Education Flashcards
What are some issues in education?
Literacy, grade inflation, bullying and school violence, learning disorders, government fundings, resource allocation, private schools, aboriginal education, progressive education.
What is the problem with overeducation?
In reality, only 20-25 percent of the labour force is made up of jobs requiring advanced levels of post-secondary education.
What is functionalist theory concerned with education?
- Allocation - By handing out certificates, diplomas and degrees, schools act as a sorting mechanism for future roles in society.
- Socialization - schools teach students how to function in the public sphere of social life.
- Hidden Curriculum - obedience, following rules, learning to be competitive.
- Meritocracy - resources are distributed fairly on the basis of individual achievement
What is conflict theory concerned with education?
- Inequality - Education is designed in a capitalist society, so educational reforms will not work unless this issue is addressed first.
- Correspondence principle - Schools are structured to resemble workplaces, where grades are wages, and people are motivated by external rewards.
- Reproduction of class inequality - Students from higher social classes are more likely to seek higher education. Rising tuition rates at post-secondary make it more difficult for students of lower class to attend.
What are the contemporary studies of feminist theory on education?
Attempt to show how the masculine and feminine roles embedded in the curriculum are ideologically driven as curriculum content focuses on white middle-class heterosexual men and women.
What are the gendered post-secondary education trends?
Female students are a slight majority, yet they seem to be concentrated in education, social sciences, and humanities.
How are educational institutions gendered workplaces?
women are more likely to become teachers in lower elementary school grades, while men are more likely to teach higher grades.
How does symbolic interactionist theory fit within education?
Examining the meanings attached to school practices and the symbolic aspects of education as curriculum materials.
What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?
How teachers’ categorization of students affect students’ educational experiences as well as their opportunities of achieving success in school. Teacher-imposed labels can lead to corresponding behaviour of students.
What did Ray Rist’s study (1970) show?
Showed that when kindergarten teachers classified children as slow learners and fast learners, she paid more attention to fast learners.
How does post-structuralist theory fit within education?
Linking knowledge production with power relations. For example, racism within curriculum content. Up until the 20th century, much of what was taught in history reflected white dominance.
What are the types of post secondary institutions? (4)
- Universities (medical/doctoral/undergraduate)
- Community colleges
- Technical institutes
- Business colleges
What is the academic revolution in universities?
The rise and dominance of research universities in the 20th century. Major universities have been characterized by specialized curricula, a heavy research agenda, and faculty with PhD’s and proven track records or peer-reviewed publications. Universities that don’t follow this model are seen as inferior.
What are the criticisms of the academic revolution? (4)
- Tenure professors earn most of the money, while a significant proportion of teaching is done by non-tenured staff who are paid less and have less job security.
- Tuition fees are rising as govt’s reduce funding for education and universities shift away from teaching to more research activities.
- Funding has shifted toward high status medical, scientific and business programs. Less emphasis on social sciences, humanities and fine arts.
- Credential inflation
What is credential inflation?
New degrees are being created and higher degrees are being demanded, forcing students to prolong their education and take on more debt.
