theories of education

Question 1

neoliberalism

Answer 1

a political philosophy that all areas of society should be run as if they were a business to make them more efficient

Question 2

what does durkheim say about education?

Answer 2

• education socialises people to teach them shared norms and values to maintain scoai solidarity through uniform, homework and attendance
• • specialised skills are required for a specific future career (e.g, biology for medicine)

Question 3

what does parsons say about education?

Answer 3

• education acts as a bridge between the home and wider society, preparing them for the workplace
• the home teacherd particularistic standards, whereas school teaches universalistic standards
• specialised skills are required for a specific future career (e.g, biology for medicine)
• education is meritocratic so everyone has an equal chance to succeed

Question 4

what does davis and moore say about education?

Answer 4

• (role allocation) school allocates students to their role via awards, certifications and the exam system
• the exam system is designed encourage competition, hardwork and indiviidual achievements
• education shows us who are the best people for the best jobs and roles in society by shifting and sorting those higher achievers to the top = inequality is needed

Question 5

semi skilled choosers:

Answer 5

parents who have a high level of concern for their children’s education, but do not have the same abilities or resources as skilled choosers

Question 6

disconnected choosers:

Answer 6

parents who are less concerned with the academic reputation of a school and are more concerned with their child’s happiness

Question 7

skilled choosers:

Answer 7

parents who have the money, skills and motivation to make informed choices about the school they send their child to

Question 8

marketisation

Answer 8

• according to neoliberalism, marketisation is the key to raising
  standards in education
• schools, colleges and universities should compete for customers in a free market
• this will incentivise them to raise standards so that they attract more ‘customers’

e.g. SATs and OFSTED are put in place to help governments monitor schools and raise standards.

Question 9

privatisation:

Answer 9

• private sector participation in the education market
• this raises standards and improves efficiency

e.g. government employing private companies to provide catch up tuition to schools after COVID – rather than teachers.

Question 10

globalisation:

Answer 10

• where global organisations are increasingly involved in disseminating
  educational policy and education is seen as key to success in the global market.
• global companies can be involved in education, for instance exam boards and
  producers of educational resources like Pearson

Question 11

1988 Education Reform Act:

Answer 11

• introduced significant changes to the British education system, aiming to increase parental choice and drive up standards

policy features:
- testing (SATS, GCSE’s, etc)
- national curriculum
- league tables
- open enrolment
- OFSTED

Question 12

the creation of OFTSED

Answer 12

governemnt organsation that inspected. monitered and graded schools and educational establishments, which were available for parents to read

Question 13

academies and free schools

Answer 13

• state (government) funded schools independent from local authorities
• they typically have more autonomy over things like curriculum and term dates

Question 14

standardised testing

Answer 14

government tests to ensure schools are reaching targets and age related expectations

Question 15

league tables

Answer 15

a way of ranking schools based on criteria such as academic performance, student-teacher ratios, and a school’s facilities

Question 16

idealogical state apparatus

Answer 16

institutions that encourage conformity on the working class by transmitting ruling class ideology, teaching us to accept capitalism as normal and fair

Question 17

repressive state apparatus

Answer 17

institutions that force conformity on the working class to keep them in their place
-e.g. the police and the army

Question 18

correspondece principle (name theorist)

Answer 18

• the theory that the way we learn things in school mirror the way we’re expected to behave in the workplace, through the hidden curriculum
• school prepares young people for work in capitalist society, teaching the majority to be passive unquestioning workers of the future
• like workers, students are passive and obedient and dont rebel as they are unaware of their explotation

Question 19

false class consciousness

Answer 19

• a false picture of society which disguises the reality of the exploitation workers experience in capitalist system
• this stops them initiating revolution.

Question 20

reproduction of labour power

Answer 20

where new generations of workers must be produced to create the profits on which capitalism depends

Question 21

submission to authority

Answer 21

where students have to submit to teacher’s authority in school which prepares them for the workplace

Question 22

external rewards

Answer 22

where students get little satisfaction from their work and are motivated by gaining grades this prepares them for dissatisfying work

Question 23

alienation

Answer 23

where workers feel a sense of disconnection and dissatisfaction from their work.

Question 24

legitimising inequality

Answer 24

where the education system provides an explanation or justifies inequality through the myth of meritocracy

Question 25

myth of meritocracy

Answer 25

the idea that we all have a fair and equal opportunity in society is a deception

Question 26

counter school culture

Answer 26

a culture of norms and values which go against the school’s values and culture - e.g. being late, disrespecting teachers, misbehaving earns you respect from your peers

Question 27

working class masculinity

Answer 27

manual work and being physically strong is seen as masculine

Question 28

shop floor culture

Answer 28

factory-floor culture of norms and values - e.g. lack of respect for authority, having a laugh, seeking out maximum possible freedoms

Question 29

what do marxists believe about the education system?

Answer 29

- education teaches us the specialised skills we need to fulfill the futures of our class - our talents are almost predetermined based on social class and labelling, therefore the opportunity for upwards mobility is limited for the working class - marxists believe that not everyone has an equal chance - the higher a person's social class, the more likely they are to get better jobs and grades = meritocrac is a myth - [bowles and gintis] - the way we learn things in school "correspond" / mirror the way we are expected to behave in the workplace

Question 30

what does functionalist PARSONS say about education?

Answer 30

- education acts as a bridge between the home and wider society, preparing them for the workplace - the home teacherd particularistic standards, whereas school teaches universalistic standards - specialised skills are required for a specific future career (e.g, biology for medicine) - education is meritocratic so everyone has an equal chance to succeed

Question 31

what does althusser say about education? (ISA and RSA)

Answer 31

- education reproduces and justifies inequalities through unequal access to resources, the ethnocentric curriculum and the hidden curriculum - the UK government has made it illegal for teachers to promote anti-capitalist views, proving that education is a tool used by the bourgeoisis to protect capitalism

Question 32

what does the new right say about education?

Answer 32

- education should be (and is) meritocratic and it is the fault of the individual for not succeeding through it - the current education system is failing because it is run by the state - creating an "educatio market" through marketisation, privatisation and globalisation will help to improve standards, create competition and transmit shared culture and values to achieve social solidarity