P1 Education - In School Factors

Question 1

What is the interactionism approach to education?

Answer 1

1. They explain cultural differences in achievement by looking at teacher - pupil relationships
2. Teachers judge pupils not by their ability but by characteristics that relate to class, gender and ethnicity, such as attitude and appearance
   - Labelling creates a self fulfilling prophecy

Question 2

What does Becker (1971) say?

Answer 2

Teachers image of the ideal pupil conforms to middle class values

Question 3

What is the ideal student according to Becker?

Answer 3

Middle Class - are more committed to study
Working class - indiscipline and have lower motivation

Different expectations of eventual achievement which can affect the pupils progress e,g labelling and setting
- Self fulfilling prophecy
- Labels pupils
- Treats pupil according to label
- Pupil internalises expectation

Question 4

What did Rosental and Jacobson research (1968)?

Answer 4

1. They designed a test to identify the students that spurt ahead (it was actually a normal IQ test but teachers believed what they’d been told)
2. Researchers test all of the pupils but then picked 20% of them at random (identified them as the spurters)
3. These students returned a year later and found that 47% of the spurters had made significant progress
4. R+J suggested that teachers beliefs has been conveyed to the students success

Question 5

What was the Beachside Comprehensive researched by Ball (1981)?

Answer 5

3 bands of students based on ability and background:
- Non manual backgrounds
- Socially mixed
- Manual backgrounds.
All students were eager to learn at the start.

Effects of teachers from bands:
1. Band 1 = warmed to education and did well at school
2. Bands 2+3 = cooled down and underachieved

Question 6

What did Dunne and Gazeley (2008) say about labelling in schools?

Answer 6

They did interviews in 9 secondary schools ( teachers normalised the underachievement of working class pupils / felt there was nothing they could do about it )

However they felt they could overcome the underachievement of middle class pupils

This was because the belief in the role of pupils’ home background - this led to class differences in how teachers dealt with perceived underachievement

Question 7

What did Ray Rist (1970) argue about labelling in schools?

Answer 7

1. Labelling occurs from the outset of the child’s education.
2. Teachers use information about children’s home background and appearance to place them in groups
3. Those labelled the “fast learners” tended to be middle class, neat appearance, largest encouragement
4. While the other two groups were seated further away and were more likely to be working class - given lower level books

Question 8

What are strengths of the Interactionist Approach?

Answer 8

• Focuses on small scale interactions in schools
• Detailed accounts and evidence

Question 9

What are limitations of the Interactionist Approach?

Answer 9

• May ignore factors of the wider society (which can play a role in achievement)
• Theory seen as dated

Question 10

How does the curriculum affect success amongst children?

Answer 10

Sociologists argue that the curriculum may actually disadvantages working class
- The knowledge from schools does not connect to their own cultural experiences, for example learning about kings and queens / ruling class / study of Shakespeare

Hidden Curriculum:
- Favours middle class
-Oppressive and disapproving = increased levels of truanting which of course affects achievement

Question 11

What is said about streaming within school?

Answer 11

Streaming involves separating children into different groups based on ability. As Becker shows teachers do not see working class pupils as ideal (lack ability = working class children in lower streams)