Internal Factors - Pupil Subcultures

Question 1

Define pupil subculture, differentiation, and polarisation?

Answer 1

-a pupil subculture is a group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns.

Differentiation and polarisation explain how pupil subcultures develop:

 - Differentiation is the process of teachers categorising pupils according to how they perceive their ability, attitude and behaviour. Streaming is an example of differentiation.
- Polarisation is the process in which pupils respond to streaming by moving towards one or two opposite extremes - either a pro-school subculture or an anti school subculture.

Question 2

What is the difference between a pro school subculture and an anti school subculture?

Answer 2

• Pupils placed in high streams (who are largely middle-class) tend to remain committed to the values of the school. They gain their status and their approved manner, through academic success. They tend to form a pro-school subculture.
• Those placed in low streams (who tend to be working class) suffer a loss of self-esteem: the school has undermined their self-worth by placing them in a position of inferior status. Such pupils form an anti-school subculture as a means of gaining status among their peers which often involves opposing the schools values of hard work, effort and punctuality, for example by truanting, not doing homework or smoking.

Question 3

What effect does abolishing streaming cause to the differences in achievement?

Answer 3

• Ball found that when the school abolished streaming, the basis for pupils to polarise into subcultures was largely removed and the influence of the anti school subculture declined.
• However, differentiation continued. Teachers continued to categorise pupils differently and were more likely to label middle-class pupils as co-operative and able.
• This positive labelling was reflected in their better exam results, suggesting that a self-fulfilling prophecy had occurred.
• Ball’s study shows that class inequalities can continue as a result of teachers’ labelling, even without the effect of subcultures or streaming.