Class Differences In Achievement : Internal Flashcards
What does Becker say is the main reason for class differences ?
He states it is labelling. Teachers’ ideas of the ‘ideal pupil’ match the labels they give to M/C students
What did Rist find about labelling in primary schools ?
His study on an American Kindergarten. He found that the teacher used information about children’s home background and appearances to place them in separate groups sitting each group at a different table. Those the teacher decided were fast learners she labelled the tigers tended to be the M/C and with a clear experience. She seated those at the table closest to her. The other two groups were the slow learners where the teachers sat them further away preventing them from reaching their full potential.
What did Dunne + Gazeley find about labelling in secondary schools ?
They argue that schools produce W/C underachievement because of the labels from teachers. Nine interviews from English state schools found that ‘teachers’ normalised the underachievement of W/C students which they believed they could do nothing about and not overcome their underachievement. However, they found that these same teachers believed they could overcome the underachievement on M/C students. A major reason for this was the teachers beliefs in that W/C parents had no interest in their children’s education but M/C parents as supportive
What is the self-fulfilling prophecy ?
This is concept which states that students become their labels.
For example, a M/C student that is labelled as ‘intelligent’ may be more concentrated in class. Whereas, if a W/C student was labelled as disruptive they become disengaged.
What did Rosenthal and Jackson find about teacher’s expectations ?
They show the self-fulfilling prophecy at work. Hey told a school they had a new test specifically made to identify students who would ‘spurt’ ahead. His was untrue as it was simply an IQ test. Importantly, the teachers didn’t know this. The researcher tested all pupils then picked 20% at random and then falsely told the schools these had been identified as the ‘spurters’. After returning to the schools years later they found that 47% of the identified ‘spurters’ had made more progress.
What did Rosenthal + Jackson summarise from this ?
They suggest that the teachers beliefs of the pupils was based of the false test. This demonstrates the self-fulfilling prophecy as simply accepting the prediction that some children would spurt ahead the teachers brought it about. Since the pupils were picked at random it supports the idea that if a teacher has an idea about a student they can make them into it.
What is the evaluation of the self-fulfilling prophecy ?
It is too deterministic
Teachers would argue that they have professionalism and do not label students
If it was true wouldn’t all teachers label their students intelligent so they do well
What did Gillbourn + Youdell find about the educational triage ?
A study done by them in 2 secondary schools found that teachers use stereotypical notions of ability to ‘stream’ students. Hey found that teachers are less likely to think that W/C students have ability. As a result, these students are more likely to be placed in lower streams and entered for lower tiers for their GCSEs. This denies them the knowledge and opportunity to achieve good grades.
What do Gillbourn and Youdell link streaming to ?
They link streaming to the publishing of league tables of school. These rank schools depending on their exam performance. They call this the ‘A to C economy’ in schools because the teachers target their time and resources into already well achieving students. They argue that the A to C economy creates an educational triage. Schools categories students into three types : those who will pass anyway so are left to it , those with potential so had help , hopeless cases who were doomed to fail. Teachers use this by using stereotypical views of the W/C students as lacking ability.
What did Lacey find about pupil sub-cultures ?
According to Lacey subculture came about by a process of labelling and reaching to that label. Lacey put forward two explanations to how students subcultures are formed by labelling
Differentiation - process happens because of teachers labels. Students are put into categories which effects the classes/streams they are in, the higher the set/stream the higher the status
Polarisation - process by which students react to streaming by moving towards to own of the two different poles. Has a response of a pro or anti school subculture
What does Ball find ?
Studied a school that was in the process of removing streaming and found that the basis for polarising students into subcultures disappeared. Despite this differentiation still occurred as teachers still labelled students. Students that were positively labelled done well in their exams
What does Woods find ?
Going into a pro or anti school subculture is not the only way students react to labels according to woods.
Integration - being the ‘teacher’s pet’
Ritualism - going through the motions and staying out of trouble
Retreatism - daydreaming and messing about
Rebellion - outright rejection of the school stands for
What does Archer find ?
With her beliefs we can see why WC students any feel attacked in their schools by the school itself.
Symbolic violence - schools attack WC students by devaluing who they are
So WC students creat ‘Nike’ identities through which they gain symbolic capital through consuming branded goods.
What are educational policies ?
Educational policies can also increase and reduce class differences in educational achievement
Some sociologists argue that marketisation as advantaged WC students , whilst other sociologists highlight policies cut as FSM which aim to reduce the impact of low incomes
