Education - Internal And External Factors (class differences) Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is Beckers argument on labelling (Internal Factors)?
Howard Becker carried out an important interactionist study of labelling. Based on interviews with 60 Chicago high school teachers, he found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of ‘ideal pupils’.
Pupils’ work, conduct and appearance were key factors influencing teachers’ judgement. The teachers saw children from middle-class backgrounds as the closest to the ideal, and working-class children as furthest away from it because they regarded them as badly behaved.
What is a criticism of Beckers work?
Labelling theory has been accused of determinist. It assumes that pupils who are labelled have no choice but to fulfill the prophecy and will inevitably fail. Fuller shows that this is not always true (study on black girls and how they rebel any labelling placed).
What is Rist’s argument on labelling in primary schools (Internal Factors)?
Labelling occurs from the outset of a child’s educational career, as Rist’s study of an American kindergarten shows. He found that the teacher used information about children’s home background and appearance to place them in separate groups, seating each group at different tables.
Those the teacher decided were fast learners, whom she labelled the ‘tigers’, tended to be middle-class and of neat and clean appearance. She seated these at the table nearest to her and showed them greatest encouragement.
The other two groups - whom she labelled the ‘cardinals’ and the ‘clowns’ - were seated further away. These groups were more likely to be working-class. They were given lower-level books to read and fewer chances to show their abilities. For example, they had to read as a group, not as individuals.
What is a criticism of Rist’s argument?
This study was done in 1970 in USA, we can’t apply it to the 21st century Britain. It doesn’t determine that teachers would react the same way. Furthermore our morals have changed and we have become more aware of how we need to be more sensitive towards children.
What is Rosenthal and Jacobsons argument on self-fulfilling prophecy (Internal Factors)?
In their study of Oak community school, a California primary school, Rosenthal and Jacobson show the self-fulfilling prophecy at work. They told the school that they had a new test specially designed to identify those pupils who had ‘spurt’ ahead. This was untrue, because the test was in fact simply a standard IQ test. Importantly, however, the teacher believed what they had been told.
The researchers tested all the pupils, but then picked 20% of them purely at random and told the school, again falsely, that the test identified these children as ‘sputers’. On returning to the school a year later, they found that almost half (47%) of those identified as sputers had indeed made significant progress. The effect was greater on younger children.
Rosenthal and Jacobson suggest that the teachers beliefs about the pupils had been influenced by the supposed test results. The teachers had then conveyed these beliefs to the pupils through the way they interacted with them - for example, through their body language and the amount of attention and encouragement they gave them.
This demonstrates the self-fulfilling prophecy: simply by accepting the prediction that some children would spurt ahead, the teachers brought it about. The fact that the children were selected at random strongly suggests that if teachers believe a pupil to be of a certain type, they can actually make him or her into that type.
What is a criticism of Rosenthal and Jacobson?
This study is extremely unethical for students because the other students that aren’t given as much attention will suffer as they won’t be doing as well as they could of been, affecting the outcome of the scores and achievements. Furthermore, teachers are being deceived and once told that their way of teaching has caused it to be unfair for all students and that they as the main reason for most of them not doing the best they could will most likely make the teacher feel guilty and horrible about themselves as most of the time they do this without thinking.
What is Gillborn and Youdell’s argument on streaming and the A-C economy (Internal Factors)?
A study of two London secondary schools by Gillborn and Youdell shows how teachers use stereotypical notions of ‘ability’ to stream pupils. They found that teachers are less likely to see working-class pupils as having ability. As a result, these pupils are more likely to be placed in lower streams and entered for lower-tier GCSEs. This denies them the knowledge and opportunity needed to gain good grades and widens the class gap in achievement.
Gillborn and Youdell link streaming to the policy of publishing exam league tables. These rank each school according to its exam performance. Publishing league tables creates what Gillborn and Youdell call an ‘A-to-C’ economy in schools. This is a system in which schools focus their time, effort and resources on those pupils they see as having the potential to get five grade Cs and so boost the schools league table position.
. Those who will anyway and can be left to get on with it.
. Those with potential, who will be helped to get a grade C or better.
. Hopeless cases, who are doomed to fail.
What is a criticism of Gillborn and Youdell’s argument?
