Education with Methods in Context - Definitions

Question 1

Social cohesion

Answer 1

Social cohesion refers to the bonds or glue that bring people together and integrate them into a united society

Question 2

Social mobility

Answer 2

Social mobility refers to movement of groups or individuals up or down the social hierarchy

Question 3

Functional prerequisites

Answer 3

Functional prerequisites refer to the basic needs that must be met if society is to survive

Question 4

Hidden curriculum

Answer 4

The hidden curriculum concerns not so much the formal content of subject lessons and examinations (the overt curriculum) as the way teaching and learning are organized

Question 5

Social solidarity

Answer 5

Social solidarity refers to the integration of people into society through shared values, a common culture, shared understandings and social ties that bring them together and build social cohesion

Question 6

Particularistic values

Answer 6

Particularistic values are rules and values that give a priority to personal relationships

Question 7

Universalistic values

Answer 7

Universalistic values are rules and values that apply equally to all members of society, regardless of who they are

Question 8

Meritocracy

Answer 8

A Meritocracy is a society where jobs and pay are allocated on the basis purely of people’s individual talents, abilities, qualifications and skills

Question 9

Human capital

Answer 9

Human capital refers to the knowledge and skills possessed by a workforce that increase that workforce’s value and usefulness to employers

Question 10

Division of labour

Answer 10

The division of labour is the division of work or occupations into a large number of specialized tasks, each of which is carried out by one worker or a group of workers

Question 11

equality of educational opportunity

Answer 11

Equality of educational opportunity is the idea that every child, regardless of his or her social class background, ability to pay school fees, ethnic background, gender or disability, should have an equal chance of developing their talents and abilities and of doing as well as his or her ability will allow

Question 12

Marketization

Answer 12

Marketization is the process whereby services, like education or health, that were previously controlled and run by the state, have government or local council control reduced or removed altogether, and become subject to the free market forces of supply and demand, based on competition and consumer choice

Question 13

False consciousness

Answer 13

False consciousness is a failure by members of a social class to recognise their real interests

Question 14

Ideological State apparatuses

Answer 14

Ideological state apparatuses are agencies which serve to spread the ideology and justify the power of the dominant social class

Question 15

Habitus

Answer 15

A habitus is the cultural framework and set of ideas possessed by a social class, into which people are socialised, and which influences their cultural tastes and choices

Question 16

Cultural capital

Answer 16

Cultural capital is the knowledge, language, manners and forms of behaviour, attitudes and values, taste and lifestyle which give middle-class and upper-class students who possess them an in-built advantage in a middle-class-controlled education system

Question 17

Hegemony

Answer 17

Hegemony refers to the dominance in society of the ruling class’s set of ideas over others, and acceptance of and consent to them by the rest of society

Question 18

Hegemonic control

Answer 18

Hegemonic control is where control of the working class is mainly achieved through the hegemony and acceptance of ruling class ideas

Question 19

Subculture

Answer 19

a subculture is a smaller culture held by a group or class of people within the main culture of a society, in some ways different from the main culture, but with many aspects in common

Question 20

Anti-school or counter-school subculture

Answer 20

An anti-school or counter-school subculture is a group organised around a set of values, attitudes and behaviour in opposition to the main aims of a school

Question 21

Sexism

Answer 21

Sexism refers to prejudice or discrimination against people because of their sex

Question 22

Globalization

Answer 22

Globalization is the growing interconnectedness of societies across the world, with the spread of the same culture, consumer goods and economic interests across the globe

Question 23

Underachievement

Answer 23

Underachievement is the failure of people to fulfil their potential - they do not do as well in education (or other areas) as their talents and abilities suggest they should

Question 24

Racism

Answer 24

Racism is believing or acting as though an individual or group is superior or inferior on the grounds of their racial or ethnic origins

Question 25

Labelling

Answer 25

Labelling refers to the process of defining a person or group in a certain way - as a particular type of person or group

Question 26

Stereotype

Answer 26

a stereotype is a generalized oversimplified view of the features of a social group, allowing for few individual differences between members of the group

Question 27

Halo effect

Answer 27

A halo effect is when pupils become stereotyped, either favourably or unfavourably, on the basis of earlier impressions

Question 28

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 28

the self-fulfilling prophecy is where people act in response to predictions which have been made regarding their behaviour, thereby making the prediction come true

