Streaming - Gillborn & Youdell

Question 1

What did Gillborn and Youdell show?

Answer 1

how teachers use stereotypical notions of ‘ability’ to stream pupils

Question 2

What did Gillborn and Youdell find?

Answer 2

• teachers are less likely to see working class pupils as having an ability
• as a result they are more likely to be placed in lower streams and entered for lower tier GCSE
• this denies them the knowledge and opportunity needed to gain good grades and widens the class gap in achievement

Question 3

What does Gillborn and Youdell link together?

Answer 3

streaming and exam league tables

Question 4

What does Gillborn and Youdell argue publishing exam league tables creates?

Answer 4

• an A-to-c ecomony in schools
• this results in schools focusing their time, effort and resources on those pupils they see as having the potential to achieve 5 grades Cs and so boost the schools league table position

Question 5

What does Gillborn and Youdell argue that the A-to-C economy produces?

Answer 5

educational triage (sorting)

Question 6

Schools sort pupils into three types:

Answer 6

• those who will pass regardless and left to get on with it
• those with potential, who will be helped to get C or above
• hopeless cases, doomed to fail

Question 7

How do teachers sort children?

Answer 7

• using a stereotypical view of working class lacking ability
• as a result they are placed in bottom sets where they receive less attention, support and resources