Inside factors - Labelling Flashcards
Becker
60 Chicago high school teachers found that teachers see middle class pupils as closest to the “ideal pupil” in terms of performance, conduct, appearance and attitude.
These criteria of attitudes, appearance etc. were more important in making judgements about pupils than ability or attendance.
The labels applied by teachers to pupils shape the nature and quality of the interaction between pupil and teacher.
Pupils have a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ effect i.e. The pupil internalises the label and conforms to the prediction.
Working class students may be labelled as non-achievers or deviant which may lead to their lack of achievement
Keddie
Streaming = evidence of teachers’ expectations for those in bottom streams being less, undermining quality of teaching.
Streaming had a profound effect upon teacher attitude and practice.
‘A’ streamer = trusted to work with minimum of supervision.
‘C’ streamers = were in need of constant social control and rarely left on their own.
Hargreaves
Selection of streams was closely related to behaviour, the more the top streams were rewarded for behaviour, the more they conformed to this and achieved well.
Lower stream boys felt unable to achieve high status in teacher’s eyes so sort alternative status from peers, forming anti-school subcultures. Process that occurred between the labelling of teachers and students:
- Speculation
- Working hypothesis
- Elaboration
- Stabilisation
Abrahams
Several factors such as setting, labelling and subcultures as explanations as to why students may underachieve.
Dominant class and gender ideologies of society are promoted in education by teachers, who subconsciously label students.
This labelling occurs and can lead to the underachievement of working class students.
