Roles and processes in school

Question 1

Setting

Answer 1

Means placing students in groups according to ability in individual subjects

Question 2

Streaming

Answer 2

Means placing students in groups according to ability across all subjects

Question 3

Labelling theory

Answer 3

Labelling theory suggests that teachers often attach a label to a public that has little to do with their actual ability. Instead they form an opinion of the student based on how close the students fit the ideal pupil.

• Becker–> suggests that teacher/pupil interactions are based upon these labels and can lead to a self fulfilling phrophecy where the students take on the label and act accordingly

Question 4

Evaluation of labelling theory

Answer 4

• Deterministic
• Focuses on the negative effects
• Labelling theory attitudes too much importance to ‘teacher agency’ Structural sociologists might point out that schools themselves encourage teachers to label students
• Teacher training

Question 5

Reactions

Answer 5

• Self fulfilling prophecy, master status, Willis
• Rejection of label–> FULLER: research on black girls in a London comprehensive school found that black girls she researched were labelled as low achievers, but their response to the negative label was to knuckle down and study hard to prove their teachers and the school wrong

Question 6

Labelling case studies

Answer 6

• ROSENTHAL AND JACOBSON
  –> Fake IQ test given to students. Random 20% students identified as bright (bloomers) went back after a year and found that those students had made progress than others
• RIST
  US primary school study, teacher used home background to group, segregate students.
  –> Tiger: Neat M/C fast students
  –>W/C troublesome
  Labels carried through later years