Class differences in achievement-Internal Flashcards
Define Labelling
process of defining a group or person positively or negatively, based on perceived characteristics.
To label someone is to attach meaning/definition to them
Outline all Labelling Theorists and what they advocate?
> Becker (Ideal Pupil)
Rist (Primary School Tables)
Dunne and Glazeley (Labelling in Secondary Schools)
Jacobson and Rosenthal (IQ Test)
Explain Becker’s Idea of the Ideal Pupil
> Teachers form opinion of pupil based on how close pupils fit ideal pupil.
Pupils from MC viewed as closest to ideal
WC furthest as they were seen as badly behaved.
These labels can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy
Pupils work, attitude, appearance key factors influencing teachers’ judgements
Outline Labelling in secondary schools
Dunne and Gazley
argue Schools produced WC underachievement due to labels they were given
> teachers Normalised’ and unconcerned about under achievement of WC
> But believed they could overcome under achievement of MC.
Explain how teachers viewed pupils from different classes in Dunne & Glazely Study of Labelling in Secondary Schools
> Saw WC uninterested in education and MC as supportive e.g. attending parents evenings etc.
> Lead to differences in how they helped MC setting them extension work but entered WC pupils for foundation exams.
> Underestimated WC kids potential - those who did well were seen as overachieving.
ways teachers explained underachievement constructed class differences and level of attainment
Explain Rist Study of Labelling within Primary Schools
> Teacher used home background & appearance place kids in separate groups
Those teachers saw as clever and treated better were called tigers, seen as neat, MC & clean appearance
> Slow learners, labelled as ‘clowns’ and WC sat further away and neglected.
Explain Rosenthal & Jacobson’s study SFP
> IQ Test given to students. Random 20% of children identified as (bloomers) to teachers
> Went back a year later, finding children labelled as bloomers made more progress than others.
What is the SFP
A prediction that comes true
Interactionists argue labeling affect pupils’ achievement by creating a self-fulfilling prophecy
Step one- teacher labels tpupil (e.g. us being very intelligent) and makes predictions about him (he will make outstanding academic progress)
Step 2- teacher treats pupil accordingly to prediction (e.g. giving more attention & expecting higher standard of work)
Step 3- pupil internalize his teachers’ expectations which becomes part of his self-concept or self-image, so he becomes pupil the teacher believed him to be, -prediction fulfilled
Explain how Fuller sees the idea of teacher Labelling as too deterministic in relation to criticisms of Labelling Theory?
Black girls she studied were labelled as low achievers.
- Their aim was to channel their anger of being labelled into educational sucess - study hard to prove their teachers wrong,
A03
Explain how Marxists criticise Labelling Theory?
Ignore wider structure of power within which labelling takes place, labeling theory blames teachers for labelling pupils but fails to explain why
Marxist say labels not always result of teachers individual prejudices but stem from fact teachers work in a system, reproducing class divisions.
Outline the Impact of Setting & Streaming Theorists Setting and what they advocate?
> Gilbourn and Youdell (A-C Economy)
Define Setting
Placing kids in groups based on ability in individual subjects.
Define Streaming
Placing kids in groups based on overall ability in all subjects.
What process is likely to occur when students are streamed?
Self-fulfilling prophecy likely to occur when kids are streamed.
What is the negative consequence of Streaming?
When streamed it’s hard to move up, entered for lower tiers, students internalize message they’re ‘no-hopers’ not having potential do well.
Explain Douglas study on the Impact of Setting and Streaming?
Children placed in lower stream at 8 suffered decline in IQ score by age 11, opposite for children in top streams.
Explain Gilbourn and Youdell’s idea of the A-C Economy?
> Link streaming to publishing league tables.
> Creating an ‘A-C economy in schools’ - schools focus time, and resources on kids they see as having potential to get 5 C’s to boost position on league table.
Explain what process do Schools use to assess which students are most likely to get them C’s and what occurs in this?
Educational Triage
> Those who’ll pass anyway - left to get on with it
Those with potential - targeted intervention to help get C.
Hopeless cases - No chance of passing - doomed to fail.
Explain the Criticisms of Sociologists view on Streaming
Allows higher ability children to be challenged and lower ability students to be supported, so can lead to higher achievement
Subculture Theorists and what they advocate?
LACEY-(Differentiation & Polarisation)
Hargreaves( Anti school Subculture)
Ball ( Abolishing streaming)
Woods ( 4 responses)
Furlong ( not fully in one response)
Pupils subculture
> A pupils subculture is a group of pupils who share similar values & behaviour patterns> Pupil subcuktures Emerge as response to way pupils been labelled and as reaction to streaming
Pubil subcultures
Explain Differentiation in relation to Lacey’s Explanation for the development of Pupil Subcultures?
Where teachers group students, based on ability, attitude, and behaviour.
Streaming is form of differentiation, as it categorises pupils into different classes.
Those school see ‘more able’ given higher status & placed in higher streams
less able placed in lower streams
Explain Polarisation in relation to Lacey’s Explanation for the development of Pupil Subcultures?
Where children respond to streaming by moving to pro-school subculture or an anti-school subculture.
Pro-school subculture
Pupils placed in higher stream(MC)
Committed to school’s values of hard work, respect for authority etc.
Gain approval/status from academic success
they form pro school subculture
