INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE, IN SCHOOL FACTORS Flashcards
introduction
they look at the day to day interactions of day to day life using qualitative research methods - in terms of education: finding out what actually happens in schools
what is howard beckers labelling theory
Developed in 1960s: we attach meanings and definitions to people
what are the three things that Jacobson and Rosenthal did in their field experiment
- they selected a random sample of pupils in a California primary school
- they informed their teachers that they could expect to see rapid intellectual growth in these pupils
- they tested the IQ of all the pupils in the schools then returned a year later and tested them again
what did Jacobson and Rosenthal find in their field experiment
- 47% of the sample population made significant progress
- they claimed that the teachers explanations significantly affected their pupils performance - they speculated that teacher praise and encouragement produced a positive self fulfilling prophecy
what are two criticisms of Rosenthal and Jacobson’s field expire net
- the IQ tests used where of dubious quality and were improperly administered
- fuller:
- not all pupils will live up to their labels
- she studied Afro Caribbean girls in London who rejected their labels and developed a anti school pro success subculture
school who hated the labels given
- this suggests that the labelling theory is
deterministic: making assumptions that
something will always happen
what did ball (1981) find at beachside comprehensive with regards to banding
- teachers used social class to establish which band pupils would be in
- it occurred when schools received little information about child’s ability
- for pupils of similar measured ability those who’s fathers where non manual middle class workers had the greatest chance of being placed in the top band
what where the effects that ball found of the banding at beachside comprehensive
- lower bands received weaker teachers
- the behaviour of band two pupils deteriorated
- teachers had lower expectations of band 2 pupils and they where directed towards practical subjects and lower level exams
what is an A03 evaluation point based on the banding at beachside comprehnsive
A*-C economy: now a days lower bands may be given stronger teachers in order to push as many pupils as possible to achieving passes at GCSE in order to protect/improve the schools league tables position
what are the four types of ability grouping
- streaming
- banding
- setting: pupils are placed in sets according to performance in particular subjects
- mixed ability teaching: children of different ability are educated in the same class
what did keddie find the effects of streaming where
- more advanced knowledge was with held from lower streams
- knowledge that came from pupils won experiences was devalued, abstract knowledge was valued more highly
- teacher assumed that students in lower sets dint value their education highly and so took their contributions in class negatively
- middle class children fitted the image of the ideal pupil more closely than working class pupils and therefore tended to be placed in higher streams
What was Hargreaves’s study and what did he find
STUDY: secondary modern school
FOUND: labelled boys in lower streams as triple failures as they had failed their 11+ exam - labelled was ‘worthless louls’ formed a delinquent subculture.
what did mach an ghaill study and what did he find
STUDY: wc students in wc comprehensive in midlands
FOUND: 3 distinct wc male peer groups developed as a result of setting
what where the three peer groups mac an ghaill found
- MACHO LADS:
- academic failures
- hostile to the school
- generally came from less skilled working class lads - ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS:
- academic successes
- generally came from skilled working class backgrounds
- ambitious to gain high qualifications - saw value in qualifications - NEW ENTERPRISERS:
- saw the vocational curriculum for example business studies as their avenue to a good job
what did gilborn and youdell find whilst studying setting in two London setting schools
- working class and black pupils where more likely than middle class and white pupils to be placed in lower sets even when achieving similar results
- teachers perceived working class and black pupils to have a lower ability even when they where doing well
- once in lower sets they weren’t entered for higher tiers of GCSEs making it impossible to get the highest grades
It also resulted in pupils being placed in one of three categories - Those who will pass anyway
- Those with potential but need help
- Hopeless cases, will fail anyway
Education triage: marketisation causing wc underachievement
Howard backers study
STUDY: 60 Chicago high school teachers
FOUND: peoples appearance and conduct influence judgement. Pupils from middle class backgrounds were seen as ideal and pupils from working class backgrounds not seen as ideal and was seen as badly behaved. once they received labels they internalised it and it became their self fulfilling prophecy if they received a negative label it resulted in under achievement.
Clear explanation for differences in social class in education
Define pupils subcultures
- emerge as they have been labeled
- reaction to streaming
- group with similar norms and behaviour patterns
What two groups do pupils get polarised into as a result of streaming according to Lacey
- PRO SCHOOL SUBCULTURE:
- high streams
- MC
- committed to school values - ANTI SCHOOL SUBCULTURE:
- lower streams
- WC
- school undermines their self worth, loss of self esteem
Negative labels result in pupils searching for alternative ways to gain status - invert schools values - status from peers eg truanting
What was Balls abolishing streaming study
STUDY: beachside comprehensive in Brighton where he replaced streaming with mixed ability groups
FOUND: when streaming occurred there was a polarisation but went when streaming removed.
A03 pupil subculture
Teachers continued to label middle class pupils for example labelling them as able and cooperative - reflecting good exams.
WOOD: Lacey‘s theory ignores pupil responses for example ritualism retreating and rebellion
ARCHER: pupils class identities and the school
- focus on interaction between working class identities and school and how it produces achievement
What did ARCHER find
- wc fowls that in order to succeed in education they needed to change how they presented themselves. Felt unable to gain access to MC spaces for example university and professional careers
- shows that schools may alienate wc turning them away from their failure
ARCHER: Nike identities
- wc are conscious society and school will look down on them
- symbolic violence leads to them to try to seek alternative ways of achieving status and values
-invested in branding clothing eg Nike - girls use this t create hyper heterosexual identities - style performances are policed by peers, not conforming = social suicide
- right appearance achieved symbolic capital and approval from peers and protection from bullying but pupils who adopted street styles risked negative labels
A03 of Nike identities
Wc pupils are reluctant to apply to high unis for example oxford. Intro of high uni fees = likely to apply to local unis which are likely to be lower ranked
BOURDIEU: concept of habitus
- habitus = learned and taken for granted ways of thinking shared by classes includes preferences, lifestyles etc
- mc use its power to define it habitus as superior to impose it on the education system.
- result = school puts higher value on MC preferences
