External Factors Leading To Class Differences In Achievement

Question 1

What is Cultural deprivation ?

Answer 1

Cultural deprivation is where individuals do not acquire the basic values , attitudes and skills that are needed for educational success through primary socialisation in the family

Question 2

What are the 3 main aspects of cultural deprivation ?

Answer 2

• language
• parents education
• working class subculture

Question 3

What did Hubbs Tait find leads children’s cognitive performance to improve ?

Answer 3

Hubbs Tait found that where parents use language that challenges their children to evaluate their own understanding or abilities , for example what do you think ? Then cognitive performance improves

Question 4

What did Feinstein find educated parents are more likely to use ?

Answer 4

Feinstein found educated parents are more likely to use praise

Question 5

What do Bereiter and Engelmann claim that language used in lower class homes is ?

Answer 5

Bereiter and Engelmann claim that language used in lower class homes is deficient , they describe lower class families as communicating by gestures , single words or disjointed phrases , as a result their children fail to develop the necessary language skills and are incapable of abstract thinking so unable to take advantage of the opportunities that schools offer

Question 6

What are the 2 speech codes which Bernstein distinguishes between ?

Answer 6

Restricted code - speech code used by working class , it has limited vocabulary and is based on the use of short , often unfinished , grammatically simple sentences
Elaborated code - speech code used by the middle class , has wider vocabulary and is based on the use of longer , grammatically more complex sentences

Question 7

How does the differences in bernsteins speech codes give middle class children an advantage in school but working class at a disadvantage ?

Answer 7

The differences in speech codes Give middle class children an advantage in school and put working class children at a disadvantage . This is because the elaborated code is the language used by teachers , textbooks and exams , early socialisation into the elaborated code means that middle class children are fluent users of the code when they start school thus they feel at home in school and are more likely to succeed . By contrast working class children who lack the code are likely to feel excluded and therefore be less successful

Question 8

What did Douglas find out about parents education impacting their children’s education ?

Answer 8

Douglas found that working class parents placed less value on education . As a result they were less ambitious for their children , gave them less encouragement and took less interest in their education , they visited schools less often and were less likely to discuss their children’s progress with teachers . As a result their children had lower levels of motivation and achievement

Question 9

What is educated parents parenting style and how does this help their children in education ?

Answer 9

Educated parents parenting style emphasises consistent discipline and have give expectations of their children , and this supports their achievement by encouraging active learning and exploration

Question 10

What is less educated parents parenting style and how does this impact their children’s education ?

Answer 10

Less educated parents parenting style is marked by harsh and inconsistent discipline that emphasises doing as you’re told and behave yourself . This prevents the child from learning independence and self control , leading to poor motivation at school and problems interacting with teachers

Question 11

What do educated parents do to asssist their children’s educational progress ?

Answer 11

Educated parents are more aware if what is needed to assist their children’s educational progress , as a result they engage in behaviours such as reading to their children , teaching them letters , numbers , songs , nursery rhymes , painting and drawing , helping with homework etc

Question 12

How did Bernstein and young find middle class mothers use their income ?

Answer 12

Bernstein and young found middle class mothers are more likely to buy educational toys , books and activities that encourage reasoning skills and stimulate intellectual development , working class homes are more likely to lack these resources and this means children from working class homes start school without the intellectual skills they need to progress
Educated parents also have a better undertaking of nutrition and its importance in child development and have a higher income which helps them to buy more nutritious foods

Question 13

What is meant by working class subculture ?

Answer 13

Working class subculture refers to where large sections of the working class have different goals , beliefs , attitudes and values from the rest of society and thus is why their children fail at school.

Question 14

What are the 4 key features of the working class subculture that Sugarman states that act as a barrier to educational achievement ?

Answer 14

-Fatalsim - a belief in fate , whatever will be will be
-collectivism - valuing being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual
-immediate gratification - seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future
- present time orientation - seeing the present as more important than the future so not having any long term goals

Question 15

What is fatalism ?

Answer 15

Fatalism is a belief in fate , whatever will be will be and there is nothing you can do to change your status

Question 16

What is collectivism ?

