Education Flashcards
1
Q
Functionalists
The role and function of the education system
A
- Optomistic about the role of education for society
- Believe that education responds to the needs of the economy and provides the right amount of workers for the particular skills that the economy demands
2
Q
New Right
The role and function of the education system
A
- Education system should be run like a business and enable parents to have choice in the school they send their children to
- Optimistic that education system can offer opportunity for all
- Concerns abouts the failings of the current education system resulting in recently the New Right aspiring to make state education more like private education
- View the private system as a better model of education
- Role and function of education is to enable individual choice so that individuals can achieve to the best of their abilities
- Choice refers to a choice of schools and style of education, including selective and non-selective education
3
Q
Criticisms of consensus theory perspectives
The role and function of the education system
A
- Functionalist views ignore the persistent inequalitites that occur in education, that particular groups of students (such as some of the working-class, boys, ethnic minorities) achieve much lower results than other groups
- Fail to consider negative consequences that some students have at school. Assumes education system is organised in a beneficial way for all and this is not the case.
- New Rights thinkers fail to acknowledge when choice was introduced not all students are able to utilise the choices available. For example, some students may not be able to attend a school a substantial distance away because of transport costs such choices reproduce inequalities
4
Q
Marxism
The role and function of the education system
A
- Education is the means of socialising children into their respective class position in a way that makes sure that they’re unlikely to challenge the system
- Education system supports capitalism by ensuring working-class students are prepared for mundance repititive labour while middle-class students are encouraged to aspire to higher levels of education and use school as a way of making connections that will help them later in life
- Education system isn’t meritocratic, this is a myth to ensure system appears fair
5
Q
What are external factors?
Social class and education
A
- Material deprivation
- Cultural deprivation
- Cultural capital
- Language deprivation
6
Q
What are internal factors?
Social class and eduction
A
- Labelling
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
- Streaming/setting
- Subcultures
- Curriculum
7
Q
What is key evidence?
Social class and education
A
- Children who have free school meals are less likely to reach their expected targets
- Social class remains the largest factor in determining different results
8
Q
What are external factors?
Gender and education
A
- More female role models
- Legalisation to increase equality in the home and at work
- Changing attitudes about the role of women
9
Q
What are internal factors?
Gender and education
A
- Labelling
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
- Subcultures
- Curriculum
- Coursework
- Feminisation of coursework
10
Q
What is key evidence?
Gender and education
A
- Boys underperforming
- Crisis of masculinity
- Lack of male role models
- Gendered subject choices
- Girls still end ip in lower paid/status jobs
11
Q
What are external factors?
Ethnicity and education
A
- Racism in wider society
- Material deprivation
- Cultural deprivation
- Cultural capital
- Language
12
Q
What are internal factors?
Ethnicity and education
A
- Institutional racism
- Labelling
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
- Streaming/setting
- Lack of role models
- Ethnocentric curriculum
13
Q
What is key evidence?
Ethnicitiy and education
A
- Some ethnic groups outperform others e.g. Chinese and indian students
- Other ethno-socio-economic groups such as African-Caribbean and white working class underperform
14
Q
describe the butler education act (1944) (priminister, what it did)
Educational policies
A
- 1944
- Churchill ➜ conservative
- introduction of tripartite system
- children had to take 11+ test and go to one of three schools based on the result
1.) grammar 2.) secondary modern 3.) secondary technical - this meant free education for everyone
15
Q
describe the comprehensive act (1965) (priminister, what it did)
Educational policies
A
- Harold Wilson ➜ Labour
- Turn all grammar schools into comprehensives
- this meant all children regardless of ability attended the same school
- school decided by the catchment areas
16
Q
describe 1976 push for vocational education started (priminister, what it did)
Educational policies
A
- Labour PM James Callaghan
- education didn’t teach people skills needed in work
- youth training schemes for school leavers aged 16-17
- NVQs (practical qualifications)
- new deal ➜ people on benefits had to attend courses if they didn’t accept work
- key focus on vocational education to improve quality of basic skills of workforce (especially 14-18 year olds)
- allow britian to maintain a successful position in world economy
17
Q
describe Education Reform Act (1988) (priminister, what it did)
Educational policies
A
- Maggie Thatcher (milk snatcher) ➜ conservative
- views influenced by New Right e.g. Chubb and Moe
- Chubb and Moe thought schools weren’t promoting social mobility
- this policy brought ofsted, league tables, national curriculum, core subjects etc
18
Q
What was functionalism’s view on educational policies?
