Class Differences In Achievement (1) External Factors

Question 1

What percentage of Britain’s children attend private schools?

Answer 1

7%

Question 2

How many entrants to Oxford and Cambridge come from private schools?

Answer 2

Nearly half

Question 3

Define and give an example of internal factors.

Answer 3

Factors within schools and the education system, such as interactions between pupils and teachers, and inequalities between schools.

Question 4

Define and give an example of external factors.

Answer 4

Factors outside of the education system, such as the influence of home and family background and wider society.

Question 5

According to cultural deprivation theorists, why do many working class children underachieve in education?

Answer 5

Many working class families fail to socialise their children adequately. One of the main skills required to achieve in education.

Question 6

What is material deprivation?

Answer 6

The term ‘material deprivation’ refers to poverty and lack of material necessities such as adequate housing and income.

Question 7

How does language affect educational achievement?

Answer 7

Bernstein argues that the w/c use only the context-bound restricted code, with short, grammatically simple sentences and limited vocab. The m/c use the context- free elaborated code, with complex sentences and which is able to describe abstract ideas. This code is used in education, giving m/c children an advantage.

Question 8

How does a parent’s education affect their kid(s) educational achievement?

Answer 8

Douglas found that w/c parents placed less value on education. They were less ambitious for their children, gave less encouragement, took less interest in education. Result: kids had lower levels of motivation and achievement.

Feinstein: parents’ own education is the most important factor affecting their children’s achievement and, since m/c parents tend to be better educated, they are able to give them their children an advantage by how they socialise them. Occurs in no. of ways:

• Parenting style
• Parents’ educational behaviours
• Use of income
• Class, income and parental education

Question 9

What does Sugarman argue are the four key features of the w/c subculture that act as a barrier to educational achievement?

Answer 9

• Fatalism: A belief in fate, that ‘whatever will be, will be’. Contrasts m/c values which emphasise that you can change your position through your own efforts.
• Collectivism: Valuing being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual. Contrasts m/c view that an individual shouldn’t be held back by group loyalties.
• Immediate gratification: seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future. Contrasts m/c values which emphasise deferred gratification, making sacrifices now for greater rewards later.
• Present-time orientation: seeing the present as more important than the future and so not having long-term goals.

Question 10

State three criticisms of the cultural deprivation theory.

Answer 10

• Keddie describes cultural deprivation as a ‘myth’ and sees it as a victim blaming explanation.
• Troyna and Williams argue the problem isn’t the child’s language but the schools attitude towards it (speech hierarchy - m/c, w/c, black speech)
• Blackstone and Mortimore reject view that w/c parents aren’t interested in their children’s education. They attend less parents evenings bc of lack of time not interest (longer hours), may want to help child progress but lack knowledge + education to do so.

Question 11

How may housing lead to underachievement?

Answer 11

Overcrowding (direct effect) - harder to study, less room for educational activities, nowhere to do h/w, disturbed sleep from bed or bedroom etc.

Indirect effect:

• Health and welfare: Children in crowded houses increases risk of accidents.
• Cold or damp housing can cause ill health
• Families in temporary accommodation suffer more psychological distress, infections + accidents. Leads to more absences from school.