Differential Educational Achievement of Social Groups in Contemporary Society Flashcards
Smith & Noble, Washbrook & Waldfogel, Hirsh
Material out of School factors that affect Educational Achievement
- Smith & Noble (1995) -> ‘Barriers to learning’, isolation from lack of resources, low income = less room at home for study, house prices near good schools very high, older students often work or care
- Washbrook & Waldfogel (2010) -> 31% of difference in spelling tests due to material disad.
- Hirsh (2007) -> ‘advantages for the better off’, structured extracurriculars to increase confidence/ cultural literacy, more likely to have private school
Sugarman, Lockwood, Feinstein, Goodman & Gregg, Bernstein
Cultural out of School factors that affect Educational Achievement
- Cultural deprivation theory = class culture differences lead to differences in chance of success
- Sugarman (1970) -> insant v delayed gratification, fatalism of WC, collectivist v individualist
- Lockwood (1966) -> MC believe in meritocracy, WC believe in luck
- Feinstein (2013) and Goodman & Gregg (2010) -> cultural factors more important than material, parental attitudes to education, quality of mother/child time, how often the child is read to
- Bernstein (1972) -> restricted v elaborated codes in speech
What action has been taken to improve the quality of education provided to students from predominantly WC areas?
- Emphasis on OFSTED to improve failing schools - eg. Academisation
- ‘Knowledge turn’ used to raise cultural literacy of WC
- OFSTED ‘outstanding’ grade focuses on quality + breadth of curriculum and extracurriculars
- Sullivan (2001) -> reading complex ficition & watching non-fiction TV has an impact on achievement
Why can working class students in predominantly rich areas still be ‘left behind’?
- A-C economy in how schools are graded means schools with higher MC uptake to look successful
- The move to judging schools on A8 and P8 scores has adjusted this somewhat
Hargreaves, Hester & Meller
Interactionist perspective on the influence of social class on teacher labelling
- Hargreaves, Hester & Meller (1975):
- Appearance, response to discipline, likeability and personality can lead to labelling as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Subsequent behaviour labelled in the same way, nuance taken away
- MC behaviour likely to reflect teacher ‘ideal’
Hargreaves, Hestor & Mellor (1975) conclusions about impact of negative labels on progress of pupils in education
A pupil’s course of ation will change based on a ‘prophecy’ of events
Rosenthal & Jackson (1968) study on teacher expectation and impact - findings
- gave false info to primary teachers in USA about pupils’ IQ
- Pupils who were told they had a higher IQ/were believed to have a higher IQ did better
Ball, Hallam, Dunne et al, Willis
Conclusions of research into Streaming and Setting
- Ball (1981) -> WC more likely to be in lower sets despite same attainment as MC peers
- Hallam (2009) -> Kids in higher sets have higher sense of esteem
- Dunne et al (2011) -> Students who get FSM likely to be in lower sets
- Willis (1977) -> Setting and Streaming doesn’t matter, WC kids hostile towards MC kids, male anti-school WC subcultures
Bernstein, Bourdieu, Evans, Ball et al
Marxist argument on Elaborated v Restricted codes / Cultural Capital
- Bernstein (1972) -> speech shapes educational achievement, Educ. System operates in terms of MC/UC culture
- Bourdieu (1984) -> Possession/lack thereof of different types of capital shapes your opportunities
- Evans (2007) -> MC mothers able to give kids head start with cultural capital
- Ball et al (2004) -> MC parents use cultural capital to ‘play’ the system
What has inspired greater emphasis on equal opportunities in schools since the 1980s?
- Research that suggested systematic discrimination against girls in education due to presentation in materials, attitudes of teachers, etc.
