Social Class and Achievement Flashcards
What are the internal factors that impact social class and achievement?
- Teacher expectations
- Labelling
- Setting and streaming
- Subcultures
What did Becker find about teacher expectations?
- Carried out interviews on 60 Chicago high school teachers
- Found that middle class students were closest to teachers’ perception of an ‘ideal’ student
How can we use Hempel Jorgensen to analyse Becker?
AO3
- Similar findings to Becker of middle-class students being closer to the ideal student
- Studied 2 English primary schools
- In Aspen, the mostly working-class school he found that there were a lot of behavioural problems and so the ideal student was quiet, passive, and obedient
- In Rowan, the mostly middle-class school he found fewer behavioural issues and that the ideal student was based on academic ability
How can we evaluate teacher expectations?
AO3
- Results from studies may be invalid as teachers have a professional duty to treat all students equally or risk disciplinary action - reluctant to accept that they treat students differently and would cover it up
- Teacher expectations may not be transmitted through classrooms but through predicted grades
What did Dunne and Gazeley say about labelling?
A01
- Teachers normalise WC underachievement
- Teachers label WC parents as uninterested in education
- Label MC parents as supportive
- Leads to setting extension tasks for MC students and entering WC students for lower tiers
What did Rist find about labelling?
AO1/2
- By the 8th day of kindergarten students were grouped into tables and griups based on appearance, parents, behaviour etc
- Fast learners were labelled as tigers and typically MC, this table was closest to the teacher
- Other 2 groups were cardinals and clowns, this table were furthest away, given lower level books and mostly WC
- When Rist returned 2 years later he found that the groups had not changed
How can we analyse labelling?
AO3
- The permanent exclusion rate for pupils eligible for FSM is 4 times higher than those not eligible
- Suspension rate is also much higher at 9.68 compared to 2.82
How can we evaluate labelling?
AO3
- Not all students accept their label e.g. the ambitious black girls in Fuller’s study rejected their labels
What did Douglas find about setting and streaming?
AO1/2
- Assessed children at 8 years old and 11 years old
- Found that children in lower streams had an IQ decrease by 11 years old and were mostly working class
- Children in higher streams had an IQ increase by 11 years old and were mostly middle class
What did Gilborn and Youdell find about setting and streaming?
AO2
- Conducted a study in 2 London secondary schools
- Found that teachers are less likely to see working class students as having high ability and more likely to enter them for lower tiers
What are the effects of the A-C economy?
AO2
- Teachers triage students into 3 groups: those who will pass anyway, C-D Borderline students, and hopeless cases
- C-D Borderline students were the targets as schools drive to achieve as many A-C Grades as possible thus causing them to ignore individual needs of failing and top students
How can we analyse setting and streaming? (A*-C economy)
AO3
- Relevant today as schools are marketised with league tables and are still ranked and judged on the amount of A-C grades they achieve
How can we evaluate setting and streaming?
AO3
- Rosenthall and Jacobson support that set your assigned to can determine your ability
- Ability is not fixed - setting and streaming doesn’t inherently disadvantage WC students as you can move up and down sets - reflects social mobility
What different subcultures did Mac an Ghail identify?
AO1/2
Being in a pro school or anti school subculture may determine how well you perform in school
1. Academic Achievers: skilled manual working class background - seek academic success by focusing on traditional subjects
2. New Enterprisers: Typically working class, reject traditional academic route - see it as a waste of time. Focused on subjects like business and computing, take advantages of school’s opportunities
3. Real Englishmen: middle class but anti-school, reject school values but succeed in education due to social and cultural capital
4. Macho Lads: failures, join anti-school subcultures - gain status from peers, more likely to be working class
5. The Gays: anti-school, believe school is homophobic in their approach to sexuality
What did Willis find about subcultures?
AO1
Learning to Labour study shows that the WC boys formed a ‘laddish subculture’ - valued misbehaviour rather than academics
