Internal School Relationships and Processes Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is the hidden curriculum?
- Refers to things that you learn in school that are not explicitly taught - links to Marxist concept of correspondence principle.
How does the hidden curriculum work in school?
- E.g students are taught to value extrinsic rewards (exams) in school, so that in the workplace they are wiling to stay at the job for the money - rather than the intrinsic value of the job
What is the weakness of the hidden curriculum?
- Arguably, the hidden curriculum is no longer hidden. E.g we learn about it in sociology - ironic.
- Also not all students conform, think back to Learning to Labour.
What is the labelling theory?
- Labelling theory suggests teachers judge pupil not by ability, or intelligence instead by characteristics such as appearance, gender, class and ethnicity.
How does labelling theory work within education?
- Interactionists argue individuals develop self-concept or view of themselves based on how others react to them (looking glass self)
e.g How pupils interact with teachers and students can shape their identities, which in turn can influence their educational attainment.
What is self-fulfilling prophecy?
1.Self-fulfilling prophecy is the process where labelling someone in a certain way causes them to live up to that label and fulfil the prophecy made about them.
How does self-fulfilling prophecy work within education?
- Rosenthal and Jacobson - Pygmalion in the classroom.
- This was a field experiment.
- 20% of students were randomly selected and labelled as ‘intellectual spurter’ - the prophecy was fulfilled with the group making higher than average progress.
What is the evaluation of the self-fulfilling prophecy?
- IQ tests are a poor way to measure ability.
- Teachers weren’t observed in the classroom, no in-depth, empathetic understanding. (Verstehen)
What is setting and streaming?
- Setting is when individuals are placed into sets based on their ability and differ across subjects.
- Streaming refers to splitting individuals into groups based on ability, which they stay in across all subjects.
How does setting and streaming work within education?
- Setting and streaming has become a norm within schools because of marketisation.
- Competition between schools helps to normalise it. Parents and teachers accept it as a part of meritocracy.
What is Gilbourn and Youdell’s theory around streaming and setting?
- Educational triage - individuals are labelled by teachers, then assorted into 3 groups. (those who will fail, those who can be fixed, those who will pass anyway)
What is the evaluation of setting and streaming?
- Teacher lower expectations - teachers may have lower expectations for students in lower sets/streams, leading to less challenging support/instruction - which can hinder their progress.
- Labelling and stigma - being placed into a lower group can lead to students feeling ‘less able’ which can negatively impact their self-esteem and motivation.
- Reduced access to opportunities - streaming can create a system where students within lower streams have less access to advanced course and opportunities, reinforcing existing inequalities.
- Difficulty removing labels - once placed into a particular group, it can then be difficult for students to move to a higher group, even if their ability improves.
What is the ideal pupil?
- Refers to the student profile teachers implicitly hold in their minds, representing their expectations of a model student.
How does the ideal pupil theory work within education?
- Gillbourn and Youdel studied 2 London secondary schools and found:
- Working class pupils were more likely to be seen as disruptive, ill-prepared and de-motivated.
- Middle class pupils were more likely to be seen as co-operative, well prepared and motivated.
- Working class = lower sets
- Middle class = higher sets
What are the strengths of the ideal pupil theory?
- Observation and interviews give greater understanding - Verstehen (increased validity)
What are the weaknesses of the ideal pupil theory?
- Micro-scale study (2 schools) - not representative/generalisible
What are student sub-cultures?
- A student subculture is a group of pupils who share same similar norms, values and patterns of behaviours.
- Lacey (1970) - argues that these develop through differentation and polarisation.
- Pro-school subcultures gain status in academic success.
- Anti-school subcultures must find other means to gain status.
What student subcultures are found within education?
- Sewell - African-Caribbean Male Subculture.
- Fuller - Black Female Subculture.
- Ringrose - White Female Subculture.
- Willis - White Male Working Class Subculture.
What is the evaluation of the student subcultures theory?
- Mac an Ghaill - found that there are different types of working class male subcultures. (Academic achievers, macho lads, new enterprisers and real Englishmen)