Answer 16

Collectivism is valuing being part of a group more than succeeding as an individual

Question 17

What is immediate gratification ?

Answer 17

Immediate gratification is seeking pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards

Question 18

What is present time orientation ?

Answer 18

Present time orientation is seeing the present as more important than the future so not having any long term goals

Question 19

Why does Sugarman believe the differences in values of working class and middle class exist ?

Answer 19

Sugar-man argues that the differences in values stem from the fact that middle class jobs are secure and offer opportunities for individual advancement which encourages ambition , long term planning and willingness to invest time and effort inti gaining qualifications. By contrast , working class jobs are less secure and have no career structure through which individuals can advance , there are few promotion opportunities and earnings peak at a young age.

Question 20

What is the aim of compensatory education programmes ?

Answer 20

Compensatory education programmes aim to tackle the problem Of cultural deprivation by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas . They intervene early in the socialisation process to compensate children for the deprivation they experience at home

Question 21

What is the best known compensatory education programme ?

Answer 21

The best known compensatory education programme is head start , a scheme for pre school education in poorer areas

Question 22

What was the aim of head start , the best known compensatory education programme and what did it include doing ?

Answer 22

The aim of head start was planned enrichment of the child’s deprived environment to develop skills and instil achievement motivation . It included improving parenting skills , setting up nursery classes and home visits by educational physiologists

Question 23

How did keddie criticise the cultural deprivation theory ?

Answer 23

Keddie describes the cultural deprivation theory as a victim blaming explanation , she dismisses the idea that failure at school can be blamed on a culturally deprived home background . She argues that working class children are simply culturally different , not culturally deprived. They fail because they are put at a disadvantage by an education system that is dominated by middle class values

Question 24

How do Troyna and Williams criticise the cultural deprivation theory ?

Answer 24

Troyna and Williams argue that the problem isn’t the child’s language but the schools attitude towards it , teachers have a speech hierarchy , they label middle class speech highest , followed by working class speech , then finally black speech

Question 25

How do Blackstone and Mortimore criticise the cultural deprivation theory ?

Answer 25

Blackstone and Mortimore reject the view that working class parents are not interested in their children’s education and argue working class parents attend less parents evenings not because of lack of interest but because they work longer or less regular hours or are put off by the schools middle class atmosphere.

Question 26

What is material deprivation?

Answer 26

Material deprivation refers to poverty and lack of material necessities such as adequate housing and income.

Question 27

How does flaherty argue money problems impact children’s education?

Answer 27

Flaherty argues money problems in the family are a significant factor in younger children’s non attendance at school.

Question 28

What are children from poor families more likely to experience?

Answer 28

Exclusion and truancy are more likely for children from poorer families

Question 29

Where are 90% of failing schools located?

Answer 29

Nearly 90% of failing schools are located in deprived areas

Question 30

How can poor housing affect a child directly?

Answer 30

Over crowding can have A direct effect by making it harder for the child to study, overcrowding means less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework, disturbed sleep from sharing bedrooms or beds.

Question 31

How can poor housing affect a child indirectly ?

Answer 31

Poor housing can have indirect effects, for example, children in crowded homes run a greater risk of accidents, cold or damp housing can cause ill health families in temporary accommodation suffer more psychological distress, infections and accidents, such health problems mean more absences from school.

Question 32

What did Howard note about young people from poorer homes?

Answer 32

Howard notes that young people from poorer homes have lower insane of energy, vitamins. And minerals. Poor nutrition affects health eg weakening the immune system and lowering the levels child’s energy levels this may result in absences from school due to illness and difficulties concentrating in class.

Question 33

What did Wilkinson find about children from lower social class?

Answer 33

Wilkinson found among 10 year olds, the lower the social class, the higher the rate of hyperactivity anxiety and conduct disorders all of which have a negative effect on the child’s education.

Question 34

What did blandenand machin find children from lower income families are more likely to do?

Answer 34

Blanden and machin found that children from low income families were more likely to engage in externalising behaviours such as fighting and temper tantrums, which are likely to disrupt their schooling.

Question 35

What does lackof financial support mean for poor children and what does Bull refer to this as ?

