Processes in schools

Question 1

What is the hidden curriculum?

Answer 1

school passes on a set of social norms

1. being on time
2. dressing smartly
3. working hard for rewards
4. respecting authority
5. importance of following instructions

Question 2

What do Gillborn and Youdell argue about teacher labelling?

Answer 2

Teacher labelling can lead to a SFP. E.g if labelled a troublemaker they’re disciplined more harshly. The student internalises this and acts up to the label.

Question 3

What are the three ways of organising teaching in schools?

Answer 3

Setting, streaming and mixed ability

Question 4

What are the advantages and disadvantages of setting?

Answer 4

Students can work at own pace

Can lead to low self-esteem and negative labelling

Question 5

What are the advantages and disadvantages of streaming?

Answer 5

Students can work at own pace

Students are likely to be better at some subjects so might not be challenged enough/challenged too much.
Lead to low self-esteem and negative labelling

Question 6

What are the advantages and disadvantages of mixed ability classes?

Answer 6

Closes gaps between students’ achievement

Teachers still have low expectations of low ability students

Question 7

What is a subculture?

Answer 7

A group who shares interests that are different from mainstream culture.

Question 8

What are the three causes of subcultures?

Answer 8

Streaming, ethnicity and social class

Question 9

Why does Lacey argue streaming causes subcultures?

Answer 9

Bottom stream pupils form anti-school subcultures as they are labelled as failures.

Question 10

Why does Fuller argue ethnicity causes subcultures?

Answer 10

Minority groups feel that teachers are racist so form a subculture where they work hard together, not for approval from teachers.

Question 11

Why does Willis argue social class causes subcultures?

Answer 11

Working class ‘lads’ disrupted lessons to gain respect from others in the subculture and believed school was no use to them.

Question 12

Why is looking at a student’s identity useful when trying to understand achievement?

Answer 12

Brings together internal factors (labelling, SFP, classing and subcultures) and considers external ones (parent’s views and poverty)

HOWEVER it can make it difficult to find a specific reason for failure at school