Education - external and internal factors Flashcards
What does the social class gap refer to?
The social class gap refers to social class divide in educational achievement as a child from a working class background is less likely to be in a nursery or pre-school play group, leave school with 5 or more A*-C (9-4) grades at GCSE and progress to university as they have shorter educational career compared to their middle class peers
What did Perry and Francis find in their review of research into differences in educational achievement?
Perry and Francis found that social class remains the strongest predictor of educational achievement in the UK, where the social class gap for educational achievement is the most significant in the developed world. They recognise that the main three political parties do recognise this as a policy concern which emphasises the big extent of wider social inequality in the UK which acts as a barrier to meritocracy and social mobility.
What are the two types of explanations for explaining social class differences in education
- internal explanation
- external explanation
What is the external explanation?
The external explanation refers to an explanation which is preoccupied with explaining the social class gap as a consequence of factors outside of schools e.g. home background, parental support, cultural beliefs and values etc.
What is the internal explanation?
The internal explanation refers to an explanation which is preoccupied with explaining the social class gap as a consequence of factors inside of schools e.g. the type of school a pupil attends, the set/band/streams they are in, teacher - pupil interactions and pupil sub-culture
State the external explanations for social class differences in educational achievement
Material deprivation
Cultural deprivation
Cultural Capital
What do sociologists focus on in relation to external factors ?
Sociologists who focus on external factors emphasise the influence of home, culture and wider society such as,
- material deprivation - housing, diet & health and finances.
- cultural deprivation - intellectual development, attitudes and values, language
- cultural capital - Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, Sullivan’s research and educational capital
Explain the theory of material deprivation
Theories of material deprivation are linked to economic poverty. The view is as a result of a lack of financial resources in working class homes, children are deprived of material resources and facilities which would enhance their educational progress and thus achievement. Low income is understood as creating a barrier to learning, where children are unable to make the most of educational opportunities. Therefore, as a result of material deprivation working class children are disadvantaged in school and in their education
State examples of material deprivation
- lack of stationary
- lack of internet/technology/computer
- lack of food and a balanced diet
- lack of warm clothes and a heated home
- overcrowded house - no space to work or sleep
- missing opportunities such as school trips as a result of financial situation
What percentage of failing schools are found in deprived areas
90% of failing schools are found in deprived areas
Why is poverty closely linked to educational achievement
- 90% of failing schools are found in deprived areas
- Douglas argues that a ‘barren’ household is not the best ingredient for educational success as these households are lacking in resources.
Explain how the external factor of housing can affect educational achievement
Poor housing can affect pupil’s achievement both directly and indirectly. Overcrowding can make it harder to study and do homework and can lead to disturbed sleep from sharing bedrooms and young children’s development can be impaired through a lack of space for safe play and exploration. Poor housing can impact on a child’s health and welfare leading to more accidents in the home and cold or damp housing can cause ill health. Families in temporary accommodation suffer more psychological distress, infection and accidents and find that their schooling is disrupted from constantly having to move.
Explain how the external factor of diet & health can affect educational achievement
Howard notes that young people from poorer homes have a lower intake of energy, vitamins and minerals. Poor nutrition affects health, weakening the immune system and lowering energy levels - this may lead to difficulties concentrating in class and more absences from emotional or behavioural problems.
According to Wilkinson, among 10 year olds, the lower the social class, the higher the rate of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders, all of which are likely to have a negative effect on their education.
Blanden and Machin found that children from low-income families were more likely to engage in externalising behaviour (such as fighting and temper tantrums), which are likely to disrupt their schooling
Explain how the external factor of finances can affect educational achievement
Children from poorer families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their educational achievement. Bull refers to this as ‘cost of free schooling’. Research by Tanner et al found that the cost of items such as transport, uniforms, books, calculators and sport, music and art equipment, places a heavy burden on poor families. Smith and Noble add that poverty acts as a barrier to learning in other ways, such as inability to afford private schooling or tuition and poorer quality schools. Furthermore, Ridge found that children in poverty are more likely to take on jobs and that this often has a negative impact on school work. Going to university involves getting into debt to cover tuition fees, books and living expenses. Attitudes towards debt may deter prospective working-class students from going to university.
