roles and processes in schools

Question 1

what is meant by setting and streaming?

Answer 1

setting = placing students in groups according to ability in individual subjects
streaming = placing students in groups according to ability across all subjects

Question 2

what is the self-fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 2

a pupil takes on the label given to them in school and acts accordingly

Question 3

what was Bernstein’s input in the processes of education?

Answer 3

-language codes (restricted and elaborate)
-restricted = W/C, limited, simple grammar, context bound, short sentences
-elaborate = M/C, wide, complex grammar, varied and abstract, context free

Question 4

what are pupil sub-cultures?

Answer 4

-either anti or pro school
-anti-school = lower streams, reject school values, disruption, not doing work
-pro-school = committed to school values, gain approval/status through academic success (Mac an Grail - conformist pro-ski subcultures had two male groups - ‘academic achievers’ and ‘new enterprisers’ (vocational)

Question 5

what is the labelling theory?

Answer 5

suggests teachers give a label to a pupil that is little to do with their actual ability, but based on how well the student fits their ‘ideal pupil’
becker suggests teacher/pupil interactions are based on these labels and can lead to the self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 6

evaluate the labelling theory

Answer 6

-its deterministic
-it focuses on negative effects
-it attributes too much importance on ‘teacher agency’ (structural sociologists point out that schools encourage teachers to label students)

Question 7

case studies on the labelling theory

Answer 7

-rosenthal and jacobson (fake IQ test, bloomers)
-fuller 1984 (black girls actively going against their labels to prove teachers wrong)

Question 8

who was the first to use the ‘ideal pupil? what is it?

Answer 8

-becker
-a pupil who concentrates, listens, performs well, and has good behaviour

Question 9

Hempel-jorgensen

Answer 9

-pupils themselves have a concept of an ‘ideal learner’, where they behave how they think the teacher wants them to
-studied 12 primary schools for 4 years, using observation and conversation with students, as well as semi-structured interviews with teachers

Question 10

Becker and rist

Answer 10

-found that the social class of students and the extent to which they conformed to MC standards of teachers, rather than their actual abilities, were the most significant factors in influencing labelling

Question 11

Harvey and slatin

Answer 11

-showed photos of kids from different ethnic and social class backgrounds to 96 primary school teachers
-found that white MC children were most likely to be identified as more likely to be successful students, and teachers had lower expectations for WC

Question 12

gillborn

Answer 12

-found that black (specifically Caribbean) students were denied opportunities, regardless of their social class, gender, or academic success

Question 13

what is the educational triage?

Answer 13

-schools divide pupils into 3 groups:
-those likely to succeed in exams
-those who have a chance of succeeding if they have additional help
-those with little chance of success
schools focus on the first 2 groups
-gillborn and youdell 2000 - schools were undertaking a similar process, focusing on the first 2 to be higher in league tables

Question 14

what’s differentiation and polarisation?

Answer 14

-lacey
-differentiation = teachers rank and group students into groups based on a criteria (like hard work, good behaviour etc)
-polarizaiton = a consequence of differentiation through streaming/setting, where students are sent to one end of a ‘pole’ high status or low status