Education

Question 1

Define formal education

Answer 1

Takes place in educational establishments such as schools and unis, where people learn knowledge and skills across a range of subjects.

Question 2

Define informal education

Answer 2

Takes place when people develop knowledge and skills by observing what is happening around them in everyday life.

Question 3

Define the national curriculum

Answer 3

The subject content to be taught in state schools as decided by the government.

Question 4

Define formal curriculum

Answer 4

The subjects taught and learning that takes place during lessons at school

Question 5

Define hidden curriculum

Answer 5

Things that are implicitly learnt in school, in and outside lessons, such as competition and obedience.

Question 6

Define ethnocentric curriculum

Answer 6

A type of curriculum based on the cultural values and perspectives of one particular ethnic group

Question 7

Downsides of ethnocentric curriculum

Answer 7

Can be biased as it often excludes other cultures which can make students from different cultures feel under-valued - Institutional racism.

Question 8

Define de-schooling

Answer 8

The idea that the current form of education should be abolished, so people can be encouraged to learn in different ways, e.g. home-schooling.

Question 9

Define main-stream education

Answer 9

General educational classes, as opposed to specialised ones.

Question 10

Define marketisation

Answer 10

The policy of bringing market forces, such as competiton (e.g. league tables) and choice into education.

Question 11

Types of schools

Question 12

State school

Answer 12

Funded by the government and teach the national curriculum.

Question 13

Academy

Answer 13

Funded directly by the government and don’t have to follow the national curriculum.

Question 14

Comprehensive school

Answer 14

Local shools where pupils are not picked based on ability.

Question 15

Grammar school

Answer 15

Students are picked based on ability and have to pass the 11+ exam.

Question 16

Free school

Answer 16

All ability schools set up by charities, universities, communities,etc. Don’t have to follow the national curriculum.

Question 17

Private school

Answer 17

Privately funded by parents and donors. Don’t have to teach the national curriculum.

Question 18

Special schools

Answer 18

For kids with special educational needs.

Question 19

Faith schools

Answer 19

Religious schools

Question 20

Determine the in-school factors affecting achievement

Answer 20

Setting, streaming, teacher expectations, labelling and mixed-ability teaching.

Question 21

Define setting

Answer 21

Students are placed in different sets across all subjects.

Question 22

Define streaming

Answer 22

Splitting people into groups based on their ability, which they stay in across all subjects - often linked to social class.

Question 23

How do labelling and teacher expectations affect achievement?

Answer 23

For instance, if a teacher sets a low standard for a pupil and label them as ‘lazy’, the student may begin to see themselves that way and act accordingly (self-fulfilling prophecy).

Question 24

How does mixed-ability teaching affect achievement?

Answer 24

It improves achievement because of its basis of equality - pupils are taught in classes that aren’t based on ability, setting and streaming.

Question 25

Determine the out of school factors affecting achievement.

Answer 25

Material deprivation, cultural deprivation, parental values/expectations, cultural capital and social capital.

Question 26

Define cultural deprivation

Answer 26

Theory: Working-class students and minoric ethnic students lack the ‘correct’ values, behaviours and attitudes from socialisation to succeed in school.

Question 27

Define cultural capital

Answer 27

The knowledge, the attitudes, values and resources that the middle-class parents provide for their children that give them an advantage in the education system. (e.g. helping out with hw, reading to them and trips to the theatre)

Question 28

Define social capital

Answer 28

The networks of contacts that middle class parents have to help their kids succeed.

Question 29

Break down the education system structure

Answer 29

Early years education
Primary education
Secondary education
Further education (16+)
Higher education (unis)

Question 30

Which type of students are more likely to suffer from material and cultural deprivation, effects of ethnocentric curriculum and teacher labelling?

Answer 30

Some students from minority ethnic groups (black carribean) as opposed to chinese pupils.

Question 31

Gender and achievement

Question 32

Determine some patterns of gender performance in schools

Answer 32

By the 2000s girls began to outperform boys in GCSEs and A-levels, still do.
Girls typically pick english and art whereas boys typically pick maths and physics- GENDERED CURRICULUM.

Question 33

What is gendered curriculum?

Answer 33

Some high status subjects such as physics and maths are associateed with masculinity; whereas subjects such as languages and humanities are associated with femininity.