Educational policies
A
- Educational polciies benefit the individual and society
- Policies are there to create a meritocratic education system (equal oppurtunities for all students to succeed)
19
Q
Evaluate functionalism’s view on educational polciies
Educational policies
A
- There are persistent inequalities in results between different groups which suggests that educational policies do not result in a meritocratic education system
20
Q
What is the New Right view on education?
Educational policies
A
- Believe in policies that enable marketisation in school, selective schooling, increased parental choice and a focus on traditional syles of learning
21
Q
Evaluate the New Right view on education
Educational policies
A
Such policies of marketisation are critcisied for creatin greater inequalities and soley benefitting the middle-class
22
Q
What is the Marxist view on educational policies?
Educational policies
A
- Any mainstream political parties support the capitalistic economy and ideology
- Education systen and those creating educational policies are ruling class therefore polciies benefit the ruling class and maintain working-class underachievement
23
Q
Evaluate the Marxist view on educational policies
Educational policies
A
- Policies spefically targetting the poor and underachieving e.g. compensatory educationn which challenges Marxists ideas
- Some policies enable social mobilitiy to occur for some
24
Q
What is the femininst view on educational policies?
Educational policies
A
- Liberal feminists, policy changes have resulted in greater educational outcomes for girls at school
- Radical feminists, needs to be a substantial change in society to eradicate the patriarchy. Most policy writers are male thus policies reflect patriarchal ideology
25
Evaluate the feminist view on educational policies
| Educational policies
* Still issues for girls despite equal-oppurtunity policies e.g. although women are performing better in aspects of education many still get lower pay/status jobs
26
What is the postmodernist view on educational policies?
| Educational policies
* Claim that policies reflect the greater choices and individualism in society
* They explore ways in which learning now takes place as part of a life-long process in a global context
27
Evaluate the postmoderrnist view on educational policies
| Educational policies
Do not explain the inequalities which persist as a result of educational polciies
28
29
What are policies that encourage girls into male dominated subjects?
| Educational policies
* 1980s
* GIST (Girls In Science and Technology)
* WISE (Women In Science and Engineering)
30
List Labour government policies (1997-2010)
| Educational policies
* Introduction of academies
* Free childcare for every preschool child
* Sure Start
* Excellence in Cities
* Tution fees for university
* Stricter Ofsted guidance on improving failing schools
31
What are academies?
| Educational policies
* Labour policy
* 1997-2010
* Type of school partially funded by local businesses to tackle underperforming schools
32
Discuss Free childcare for every preschool child?
| Educational policies
* Labour policy (1997-2010)
* Allowed women to resume work and ensure that all children start school from a level playing field
33
What is Sure Start?
| Educational policies
* Labour policy
* 1999
* Preschool children living in most deprived areas of Britain could receive early intervention and support
* Introduced as a form of compensantory education through clinic and nursery support to improve deprived children's educational prospects while they were still at a preschool age
34
Describe Excellence in Cities
| Educational policies
* Labour Policy (1999)
* form of compensantory education policy targeted at deprived inner-city areas
* Focused on raising aspirations of working-class boys
* Schools received extra resources e.g. learning support units to tackle truancy and exclusions
* low-leasing computers to students
* learning mentors
* programmes for gifted children
35
Describe selective education
| Educational policies
* Practiced by private schools and some comprehensive schools
* Where selection takes place, middle-class sutdents at an advantage as their parents can help prepare them by being more likely to afford private tuition or cultural capital
36
Describe parentocracy
| Educational policies
* Education system has become a parentocracy
* Parents are increasingly powerful in shaping the education system
* Some parents are able to utilises educational choices whereas working-class parents lack skills, time, energy to make choices for their children
37
List the coalition government policies (2010-2015)
| Educational policies
* Education Maintenance Allowance
* Tution fees increaased
* Emphasis on old fashioned discipline
* Student premium #
* Ofsted insepctions targeted at failing schools
* Effort to get more science and maths graduates to be teachers
* Effort for state-school students to sit exams such as the iGCSE
* Introduction of free schools
* Introducing two-year A-Level
38
What is the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)?
