is limited due to the fact that textbooks have been created to mimic the contents of the curriculum.[21] Even when women are mentioned within a topic, they are being isolated away from main and wider discussions and are not being implanted into a wider scope. The current textbooks and curriculum are setting women up to be exceptions and not expectations. Wider availability of inclusive material would allow for students who take optional module to gain a fairer understanding of women in history, yet more change across the board is still required.
Finally, the issue of social attitudes has a big influence on how history is taught. Political tensions often interfere with discussions about what makes an inclusive curriculum. There is an underlying resistance when it comes to creating a more inclusive education, with people often labelling it as revisionist or as rewriting history to suit modern narratives.[22]
Consequently, the reconstruction of the curriculum is often haltered by this political resistance, especially with fears of ‘rewriting history’. These unfair debates create a hostile environment for policy makers, making it hard for meaningful changes to be implemented. As a result, male dominated history is centre stage, not just because it is period accurate, but because it is easier and less controversial within the society they are being taught.[23]
[1] Department of Education, “GCE as and a Level Subject Content for History,” 2014, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e5050ed915d74e33f1704/A_level_history_subject_content.pdf.
[2] AQA, “AQA | History | A-Level | A-Level History,” Aqa.org.uk, October 14, 2021, https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/a-level/history-7042/specification/subject-content/2s-the-making-of-modern-britain-1951-2007.
[3] AQA, “AQA | History | A-Level | A-Level History,” Aqa.org.uk, October 14, 2021, https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/a-level/history-7042/specification/subject-content/2q-the-american-dream-reality-and-illusion-1945-1980.
[4] Jessica Keystone , “A Level History Guide – Keystone Tutors,” Keystone Tutors, 2023, https://www.keystonetutors.com/news/a-level-history-guide#.
[5] Joe, “Revisiting the Origin of Critical Thinking,” Educational Philosophy and Theory 56, no. 7 (February 26, 2024): 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2024.2320199.
[6] Milla Nakkeeran, “Will a New History Curriculum Support Schools to Be More Inclusive?,” The RSA, December 8, 2024, https://www.thersa.org/articles/blog/will-a-new-history-curriculum-support-schools-to-be-more-inclusive/.
[7] Jessica Keystone , “A Level History Guide – Keystone Tutors,” Keystone Tutors, 2023, https://www.keystonetutors.com/news/a-level-history-guide#.
[8] BBC Bitesize, “The Development of Warfare, C.1250 to the Present Day – GCSE History – BBC Bitesize,” BBC Bitesize, 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zvkprj6.
[9] University of Oxford, “Intro to WW1 Poetry: Vera Brittain,” Ox.ac.uk, 2025, https://war.web.ox.ac.uk/intro-to-ww1-poetry-vera-brittain.
[10] Manchester University, “Civil Rights Histories for A-Level – School of Arts, Languages and Cultures – the University of Manchester,” http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk, n.d., https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/connect/schools/outreach/civil-rights-hist/.
[11] Jessica Keystone , “A Level History Guide – Keystone Tutors,” Keystone Tutors, 2023, https://www.keystonetutors.com/news/a-level-history-guide#.
[12] NAACP, “Rosa Parks | NAACP,” naacp.org (NAACP, 2022).
[13] SNCC Digital Gateway, “Ella Baker – SNCC Digital Gateway,” SNCC Digital Gateway, 2016, https://snccdigital.org/people/ella-baker/.
[14] AQA, “AQA | History | A-Level | A-Level History,” Aqa.org.uk, October 14, 2021, https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/a-level/history-7042/specification/subject-content/2s-the-making-of-modern-britain-1951-2007.
[15] tutor2u, “Margaret Thatcher: Key Events of Thatcher’s…,” tutor2u, March 7, 2021, https://www.tutor2u.net/politics/reference/margaret-thatcher-key-events-of-thatchers-premiership.
[16] AP Students, “AP United States History – AP Students | College Board,” apstudents.collegeboard.org, 2025, https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-united-states-history.
[17] Nancy Cott, “AP United States History: What Is Gender History? | AP Central – the College Board,” AP Central, July 10, 2006, https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-united-states-history/classroom-resources/what-is-gender-history.
[18] James A. Henretta et al., AMERICA’S HISTORY for the AP COURSE (Boston, New York: BEDFORD ST. MARTIN’S, 2014), https://ia902300.us.archive.org/33/items/AmericasHistory/America%27s%20History%2C%20For%20the%20AP_%20-%20James%20A.%20Henretta.pdf.
[19] German International School, “Curriculum for History Grades 5-12 Short Version,” 2018, https://giswashington.org/files/dswashington/Dateien/2018-19/WeiterfuehrendeSchule/Curricula/18_12_28__Geschichte_kurz_Kl5_12_E.pdf.
[20] AQA, “AQA | History | A-Level | A-Level History,” Aqa.org.uk, October 14, 2021, https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/a-level/history-7042/specification/subject-content/2s-the-making-of-modern-britain-1951-2007.
[21] Mayonel J Jardinez and Lexter R Natividad, “The Advantages and Challenges of Inclusive Education: Striving for Equity in the Classroom,” Shanlax International Journal of Education 12, no. 2 (March 1, 2024): 57–65, https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v12i2.7182.
[22] Araceli del Pozo-Armentia, David Reyero, and Fernando Gil Cantero, “The Pedagogical Limitations of Inclusive Education,” Educational Philosophy and Theory 52, no. 10 (February 3, 2020): 1064–76, https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1723549.
[23] Gauthier de Beco, “The Right to Inclusive Education: Why Is There so Much Opposition to Its Implementation?,” International Journal of Law in Context 14, no. 3 (December 13, 2017): 396–415, https://doi.org/10.1017/s1744552317000532.
Gender in history 