Question 34

Identify the reasons for girls’ improvements

Answer 34

• Today, girls are more focused on paid employment and financial independence rather than being a housewife
• Laws such as the Equality Act and Sex Discriination Act have made gender discrimination in education illegal
  -The National Curriculum provides equal access to subjects to all

Question 35

Identify reasons for boys’ underachievement

Answer 35

-Some teachers may have lower expectations of male students who they tend to see lacking in motiavtion (self-fulfilling prophecy)
- ‘Laddish’ cultures may promote that it’s ‘uncool’ to work hard and encourage anti-learning attitudes
- Feminisation of primary schools: most teachers are female, not enough male ones to act as role models and reduce macho behaviour

Question 36

Identify reasons for gender differences in subject choice

Answer 36

HOME-BASED: primary gender socialisation
SCHOOl-BASED: gender stereotyping in textbooks, teacher attitudes to gender, gendered curriculum and secondary socialisation

Question 37

Determine the functions of the education system - Functionalist perspective

Answer 37

Serving the economy, facilitating social mobility, fostering social cohesion and role allocation

Question 38

Determine the role of education - Marxist perspetive

Answer 38

Serving the interests of the ruling class, reproduces the class structure, breeds competition and secondary socialisation.

Question 39

What is the functionalist view of education? Parsons

Answer 39

Funtionalists see society as based on MERITOCRACY, therefore, the education system provides equal opportunities for all to succeed in society given they work hard and with integrity. Schools also encourage pupils to value making an effort as it’s rewarded (achieved status) and facilitate role allocation.

Question 40

What is the functionalist view of education? Parsons

Answer 40

Education serves as the main agent of SECONDARY SOCIALISATION. Teach norms and values using universalistic standards (applies to all). Helps individuals to become fully-functional and know how to behave.

Question 41

What is the functionalist view on education? Durkheim

Answer 41

Main function of education is the transmission of norms and values 9secondary socialisation) in order to make society into a united whole. This could be done by instilling social solidarity so children see themselves as a bigger picture and people should work together and get on with others of different backgrounds. (social cohesion). School help pupils develop specialised skills and knowledge, so they can play their role in the division of labour.

Question 42

What is the marxist view on education?

Answer 42

They argue that education aims to reproduce and legitimise class inequalities and to create a subservient workforce in order to serve capitalism.

Question 43

Describe Bowles and Gintis’ perspective

Answer 43

They created the CORRESPONDENCE PRINCIPLE and argue that meritocracy is a myth because success is based on class background (ascribed status) and not hard work.

Question 44

What is the correspondence principle?

Answer 44

When schools mirror the workplace by socialising kids in a way that will facilitate their future capitalist employers to take advantage of their hard work and obedience. This is done through the hidden curriculum. Links to false consciousness.

Question 45

Describe Willis’ perspective

Answer 45

Did a case study on a group of working-class boys that can see through the ruling class ideology and resisted from being indoctrinated. They formed a counter-culture that oppsed the values of school, were disobedient and hated being controlled. Saw manual work as real work and white-collar work as ‘effeminate’.

Question 46

What is Willis’ opinion on Bowles and Gintis’ view?

Answer 46

He disagrees with them because his study shows that education isn’t necessarily a good agent of socialisation for capitalism.

Question 47

Describe the radical feminists view on education

Answer 47

-Education reinforces patriarchal norms/values, gender roles and favours male achievement. Therefore, its main role is to maintain gender inequality.
-Teaches women to accept their position in society (housewife).
-Boys’ underachievement, moral panic

Question 48

Describe the liberal feminists view on education

Answer 48

-There has been a steady improvement in girls’ achievement and now they outperform boys in almost everything.
-Now, girls prioritise their careers due to: changed ambition, impact of feminism, changes in law and changes in women’s employment.
-Sue Sharpe: 70s ambitions were to marry in the 90s they seeked independence.

Question 49

Describe Ball’s perspective (intercationist) on education

Answer 49

Researched the effects of setting.
Pupils in lower sets were more likely to be WC, not given much support and were labelled as ,e.g difficult, led to them mirroring their teacher’s expectations.

Question 50

Describe Halsey, Heath and Ridge’s perspective on education

Answer 50

Examined the social class origins and educational destinations of a large sample of men based on their father’s occupation.
Divided into 3 groups:
-The service class, e.g manager
-The intermediate class, e.g sales
-The working class, e.g manual worker
For example, a boy from the service class is 4x more likely to be at skl at 16

Question 51

Describe Ball, Bowe and Gerwitz’s perspective on education

Answer 51

They argue that marketisation and educational reform reinforce the advantages of middle class parents and make education less equal. Schools aren’t concerned with disadvantaged kids and want to attract advantaged ones.