Class differences in achievement- Internal factors Flashcards
(19 cards)
what is the labelling theory and who came up with it?
-to attach a meaning or definition to someone
-Becker
how is labelling seen In schools?
-teachers attach labels regardless of pupilās actual ability or attitude.
-label on the basis of stereotyped assumptions about class background
what type of study did Becker carry out on labelling theory?
-interactionist
-interviews with teachers
what did he find and what influenced this?
-teachers judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of the āideal pupilā
-pupilsā work, conduct and appearance
who was closest and furthest to the āideal pupilā?
-m/c children were closest and w/c children were furthest as they were regarded as badly behaved
what is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and how is it linked to labelling
-a prediction that comes true
-person internalises a label given to them which becomes part of their self-concept
how did Rosenthal and Jacobson investigate SFP?
-told school they had a test specially designed to identify pupils who would āspurtā ahead (was actually an IQ test)
-picked pupils at random and told the school that they were the āspurtersā
-returned a year later and found almost half of those picked made significant progress
what did they find?
-teachersā beliefs about pupils had been influenced by the test results
-teachers conveyed the beliefs through body language and the amount of attention/ encouragement given.
what is streaming?
-separating children into different ability groups or classes called āstreamsā
-each ability group is taught separately
-SFP is likely to occur through this
what are the effects of streaming?
-children and locked into their teachersā low expectations
-Douglas found children placed in lower streams suffered a decline in their IQ score
-m/c children are likely to be placed in higher streams, develop a positive self-concept, gain confidence and work harder
-those in higher streams had improved their IQ score
what did Gillborn and Yodel study?
-how teachers use stereotypical notions of āabilityā to stream pupils
what did they find?
-teachers are less likely to see working-class (and black) pupils as having ability
-these pupils were placed in lower streams, denying them knowledge and opportunity to achieve and widening the class gap in achievement
what are league tables?
-rank schools according to exam performance
-schools need to achieve a good league table position to attract pupils and funding
what is the A-to-C economy?
-system where schools focus their time, effort and resources on pupils they see having potential to get 5 grade Cās to boost the schoolās position
what is the āeducational triageā?
-sorting
how does the A-to-C economy produce educational triage?
-categorises pupils into three types:
1) those who will pass, can be left to get on with it
2) those with potential, will be helped to get a grade C or better
3) hopeless cases, will fail
-the need to gain a good league table position is driven by educational triage
what is a pupil subculture?
-group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns
what is the pro-school subculture?
-pupils placed in high streams
-gain status in approved manner
-values of those from the school
what is the anti-school subculture?