Answer 35

Lack of financial support means that children from poor families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their educational achievement. Bull refers to this as the costs of free schooling.

Question 36

What did Tanner find out about the cost of education for poorer families ?

Answer 36

Tanner found that the costs of items such as transport, uniforms, books, computers, sport equipment etc place a heavy burden on poorer families.

Question 37

What is likely to happen due to poor families not being able to keep up with the costs of education:

Answer 37

Poor children may have to do with hand me downs and cheaper but unfashionable equipment, which may result in them being isolated or bullied by peers

Question 38

What did flaherty find out about fear of stigmatisation?

Answer 38

Flaherty believes fear of stigmitisation may help explain way 20% of those eligible for free school meals do not take up their entitlement.

Question 39

What do smith and noble believe poverty acts as a barrier for?

Answer 39

Smith and noble add that poverty acts as a barrier to learning in other ways, such as inability to afford private schooling or tuition so children end up in low quality local schools.

Question 40

What did ridge find young children in poverty have to do?

Answer 40

Ridge found children in poverty take on jobs such as baby-sitting, cleaning and paper rounds and these often had a negative impact on their schoolwork.

Question 41

What financial support did the coalition government abolish in 2011?

Answer 41

Educational maintenance allowances - financial support to poor students staying in education after 16

Question 42

What does debt averse mean?

Answer 42

Debt averse - see debt negatively and as something to be avoided

Question 43

What did calendar and Jackson find out about working class attitudes to university through a questionnaire of nearly 2,000 possible students?

Answer 43

Calendar and Jackson found working class students are more debt averse - see debt as negative and as something to be avoided ‘they also saw more costs than benefits of going to university

Question 44

What did Reay find working class students are more likely to do when applying to university due to financial factors?

Answer 44

Reay found working class students were more likely to apply to local universities so they could live at home and save on travel costs, but this gave them less opportunity to go to higher status universities ,they were also more likely to work part time to fund their studies, making it more difficult for them to gain higher class degrees

Question 45

What inequalities do mortimore and Whitty argue have the greatest effect on achievement?

Answer 45

Mortimore and whitty argue material inequalities have the greatest effect on achievement.

Question 46

What does Robinson argue would be the most effective way to boost achievement?

Answer 46

Robinson argues tackling child poverty would be the most effective way to boost achievement.

Question 47

Who identifies the 3 types of capital and what are they?

Answer 47

Bourdieu identifies 3 types of capital; cultural. Educational and economic.

Question 48

What is meant by cultural capital?

Answer 48

Bourdieu uses the term culture capital to refer to the knowledge, attitudes, values, language, tastes and abilities of the middle class

Question 49

How does cultural capital give the middle class an advantage in schools

Answer 49

Middle class abilities and interests are highly valued in school and are rewarded with qualifications.

Question 50

How does lack of cultural capital give working class a disadvantage in school?

Answer 50

Working class children find school devalues their culture as rough and inferior their lack of cultural capital leads them to exam failure, many working class pupils get the message that education is not for them and respond by truanting, early leaving or not trying.

Question 51

How can economic capital be converted into educational capital ?

Answer 51

Wealthier parents can covert their economic capital into educational capital by sending their children to private school and paying for extra tuition.

Question 52

How do leech and campos show educational and educational capital are linked?

Answer 52

Leech and campos study shows middle class parents are more lively to be able to afford a house in the catchment area of a school that is highly placed in exam league tables. This has become known as selection by mortgage because it drives up the cost of houses near successful schools and excludes working class families

Question 53

How did Sullivan test Bourdieu’s ideas of cultural capital?

Answer 53

Sullivan used questionnaires to conduct a survey of 465 pupils in 4 schools, to assess their cultural capital she asked them about a range of activities. Such as reading and TV viewing habits. And whether they visited art galleries museums and theatres. She also tested their vocabulary and knowledge of cultural figures

Question 54

What did Sullivan learn when she tested Bourdieu’s idea of cultural capital?

Answer 54

Sullivan found those who read complex fiction and watched serious TV documentaries developed a wider vocabulary and greater cultural knowledge, indicating greater cultural capital. The pupils with the greatest cultural capital were more likely to be successful at GCSEs