| Educational policies
* Coalition Government poilicy (2010-15)
* Scheme offered financial help to students with transport costs, resources and food
## Footnote
For example, to allow more students to stay in education until 18
39
Discuss tution fees increase
| Educational policies
* Coalition government (2010-2015)
* Universities in England were able to change tution fees up to £9000 per year from 2012 as the government transfers much of the cost of the courses from the state to students
40
Discuss the emphasis on old-fashioned discipline
| Educational policies
* Coalition government (2012-2015)
* Strict uniformed codes
* Strict rules e.g. students standing up as teacher enters the room
* A pledge to give teachers the powers they need to keep order
41
Discuss student premium
| Educational policies
* Coalition government (2010-2015)
* For disadvantaged children
* To resource additional classroom support for students who need it
42
Who made up the Coalition government
| Educational policies
* 2010-2015
* Conservative government and Liberal Democrats
43
How has markestisation impacted class?
| Educational policies
Allowed increased parental choice benefits the middle-class
44
How has marketisation impacted gender
| Educational policies
* Some girls respond positivelly to pressure on them and schools to perform increasing the gender gap
* Girls are often perceived to be achievers and are therefore more attractive to selective schools
45
How has marketisation impacted ethnicitiy?
| Educational policies
Some ethnic minorities have less cultural and material advantages which means that they are less able to utliise choices
46
What are 2 effects globalisation has had on education?
| Educational policies
1. There is the increased flow of ideas about education as politicians, educaation specialists and teachers learn about alternative ways pf teaching, learning and assessing students
2. Changing requirement of the economy as workers are required to be able to use technology and adapt their skills at a faster rate. Possibly also demanding greater geographic mobility and different work practices. Teachers need to prepare students for this work environment
47
What are policies that reflect the influence of globalisation?
| Educational policies
* An emphasis on lifelong learning
* Greater emphasis on individual learning
* Greater awareness of a global world view
48
Discuss an emphasis on lifelong learning as a policies that reflecs globalisation
| Educational policies
* The economy with its fast-changing technological advances demands a flexible workforce who can respond to such changes
* A culture of learning that recognises that knowledge and skills aren't fixed
## Footnote
* New Labour's policy to get mothers back to work and funding to help with childcare so that women can update their qualifications to eturn to work
* Access courses and wider participation of mature students at university. Greater oppurtunities in adult education
49
Discuss a greater emphasis on individual learnng as a policy that reflect the influence of globalisation
| Educational policies
The greater individualism within society is reflected in education
## Footnote
Students are encouraged to thik about their own style of learning and develop skills and qualifications that suit them rather than conforming to a general education
50
Discuss policies whyich involce the greater awareness of a global world view as a polciy that reflect the infuence of globalisation
| Educational policies
* Inclusion of global issues within the curriculum, learning about cross-cultural proceses, ways of life, and the influence of globalisation
* Policies to enroll more international students at all levels of education
* Inclusion of citizenship studies, increase students' awareness of what is meant bu a UK citizen and to ecognisie and value the multicultural nature of UK and encourage a global view of the world. Involves active citizenship etc
* School policies focusing on equality, diversity, and inclusion to refect the increasingly diverse cultural backgrounds of students. Ofsted inspects schools effectiveness in embracing diversity
* A greater emphasis on supporting students with English as a second language in educational settings
51
