class differences in achievement (internal) Flashcards
what is labelling
meanings attached to a student e.g. mc pupils are labelled as ‘bright’ or ‘motivated’
Becker
argues that teachers label middle-class children as ‘ideal pupils’ and prefer to teach them rather than working-class children.
Jorgensen
In WC Aspen primary school, ideal pupil was quiet, obedient and passive.
In MC Rowan primary school, ideal pupil was defined in terms of personality and academic ability.
Therefore, notions of the ideal pupil vary accordingly to social-class make-up of the school.
Dunne and Gazeley
argue that ‘schools persistently produce wc underachievement’ because of labels and assumptions of teachers.
what is the self-fulfilling prophecy
prediction that comes true by virtue of it having been made. Teachers create self-fulfilling prophecies due to labels they attach to pupils. Studies show that ‘what teachers believe, pupils achieve’. While teachers believe MC pupils to be bright, and therefore succeed, WC pupils are likely to be labelled negatively and thus fail.
what is the self-refuting prophecy
some pupils try to detach themselves from the label and prove the teacher wrong.
what is a subculture
a group whose beliefs, values and attitudes differ to some extent from the culture of wider society. Pupils may form their own subcultures in response to labelling
what is pro-school subculture
formed by pupils in higher streams. They accept the school’s values and goals of hard work, regular attendance, respect for teachers etc. Typically, they intend to continue in education.
what is anti-school subculture
formed by pupils in lower streams. They reject the school’s values, and often invert them by disrespecting teachers, avoiding doing school work etc.
Lacey
argues lower-stream pupils form/join anti-school subcultures because school deprives them of status by labelling themselves as failures. The pupils then create their own status hierarchy- gaining status from their peers by rejecting the school’s values and breaking its rules.
how pupil subcultures lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy
members of pro-school subcultures work hard and are successful. members of anti-school subcultures mess about, truant and fail.
what is differentiation- Lacey
process by which teachers categorise pupils accordingly to how they perceive their ability/ attitude/ behaviour.
what is polarisation
pupils respond to streaming by moving towards one of two poles/ extremes (anti-school or pro-school subculture)
Hargreaves study
interviewed boys in secondary modern schools- found subculture formed due to triple failures (failing 11+, low streams and labelled worthlessly). High status went to those who flouted the school rules.
Woods
Division between pro- and anti- school subculture is simplistic, and pupil responses include: ingratiation (follow school norms and values), ritualism (going through motions and staying out of trouble), retreatism (daydreaming and messing about), rebellion (rejection of school).
what is streaming
extreme and institutionalised form of labelling. Putting pupils of similar ability together into the same class or ‘stream’ for all subjects. ‘Bright’ students are grouped together in the top streams, ‘thick’ students in the bottom streams.
Douglas
found that the IQ of pupils labelled as less able and placed in the bottom stream actually fell over time, whereas that of pupils put in the top stream increased.
streaming increasing disadvantage
those placed in lower streams may be denied access to the same curriculum e.g. not being put in for higher level exams.
Gillborn and Youdell study
study of two London secondary schools found teachers are less likely to see WC pupils and black pupils as having ability, so they are more likely to be entered into a lower-tier at GCSEs, limiting achievable grades.
what is educational triage
describing who should be prioritised for help. Those who will pass, and hopeless cases are not given much help, compared to borderline pupils. WC pupils more likely to be seen as hopeless cases.
Archer
use of Bourdieu’s concept of habitus to understand relationship between pupils’ working class identities and underachievement.
what is habitus
a social class’s habitual ways of thinking, being and acting- lifestyles and perceptions of normality. The MC have the power to define its habitus as superior and impose it on the education system, so the school holds MC values.
what is symbolic violence
devaluing working class pupils’ habitus, by judging their clothing, accents and interests as inferior, denying them symbolic capital (recognition and status).
what are Nike identities
pupils creating alternative class identities and gaining symbolic capital from peers through consuming branded goods. This leads to conflict with the school’s middle class habitus. Succeeding at school would mean being inauthentic, and changing how you present yourself to fit in.
Ingram
found ‘fitting in’ was a problem for wc grammar school boys. They experienced a tension between their neighbourhood’s habitus and that of their mc school. They faced being judged worthless at school for wearing ‘street’ clothes or worthless in their community for not doing so.
Evans
found that even successful wc girls faced hidden barriers, and felt their identity would not fit in with the habitus of elite universities. The girls had a strong attachment to their families and intended to remain at home to study.