Assumes everyone will listen to their label and try to not prove it wrong - Fullers study (Study on black girls and how they rebel any labelling placed).
What is Sugarman’s argument on working-class subculture (External Factors)?
Immediate gratification = seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future. By contrast, middle-class values emphasise deferred gratification, making sacrifices now for greater rewards later.
Sugarman argues that working-class parents pass on these beliefs and values to their children through primary socialisation. Their children internalise them and this results in them underachieving at school.
Sugarman argues that they stem from the fact that middle-class jobs are secure careers offering prospects for continuous individual advancement. This encourages ambition, long-term planning and a willingness to invest time and effort in gaining qualifications. By contrast, working-class jobs are less secure and have no career structure through which individuals can advance. There are few promotion opportunities and earnings peak at an early age.
What is a criticism of Sugarman’s argument?
This study is too collective as he is explaining how lower class will simply always get lower as they are less motivated and driven to do well for their future whereas the middle class will always put their future first meaning that they are more ambitious and focused because of how they were brought up (primary socialisation).
What is Bernstein’s argument on speech codes (External Factors)?
Bernstein also identifies differences between working-class and middle-class language that influence achievement. He distinguishes between two types of speech code:
1) The Restricted Code = is the speech code typically used by the working class. It has limited vocabulary and is based on the use of short, often unfinished, grammatically simple sentences. Speech is predictable and may involve only a single word, or even just a gesture instead. It is descriptive not analytic.
2) The Elaborated Code = is typically used by the middle class. It has a wider vocabulary and is based on longer, grammatically more complex sentences. Speech is more varied and communicates abstract ideas.
Early socialisation into the elaborated code means that middle-class children are already fluent users of the code when they start school. Thus they feel ‘at home’ in school and are more likely to succeed. By contrast, working class children, lacking the code in which schooling takes place, and likely to feel excluded and to be less successful.
What is a criticism of Bernsteins arguments?
This study was conducted on one child only meaning that it has very low representativeness and validity as it is generalising that most pupils will act this way when in fact one pupil won’t define the very many pupils overall.
Bernstein is also exaggerating and oversimplifying the differences between working class and middle class speech patterns, which have also probably reduced further since he conducted his research such a long time ago.
What is Douglas’ argument on parents education (External Factors)?
Cultural deprivation theorists argue that parents attitudes to education are a key factors affecting children’s achievement. A major early study by Douglas concluded that working-class parents placed less value on education. As a result, they were less ambitious for their children, gave them less encouragement and took less interest in their education. They visited schools less often and were less likely to discuss their children’s progress with teachers. As a results, their children had lower levels of motivation and achievement.
- Parenting style = Parents with higher qualifications emphasise consistent discipline and high expectations of their children, and this supports achievements by encouraging active learning and exploitation.
- Parents educational behaviours = Parents with higher qualifications are more aware of what is needed to assist their children’s educational progress.
What is a criticism of Douglas’ arguments?
Not every parent can get the time off work in the evening to attend parent evenings even though they do value it.
What is Smith and Nobles arguments on material deprivation (External Factors)?
Material deprivation - Refers to the physical resources that promote or hinder educational achievements, including factors such as poor housing, low income, poor diet, and limited access to educational resources.
Smith and Noble argue that working class students can’t afford materials such as calculators, textbooks, tutoring etc. Material deprivation can create a series of barriers that prevent children from lower income families from succeeding in education.
What is a criticism of Smith and Nobles argument?
A criticism of Smith and Noble is that the government has a people premium scheme that buys equipment for students and pays curriculum trips. However pupil premium is for the very poor many working class don’t qualify so it only benefits a small number of families.
What is Howard’s argument in housing (External Factors)?
Poor housing can affect pupils achievements both directly and indirectly. For example, overcrowding can have a direct effect by making it harder for the child to study. Overcrowding means less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework, disturbed sleep from sharing bedrooms.
Poor housing can also have an indirect effect, notably on the child’s health and welfare. For example, children in crowded homes run a greater risk of accidents. Cold or damp housing can also cause ill health. Families in temporary accommodation suffer more psychological distress, infections and accidents. Such health problems means more absences form school.
What is a criticism of Howard’s argument?
The government offer both free school meals and pupil premium, furthermore there are places to work at school like libraries and cafes.
