P1 Education - Hidden Curriculum

Question 1

What is the hidden curriculum?

Answer 1

The norms, values and social expectations indirectly conveyed to students by the styles of teaching and the organisational characteristics of educational institutions

Question 2

What do functionalists believe about the hidden curriculum?

Answer 2

It is good as it helps students with teamwork skills and healthy competition

Question 3

What do marxists believe about the hidden curriculum?

Answer 3

It legitimises the ruling class values and they believe that these characteristics are required for a capitalist workforce ( hard working, docile, obedient, highly motivated)

Question 4

How is the hidden curriculum transmitted?

Answer 4

It is transmitted though all aspects of school e.g hierarchy through management:
- Headteacher
- Classroom teacher
- Kitchen and cleaning staff
- Pupils at the bottom

Question 5

Punctuality:

Answer 5

Rigid patterns of the day, similar to work. Frowned upon if students don’t stick to the times of school

Question 6

Uniform:

Answer 6

Imposes identity of school over than of individual

Question 7

Setting:

Answer 7

Defined by age and ability. Links to stereotype of what you can do from class

Question 8

Organisation of classroom:

Answer 8

Teacher at the front - students looking up and teachers looking down on students

Question 9

Expectations of certain pupils:

Answer 9

Labelling and knowing place in school/society

Question 10

What is pupil subcultures?

Answer 10

Pupil subcultures is when a group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns.
-Some students accept the schooling system (pro school subcultures)
- Whilst others break rules and devote their attention to avoiding work (anti school subcultures)

Question 11

What impact do subcultures have within school?

Answer 11

It creates:
- Inequalities
- Class differences
- Achievement differences
- Self fulfilling prophecy

Question 12

Pro School Subcultures:

Answer 12

• High streamed
• Middle class
• High status successful
• Committed to values of the school

Question 13

Anti Social Subcultures:

Answer 13

• Low streams
• Working class
• Failure can cause low self esteem (school has undermined them, reinforcing inferior status)

Question 14

What did David Hargreaves research?

Answer 14

He interviewed boys in secondary modern schools and found that subcultures formed due to triple failures:
- Failing 11+
- Low streams
- Labelled worthless louts

He found that high status in subcultures went to those who disobeyed the school rules.

Question 15

What did Peter Woods argue?

Answer 15

Peter Woods argued that the division between pro and anti school subcultures is too simplistic.

The variety of pupil responses will differ both within and between schools and pupils, and in different school situations

The study of subcultures is much more complex than simply pro/anti school subcultures.

Question 16

What is the evaluation (AO3)?

Answer 16

1. Not all pupils who are part of these subcultures fail as some may still be deterministic + pupils who are part of positive subcultures who still fail
2. Marxists argue that it’s not all based on teachers individual prejudices but its the system of class division
   - It ignores wider structure of power within which labelling takes place