Education Flashcards
Language skills (Cultural) for differences in attainment
Children need good language skills to understand their teacher and textbooks as well as being able to express themselves. Middle class homes may have more books and spend more time reading.
Values (cultural) for differences in attainment
If children think education is worthwhile and value it then then will be more willing to pay attention and work hard.
These values are learnt during primary socialisation. Middle class children value school differently to working class children who place little value on education and are unwilling to stay on after compulsory school.
Income (material) for differences in attainment
High income can provide many educational advantages such as equipment, tuition, computers, transport and good internet access.
Wealthy parents are more able to move into the catchment areas of the best schools as well as being able to support their children after compulsory education.
Low income families may not be able to afford uniform, trips, equipment and books. They may live in uncomfortable and cramped accommodation and not have a healthy diet. May not want to stay after compulsory education as they fear debt.
Choice of school (material) for differences in attainment
Low income families will have less choice of schools. Schools vary in quality and the better schools will be more popular. This leads to a rise in house prices. Middle class parents might move to an area just to get their children into a certain school. (Selection by mortgage). Families with low incomes will have to attend the nearest school. The government introduced pupil premium in 2011. This is additional funding for disadvantaged pupils.
Parental encouragement/involvement (cultural) differences in attainment
Parents encourage their children, are involved with the school and help them with their homework. This is likely to give them a head start at school.
Parental aspirations (cultural) for differences in attainment
Significant causes of working class underachievement. Middle class parents are more ambitious that working class parents.
Cultural capital
+ 1 name
Pierre Bourdieu (Marxist) put forward the idea of cultural capital affecting children attainment
This means that economic and cultural factors such as language skills, interests, knowledge, personal values and so on. He argues that the cultural capital is that the upper class and middle class families are regarded as superior and have the same culture of the school. Which means they can relate to teachers.
Social capital
+ 1 name
Diane Reays study of mothers involvement in their childrens primary schooling found that compared to working class mothers, middle class mothers had a better understanding of how the school system worked and how to help their children to succeed.
She argued working class parents do have high aspirations for their children but do not have the social capital to understand the ‘rules of the game’. (They don’t have the insider knowledge or social skills to enable them to make sense of or work their way around the schooling system.
Free schooling (material) for differences in attainment
Aviva found that families are paying on average over £1000 per year for a child’s education.
This includes: transport, lunches, uniform, shoes, sport kits and textbooks.
Who found teachers made quick judgements of their pupils and their abilities based in characteristics such as appearance, behaviour, relationships with other pupils and enthusiasm.
David Hargreaves’s (Interactionalist)
Labelling theory!
Who found that teachers hold ideas in their heads of what the ‘ideal pupil’ is like. Based on performance, conduct, attitude, and appearance.
Howard Becker
(Ideal pupil theory) - could lead to self fulfilling prophecy.
Self fulfilling prophecy
Becker said Labelling can lead to the self fulfilling prophecy. This is where the child conforms and gives in to the label and it becomes a reality. Banding and setting can contribute to this.
Who did a study where pupils were placed in different bands. And what did they find
Stephen ball 1970
He found that Students in the top band were well behaved and hardworking. Whereas pupils in the lower bands were poorly behaved and lazy.
Who found that students in the Lower bands were allowed to talk more and not stretched.
Neil Keddie
Functionalist view on education
They believe that the education system is an agent of secondary socialisation and will carry on teaching norms and values of society.
