social class and achievement in education (internal factors)

Question 1

what are internal factors

Answer 1

they include labelling, self fulfilling prophecy, pupil subcultures and student vs school values

Question 2

how does labelling effect students, especially w/c students

Answer 2

teachers often label student regardless of their actual ability but based on stereotypes and assumptions and w/c kids are associated to be negative

Question 3

which sociologist focused on labelling

Answer 3

Howard Becker (1971) (60 high school teachers)

Question 4

what influenced teachers judgement

Answer 4

a pupil’s; work, appearance and conduct

Question 5

what is the self fulfilling prophecy

Answer 5

a prediction that comes true simply by virtue of having been made:
a teacher labels a pupil , then treats them accordingly, the pupil then internalises the teacher’s expectation

Question 6

who are Rosenthal and Jacobson?

Answer 6

sociologists who talk about the self fulfilling prophecy (tested the student on their IQ and lied about the results to see how teachers would then treat them)

Question 7

what’s the issue with teacher labelling

Answer 7

I can have positive effects for some student but can also produce under-achievement for kids who have been labelled to not achieve

Question 8

what is the difference between streaming and setting

Answer 8

streaming is where you set groups for students across the board according to their ability

setting is similar but students are set per class they have.

Question 9

what did Becker find the issue with streaming was

Answer 9

working class students tend to be put in the lower ability stream, creating the self fulfilling prophecy

Question 10

what is the educational triage and who came up with the it

Answer 10

Gillborn and Youdell, it basically means ‘sorting’
it separated students into 3 categories:
-those who will pass anyway
-borderline C/D pupils
-hopeless cases

Question 11

what is pupil subculture

Answer 11

a group of pupils who share similar values or behaviour patterns

Question 12

which sociologist talked about pupil subculture and what 2 main points did he make

Answer 12

Colin Lacey (1970)
he came up with the concepts of
-differentiation
-polarisation

Question 13

what is polarisation

Answer 13

the process in which pupils respond to streaming by moving towards one of two opposite ‘poles’

Question 14

what is differentiation

Answer 14

process of teachers categorising pupils according to how they perceive their ability, attitude and behaviour

Question 15

what are the variety of pupil responses

Answer 15

• ingratiation (being a teacher’s pet)
• ritualism (staying out of trouble)
• retreatism (daydreaming )
• rebellion (rejection of school values)

Question 16

which sociologist focused on the interaction between w/c pupils’ identities and school and how this produces under achievement

Answer 16

Louise Archer et al (2010) he draws on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus (1984)

Question 17

what is habitus

Answer 17

refers to the learned, taken-for-granted ways of thinking, being and acting that are shared by a particular social class. (lifestyle)

Question 18

what typically happens with habitus

Answer 18

the middle class usually has the power to define it’s habitus as superior and to impose on the education system

Question 19

how does habitus link to cultural capital

Answer 19

school gives m/c pupils an advantage through their habitus and their cultural capital

Question 20

schools devalue w/c habitus and taste causing what

Answer 20

symbolic violence , by keeping the lower classes ‘in their place’

Question 21

what is a ‘nike identity’

Answer 21

w/c students seek alternative ways to find self worth and status by wearing certain styles and brands, like Nike