sociologists for internal school processes Flashcards
(5 cards)
Becker – Labelling and Ideal Pupil (interactionist)
AO1: Teachers label students based on their perception of the “ideal pupil,” which often reflects middle-class characteristics.
AO2: Working-class pupils are often labelled negatively, leading to lower expectations.
AO3: Marxists argue labelling ignores wider structural causes like class inequality – teachers are influenced by the system, not just individual interactions.
Rosenthal and Jacobson – Self-Fulfilling Prophecy ( Interactionist)
AO1: In a field experiment, pupils randomly labelled as having “high potential” made more progress.
AO2: Teacher expectations influenced pupil performance, showing how labels can become reality.
AO3: The study may lack ecological validity – real classroom interactions are more complex.
Gillborn and Youdell – Educational Triage (marxist)
AO1: Marketisation leads schools to sort pupils into “hopeless cases,” “borderline,” and “those who will pass” to maximise league table performance.
AO2: Working-class and Black pupils more likely to be labelled as hopeless and given less support.
AO3: Some argue schools do try to raise standards for all, and not all teachers are influenced by league tables.
Lacey – Pupil Subcultures (interactionist)
AO1: Streaming can lead to the formation of anti-school subcultures, especially among those in lower streams.
AO2: Pupils placed in low sets form subcultures that reject school values, reinforcing underachievement.
AO3: Not all pupils in low streams form subcultures; some remain committed to success.
Ball – Abolishing Streaming (Marxist/Interactionist)
AO1: Ball studied a school that removed banding and found subcultures declined but teacher labelling persisted.
AO2: Even without streams, class-based expectations continued to shape achievement.
AO3: Suggests teacher attitudes, not just systems, reproduce inequality – but change is still possible.
