Education Topic 2 - internal differences in achievement Flashcards
Labelling
To attach a meaning or definition to an individual e.g teachers may label a pupil as bright or thick, troublemaker
- Based on stereotypical assumptions about class backgrounds
Becker, 1971 - Daddy of Labelling
Interviewed 60 Chicago high school teachers, found they judged pupils based on how far they fitted the image of the ‘ideal pupil’.
Pupils’ work, appearance and conduct were key factors influencing teachers judgement. Saw pupils from m/c backgrounds as ideal, w/c were badly behaved.
AO3 for labelling
The notion of the ideal pupil changed based on the social class make-up of the school:
- In a largely w/c school where discipline was a problem, the ideal pupil was defined as quiet obedient and passive, children defined in terms of behaviour.
- In a largely m/c school where there were few discipline problems the ideal pupil was defined in terms of personality and academic ability.
Labelling in primary schools (one theorist)
Rist 1970 - labelling occurs right at the beginning of a child’s education, studied American Kindergartens. Found that teachers used information about a child’s home background and appearance to place them in groups.
- The Tigers: fast learners, mostly m/c and clean appearance, seated nearest to teacher
- Clows and Cardinals: seated furthest away, w/c, given low level books and less chances to develop ability
Self fulfilling prophecy
A predication that comes true simply because it has been made. Interactionists argue that labelling pupils affects their achievement by creating SFPs.
Stages of a self fulfilling prophecy:
Step one: the teacher labels the pupil e.g intelligent, they then make predictions based on the label e.g outstanding progress
Step two: the teacher treats the student accordingly as if the prediction is already true e.g expecting higher standards
Step three: the pupil internalises the expectation which becomes part of their self concept so they actually become the kind of pupil they were expected to be.
Evidence for self fulfilling prophecy (two theorists)
Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968) - in their study of a school they told the school they had a new test to identify those pupils who would spurt ahead. In reality it was a normal IQ test. Picked 20% of students randomly and told the school they were ‘spurters’. On returning a year later they found that 47% of those identified had in fact made significant progress.
- Suggests that teacher’s beliefs about the pupils had a significant impact on their achievements.
Streaming
Involves putting students in to ability groups or classes called ‘streams’, each class is then taught separately. SFPs are likely to occur when children are streamed.
- Lower streams create lack of confidence and the idea that they’ve been written off.
- Higher streams involve m/c pupils with ideal pupils having higher expectations, gaining higher levels of confidence.
How subcultures in school emerge (one theorist)
Lacey uses two concepts:
- Differentiation: the process in which teachers categorise pupils according to perceived ability
- Polarisation: the process in which pupils respond to streaming by moving towards one of two opposite poles
Woods found four different responses to streaming:
- Ingratiation: being teachers pet
- Ritualism: going through the motions staying out of trouble
- Retreatism: daydreaming and mucking about
- Rebellion: outright rejection of everything school stands for
Pro-school subculture
Pupils in high streams, largely m/c tend to remain committed to the values of the school. They gain their status from approved channels - academic success
Anti- school subcultures
Those in lower streams, largely w/c suffer a loss of self-esteem by being viewed as inferior. Not achieving status through approved channels so they opt for alternative ways of gaining status. Inverting the rules e.g not doing homework, smoking …
Nike identities (one theorist)
Working class pupils felt society and school looked down on them, symbolic violence led them to create their own status by constructing their own identities.
- Archer: found that style performances were criticised by peers, not conforming could lead to social suicide, the right appearance earned ‘symbolic capital’ and brought safety from bullying.
AO3 for working class identities (one theorist)
Ingram studied two groups of Catholic boys from a highly deprived neighbourhood in Belfast - one attended grammar school and the other a local secondary school.
The grammar school possessed very middle class values with high expectations, whereas secondary had low expectations.
Found the w/c community placed great emphasis on ‘fitting in’ which created tension between the habitus of the grammar school boys.
E.g one boy was ridiculed for coming in to school in a tracksuit