Epstein, Haralambos & Holborn
Rothermel’s conclusions about boys’ achievement ouside of school compared to girls’ in school
- Home-schooled boys tended to do as well, sometimes better, than girls in school - what happens in school impacts boys’ achievement
- Epstein (1998) -> identifies ‘poor boys’ discourse that blames schools for failing to cater for boys
- Haralambos & Holborn (2013) -> generalisation that girls do better than boys is more applicable to WC boys - gender gap smaller within MC
Sukhanda et al, Abraham, Mitos & Browne
How can it be argued that school has become ‘feminised’?
- The environment and what is expected in terms of neatness and tidiness
- Sukhanda et al (2000) -> boys feel that schools expect more of girls, so they feel less supported
- Abraham (1995) and Mitos & Browne (1998) -> deviant boys more popular with teachers, less criticism of boys, self-fulfilling prophecy of under achievement
Coffee & Delamont
How can it be argued school has NOT become feminised?
- Coffee & Delamont (2000) -> Schools are patriarchal (seen in gender composition of leadership teams), hidden curriculum is male oriented (hierarchy, competition, etc)
Prie, Machin & McNally, Hurst
Role of curriculum and assessment in differential gender achievement
- Girls tend to do better at coursework due to organisational and research skills over sustained period of time
- Prie (2001) -> pre-1988, O-levels were exams geared towards boys (high stakes assessments)
- Machin & McNally (2006) -> Changes to GCSEs coincided with greater achievement for girls
- Hurst (2014) -> Since ‘knowledge term’, boys are closing the gap with girls and overtook achievement in maths (no CW)
Skelton, Francis, & Valkanova, Colley
Research on Gender and Subject Choice
- Skelton, Francis, & Valkanova (2014) -> stereotypical trends in post-14 choice
- Colley (1998) -> females end up in lower paid jobs, reasons for subject choice partly due to external factors
Pattern of girls’ achievement since WWII
- Girls out-perform boys, gradually barriers to success removed
- There were some institutional barriers for women immediately post-WWII (eg. no extra places)
Edwards & David (2000) conclusions on gender socialisation in the home and links to education
- Boys are allowed to be noisier at home
- Gender-differentiated primary socialisation can give girls advantages due to how education system works
- Girls taught more to conform through behaviour standards
- Girls more likely to converse with parents
Edwards & David, Hannan
Influence of male ‘peer groups’ on success in education
- Edwards & David (2000) -> Boys’ behaviour more readily shaped by peer groups around macho values
- Hannan (2000) -> Girls relate more to one another based on perceptions in/out of the home, and through talking
What is meant by a ‘genderquake’?
- The Wilkinson Argument:
- In the last 20 years of 20th C. young women experienced profound changes in attitudes and expectations of their futures
- Sharpe’s research in 70s and 90s supports this
Mac en Ghaill, Peterson
What is meant by a crisis of masculinity?
- The argument that the development of more individualism and the realities of a post-industrial society has led to a lack of confidence and self esteem
- Mac en Ghaill (1994) - Masculinity crisis
- Peterson (2018) - Men have to shape a role for themselves and it’s getting harder for young men to shape that role
Coard
How can the curriculum impact the achievement of some students?
Coard (1971)
* Lack of Black history/culture/success on curriculum has led to lower self esteem
* Disconnect between cultural experience in/out of school can lead to alienation
* National Curriculum remains ethnocentric
* Hidden curriculum - few Black teachers, lack of Black history and cultural literacy in curriculum which puts off students from becoming teachers (vicious cycle created)
Gillborn (2002) on institutional racism in schools
- Teachers interpret policy in a way that disadvantages Black students (eg. gifted v. ‘no hopers’)
- In 2008, he argued that racism affects some more than others - ‘model minorities’ seen as having a positive attitude are treated differently to those with a gruff exterior
Sewell (1997) - Impact of high proportion of lone parent households on Black African students
- Lack of success within the sub-group of Black males could be linked to a higher proportion of single parent households
- Less discipline and structure at home and lack of male role model can impact school performance
Reason for more detentions/exclusions for some students in schools
Teachers misinterpret dress, speech, or language choice as a severe challenge to authority
