Education - Class Factors

Question 1

What are external factors in education?

Answer 1

Factors outside the education system, e.g., influence of family background.

Question 2

Define Cultural Deprivation.

Answer 2

A theory suggesting that lack of cultural resources negatively affects children’s cognitive development.

Question 3

How does language affect cognitive development according to Tait et al (2002)?

Answer 3

Parents using challenging language improves cognitive performance.

Question 4

What did Feinstein (2008) find about educated parents?

Answer 4

Educated parents are more likely to use supportive language and praise, fostering children’s competence.

Question 5

What is the claim made by Bereiter and Engelmann (1966) regarding language in lower class homes?

Answer 5

Language used in lower class homes is deficient, hindering children’s ability to benefit from school.

Question 6

List the two types of speech code identified by Bernstein (1975).

Answer 6

• Elaborated code
• Restricted code

Question 7

What is the elaborated code?

Answer 7

Typically used by middle class; has a wider vocabulary and communicates complex ideas.

Question 8

According to Douglas (1964), how do working class parents view education?

Answer 8

They value education less and provide less encouragement.

Question 9

Explain the impact of parenting style on children’s education.

Answer 9

Less educated parents may be less disciplined and encouraging, leading to poorer school motivation.

Question 10

What do educated parents tend to provide for their children?

Answer 10

More educational resources, such as reading to them and engaging with songs and poems.

Question 11

How do better educated parents utilize their income?

Answer 11

They spend money in ways that benefit their children’s education.

Question 12

What did Bernstein and Young (1967) find about middle class mothers?

Answer 12

They are more likely to buy educational toys and books.

Question 13

What are the four features of working class culture identified by Sugarman (1970) that act as barriers to achievement?

Answer 13

• Fatalism
• Collectivism
• Immediate gratification
• Present-time orientation

Question 14

What is the aim of compensatory education?

Answer 14

To tackle cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools in deprived areas.

Question 15

Give an example of a compensatory education program.

Answer 15

Operation Head Start.

Question 16

What does Keddie (1973) argue about cultural deprivation?

Answer 16

It is a myth and a victim-blaming explanation.

Question 17

According to Troyna and Williams (1986), what is the real issue regarding children’s language?

Answer 17

It’s the school’s attitude toward the language, not the child’s language itself.

Question 18

What is material deprivation?

Answer 18

Lack of resources and financial support affecting children’s education.

Question 19

How can overcrowding affect children’s education?

Answer 19

It may hinder concentration and limit safe play space.

Question 20

According to Howard (2001), what health issues do poorer homes face?

Answer 20

Lower intakes of energy, vitamins, and minerals, leading to absences and concentration difficulties.

Question 21

What did Wilkinson (1996) discover about social class and mental health in children?

Answer 21

Lower social class correlates with higher rates of hyperactivity, anxiety, and conduct disorders.

Question 22

What is the ‘cost of free schooling’ according to Bull (1980)?

Answer 22

The hidden costs associated with attending school, such as books and transport.

Question 23

How does fear of debt affect university applications from working class students?

Answer 23

They view debt negatively and are less likely to apply to university.

Question 24

What did Callender and Jackson (2005) find about working class attitudes towards university debt?

Answer 24

Working class students are five times less likely to apply due to negative views on debt.

Question 25

What did Mortimore and Whitty (1997) conclude about the effects of material inequalities?

Answer 25

Material inequalities have the greatest effect on achievement.

Question 26

What is cultural capital according to Bourdieu (1984)?

Answer 26

The knowledge, attitudes, values, language, and tastes of the middle class.

Question 27

How does cultural capital affect educational success?

Answer 27

It provides advantages in school, leading to better qualifications.

Question 28

What did Sullivan (2001) find regarding cultural capital and academic success?

Answer 28

Wider knowledge from complex reading and documentaries leads to greater cultural capital and success.

Question 29

What does labelling in education refer to?

Answer 29

When teachers attach meanings or definitions to pupils, often based on stereotypes.

Question 30

What is the ‘ideal pupil’ concept according to Becker (1971)?

Answer 30

Students are judged on how well they fit the image of the ideal pupil.

Question 31

How did Dunne and Gazeley (2008) relate labelling to working class underachievement?

Answer 31

Teachers viewed working class underachievement as unchangeable.

Question 32

Describe the self-fulfilling prophecy in education.

Answer 32

When a student’s reaction to a teacher’s label causes the label to become true.

Question 33

What did Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) find regarding teacher expectations?

Answer 33

Students labelled as ‘spurters’ made significant progress compared to others.

Question 34

What is educational triage?

Answer 34

The process of categorizing students based on perceived ability, often leading to neglect of certain groups.

Question 35

List the three categories of pupils in educational triage.

Answer 35

• Those who will pass anyway
• Those with potential
• Hopeless cases

Question 36

What is a pro-school subculture?

Answer 36

A group of pupils committed to school, typically found in higher streams.

Question 37

What is an anti-school subculture?

Answer 37

A group of pupils in lower streams who misbehave and suffer loss of self-esteem.

Question 38

What did Hargreaves (1967) find about boys in lower streams?

Answer 38

They were labelled ‘worthless louts’ and formed subcultures to cope with educational failure.

Question 39

What was Ball’s (1981) finding about abolishing streaming?

Answer 39

Abolishing streaming removed anti-school subcultures, but labelling continued.

Question 40

What are the different pupil responses identified by Woods (1979)?

Answer 40

• Ingratiation
• Ritualism
• Retreatism
• Rebellion

Question 41

What is habitus?

Answer 41

Learned ways of thinking and acting shared by a particular social class.

Question 42

What is symbolic violence in education according to Bourdieu?

Answer 42

The devaluation of working class habitus by the education system.

Question 43

What are ‘Nike identities’?

Answer 43

Working class pupils’ investment in styles and brands to find self-worth.

Question 44

Why do working class pupils often reject higher education?

Answer 44

They view it as unrealistic, undesirable, and not suited to their lifestyle.

Question 45

What did Ingram (2009) find about working class identity and locality?

Answer 45

Working class identity is inseparable from belonging to a local community.

Question 46

What barriers do working class girls face regarding elite universities according to Evans (2009)?

Answer 46

They feel hidden barriers and a lack of fitting in.

Question 47

How do external factors influence internal factors in education?

Answer 47

Working class pupils’ habitus outside school may conflict with the middle class habitus in school.