What did Callender and Jackson find in their research about the external factor of finances
Research by Callender and Jackson found that working-class students are more debt-averse and saw more costs than benefits from going to university. Those who do go are less likely to receive financial support from their families and are more likely to receive financial support from their families and are more likely to apply to local universities so they could live at home. This gives working class students less opportunity to go to the highest status universities. Additionally, dropout rates are also higher for universities with a large proportion of poor students: for example, 13% at Sunderland, a university with a large working-class intake, but only 1.4% at Oxford, where over 4 in 10 students come from private schools
Explain the theory of cultural deprivation
Theories of cultural deprivation are linked to the home, cultural background and parental values. The view is that as a result of socialisation patterns, working class parents do not instill values which encourage children to value school and their education and to be aspirational and ambitious. Working class culture is understood as inadequate - as failing to nurture, stimulate and enrich educational interest and therefore working class children lack the ‘cultural equipment’ essential for educational success and are therefore at a disadvantage.
State examples of cultural deprivation
- a ‘book poor’ home - a household with no reading material such as books, newspapers and children’s book which could aid children’s development.
- lacking cultural opportunities e.g. travel, visiting galleries ad museums which would increase cultural and historical knowledge
- WC lack these cultural opportunities which means they are not exposed to enrichment and opportunities,
How do cultural deprivation theorists explain why working class children are culturally deprived?
According to cultural deprivation theorists, many working-class families fail to socialise their children adequately. These children grow up ‘culturally deprived’ and lack the cultural equipment required to do well at school so under-achieve.
State the three main aspects of cultural deprivation
- intellectual development
- attitudes and values
- language
Explain the aspect of intellectual development in relation to cultural deprivation
Intellectual development refers to the development of thinking and reasoning skills, such as the ability to solve problems and use ideas and concepts. Cultural deprivation theorists argue that many working-class homes lack the books, educational toys and activities that would stimulate a child’s intellectual development. Therefore, children from working class homes start school without having developed the intellectual skills required to progress
What did douglas find in the longitudinal study of ‘the home and the school’?
Douglas traced the educational careers of 5,362 British children born in the first week of March 1946 through primary school and then followed the progress of 4.720 of the original sample through secondary school up to the age of 16. Comparing the achievement of high ability pupils, he found that 77% of UMC, 60% of LMCA, 53% of UWC and 37% of LWC pupils gained good O-level results. Douglas found that the social class differences in primary socialisation patterns suggest that middle class children receive greater attention and stimulation from their parents which in turns fosters intellectual progress. He based some of his arguments on additional sociological and psychological research identifying social class variations in child-rearing practices. Middle class socialisation patterns are understood as laying a better foundation for high achievement and therefore middle class children are at an advantage as a family and school environments positively reinforce each other
Why do cultural deprivation theorists argue that parents attitudes and interest are a key factor in affecting educational achievement?
Cultural deprivation theorists argue that parent’s attitudes and values are a key factor affecting educational achievement. Douglas argues that the single most important factor affecting educational progress was the degree of parental interest shown in a child’s education. He concluded that generally middle class parents take a greater interest in their children’s education and value it more - which motivates children to do well. This he argued was evident from the fact that they are more likely to attend parent evenings, make more frequent visits to school to take to teachers and support children with their homework etc. Douglas notes that parental interest becomes even more important as children get older
What did research from hyman find?
Research from Hyman found that the values of the working class create a self imposed barrier to educational and career success. They tend to believe that have less opportunity for individual advancement and place less value on achieving high status jobs - so they see no point in education. Subcultural beliefs and values place a greater value on securing a good steady job straight from school.
What are the four key features sugarman argues is apart of the working class subculture
Sugarman argues that working class subculture has four key features that acts as a barrier to educational achievement:
- Present-time orientation
- Immediate Gratification
- Fatalism
- Collectivism