(Internal Factors) Social Class & Educational Achievement

Question 1

What does labelling mean

Answer 1

To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them

Teachers often ‘label’ students based on stereotyped assumptions

Question 2

What does Howard Beckers (1971) study show

Answer 2

Interviewed 60 Chicago high school teachers, found that they judged pupils against the image of an ‘ideal pupil’ e.g.

Work, conduct, & appearance informed their judgement

Found that M/C students were closest to the ‘ideal’

Question 3

Aaron cicourel & John kitsuse (1963) study shows

Answer 3

1. Found that labelling can disadvantage W/C students
2. Counsellors claimed to assess students suitability to enter higher education on the basis of ability

• in reality they judged their suitability mainly on the grounds of social class/race

Question 4

What did Ray Rist show (1970)

Answer 4

Teacher used information on student homes & backgrounds to separate them into different tables

Question 5

What did Rachel sharp & Tony Green (1975) show

Answer 5

Studied ‘Mapledene’, a British primary school where children choose their activities & develop at their own pace

Question 6

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 6

By teachers labelling students and treating them as their label they then taken on that label

Question 7

‘What teachers believe, students achieve’ this leads to streaming what is streaming

Answer 7

Is an extreme & institutionalised form of labelling

Question 8

What did Colin Lacey (1970) say

Answer 8

‘A way of separating sheep from goats & educating them separately’

Question 9

What did Douglas ( 1964) say

Answer 9

Found the IQ of those in the bottom stream fell over time, whilst in the top set it increased

Those in lower streams denied access to the same curriculum - e.g. not put for high level exams

Question 10

What is pupil subculture

Answer 10

A group of pupils who share similar values

Often a response to labelling & streaming

Question 11

How does subcultures develop

Answer 11

Differentiation
1. The process by which a teacher categorises pupils

2. ‘Low status’ ( less able) vs ‘high status’ ( more able)

Question 12

What is polarisation

Answer 12

A process by which students respond to streaming, moving towards a ‘pole’ or extreme ( pro- school or anti- school cultures)

Question 13

What are the 2 pupil subcultures that prevalent in schools:

Answer 13

1. Pro- school subculture
   2 . Anti- school subculture

Question 14

Pro- school subculture:

Answer 14

1. Students in high streams, middle class, committed to the values of the school
2. Gain status through acting in an approved manner & through academic achievement

Question 15

Anti- school subculture:

Answer 15

1. Students in low streams, w/c, low self esteem, low self worth
2. The label of failure pushes the students to find alternative methods to gain status- such as turning upside down the schools values
3. Students seek to gain approval from their anti- school peers

Question 16

Anti- school subculture solving the status issue:

Answer 16

While it solves it. It also turns into a self fulfilling prophecy of failure, the behaviour pattern is a commitment to educational failure

Question 17

Colin Lacey & David Hargreaves show that

Answer 17

Students who had performed well in primary school (11+) where there was no streaming, joining anti-school subcultures & failing when at a secondary school which streams

Question 18

Abolishing streaming: Stephen balls study:

Answer 18

1. Looked at a comprehensive school called Beachside which was abolishing streaming, mixed- ability groups instead
2. Pupil polarisation disappeared ( so no student subcultures)

Question 19

What did Peter woods (1979) say on subcultures

Answer 19

Pro- & anti-school not the only student responses to labelling & streaming

Question 20

Peter woods (1979):

Answer 20

Suggested alternative responses:

1. Ingratiation- being the “teacher’s pet”
2. Ritualism- going through the motions, staying out of trouble
3. Retreatism- daydreaming, mucking around
4. Rebellion- outright rejection of everything school stands for

No commitment necessary, students may move to different responses

Question 21

The limitations of labelling theory:

Answer 21

1. Overarching claim: under- achievement caused by teacher labelling leading to a self- fulfilling prophecy, leads to students joining anti- student subcultures guaranteeing failure
2. Too deterministic

Question 22

Marxists argument of limitations of labelling theory

Answer 22

Failure to account for wider structures of power, blames teachers without asking why teachers label