Question 29

Banding

Answer 29

Banding either is where schools try to ensure their intakes have a spread of pupils drawn from all bands of ability, or more commonly is used as an alternative word for streaming

Question 30

Streaming

Answer 30

Streaming is where, in schools, students are divided into groups of similar ability (bands or streams) in which they stay for all subjects

Question 31

Setting

Answer 31

Setting is where students are divided into groups (sets) of the same ability in particular subjects

Question 32

Educational triage

Answer 32

Educational triage refers to the way schools divide pupils into 3 groups - those who are likely to succeed in exams whatever happens, those who have a chance of succeeding if they get some extra help, and those who have little chance of succeeding whatever is done

Schools concentrate on the first 2 groups, and particularly the 2nd group, and basically write-off those who have little chance of success

Question 33

English Baccalaureate

Answer 33

the English Baccalaureate EBacc is a performance measure to show the proportion of pupils who achieve at least 6 GCSEs A*-C in maths, English, 2 sciences, a foreign language and a humanity

Question 34

Pro-school subculture

Answer 34

a pro-school subculture is a group organized around a set of values, attitudes and behaviour which generally conforms to the academic aims, ethos and rules of a school

Question 35

subculture of resistance

Answer 35

a subculture of resistance is one that not only has some differences from the dominant culture, but is also in active opposition to it

Question 36

cultural deprivation

Answer 36

Cultural deprivation is the idea that some young people fail in education because of supposed cultural deficiencies in their home and family background, such as inadequate socialization, failings in pre-school learning, inadequate language skills and inappropriate attitudes and values

Question 37

elaborated code

Answer 37

the elaborated code is the sort of formal language used by strangers and individuals in some formal contexts where explanation and detail are required, and uses a much wider vocabulary than the restricted code

Question 38

restricted code

Answer 38

The restricted code is the informal, simple, everyday language, sometimes ungrammatical and with limited explanations and vocabulary, which is used between friends or family members

Question 39

social capital

Answer 39

Social capital refers to the social networks of influence and support that people have

Question 40

Culture clash

Answer 40

Culture clash is a difference and conflict between the cultural values of the home and those of educational institutions

Question 41

Compensatory education

Answer 41

Compensatory education is extra educational help for those coming from disadvantaged groups to help them overcome the inequalities they face in the education system and the wider society

Question 42

Positive discrimination

Answer 42

Positive discrimination involves giving disadvantaged groups more favourable treatment than others to make up for the inequalities they face

Question 43

Service sector

Answer 43

The service sector of the economy, sometimes referred to as the tertiary sector, is concerned with the production of services instead of actual products

it is concerned with administration, information, communication, catering, the leisure industry, sales, finance and insurance, transport and distribution, and the running of government services such as the health, welfare and education services

Question 44

Racial prejudice

Answer 44

Racial prejudice involves a set of assumptions about a racial or ethnic group which people are reluctant to change even when they receive information which undermines those assumptions

Question 45

Multicultural education

Answer 45

Multicultural education involves a recognition of the diversity of cultures in society, and teaching about the culture of other ethnic groups besides that of the majority culture

Question 46

Ethnocentrism

Answer 46

Ethnocentrism is a view of the world in which other cultures are seen through the eyes of one’s own culture, with a devaluing of the others

Question 47

Privatization

Answer 47

Privatization is where services that were once owned and provided by the state are transferred to private companies

Question 48

Marketization

Answer 48

Marketization is the process whereby services, like education or health, that were previously controlled and run by the state, have government or local council control and support reduced or removed altogether, and operate like independently managed private businesses, subject to the free market forces of supply and demand, based on competition and consumer choice

Question 49

Neoliberalism

Answer 49

Neoliberalism is an economic approach that suggests resources are more efficiently managed by private businesses, and advocates shifting public services like education and health from the public sector to the private sector - privatizing them.

This is accompanied by marketization

Question 50

Globalization

Answer 50

Globalization is the growing interconnectedness of societies across the world, with the spread of the same culture, consumer goods and economic interests across the globe

Question 51

Moral panic

Answer 51

a wave of public concern about some exaggerated or imaginary threat to society, stirred up by overblown and sensationalized reporting in the media

Question 52

Parentocracy

Answer 52

A parentocracy is where a child’s education is dependent upon the wealth and wishes of parents, rather then the ability and efforts of pupils

Question 53

Elite

Answer 53

an elite is a small group holding great power and privilege in society