Education Flashcards
What is social solidarity according to Durkheim?
A sense of belonging and shared values taught through education to maintain social order.
What is Parsons’ ‘bridge’ theory?
Education bridges the gap between home (particularistic values) and wider society (universalistic values).
What do Davis and Moore say about role allocation?
Education sorts people into roles based on ability and talent, ensuring the most capable fill important jobs.
What is the ‘hidden curriculum’?
Unofficial lessons like obedience, punctuality, and discipline taught in school.
What is the correspondence principle (Bowles & Gintis)?
The way school mirrors the workplace in hierarchy, discipline, and reward structures.
What is cultural capital (Bourdieu)?
Middle-class knowledge, attitudes, and language skills that help students succeed in education.
Name two material factors that affect educational achievement.
Poor housing and lack of resources (e.g., books, internet).
What is cultural deprivation?
Lack of cultural resources like language skills or parental support, often affecting working-class students.
What did Bernstein say about language codes?
Working-class use a restricted code, while middle-class use an elaborated code that suits education.
How does labelling affect student achievement?
Negative labels can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where students live up to expectations.
What are anti-school subcultures?
Groups of students who reject school values and authority, often leading to underachievement.
Why might girls now achieve more than boys?
Higher aspirations, better coursework skills, and positive female role models.
What did Sharpe find in her study of girls’ ambitions?
Girls’ priorities shifted from marriage to career between the 1970s and 1990s.
Why might some ethnic groups achieve less in education?
Due to teacher labelling, language barriers, or cultural misunderstandings.
What is streaming?
Grouping students by ability across all subjects.
What is setting?
Grouping students by ability in individual subjects.
What did Rosenthal & Jacobson’s study show?
Teacher expectations can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies of student success or failure.
What is the difference between pro-school and anti-school subcultures?
Pro-school students value education; anti-school students reject school norms.
What did the 1944 Butler Act introduce?
The Tripartite System: grammar, secondary modern, and technical schools.
What were the main features of the 1988 Education Reform Act?
League tables, National Curriculum, formula funding, Ofsted – aimed to marketise education.
What is the Pupil Premium?
Extra funding given to schools for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
What is parentocracy?
The idea that parents have power to choose the best schools in a competitive system.
What is marketisation in education?
Introducing competition and consumer choice to drive up school standards.
What is one ethical issue when researching pupils in schools?
Gaining informed consent from minors.
