theories of education

Question 1

neoliberalism

Answer 1

a political philosophy that all areas of society should be run as if they were a business to make them more efficient

Question 2

durkheim key concepts:

Answer 2

• a specialised division of labour
• specialised skills
• social solidarity

Question 3

parsons key concepts:

Answer 3

• education acts as a bridge
• meritocractic principles
• particularistic (home) and universalistic standards (school) status

Question 4

davis and moore key concepts:

Answer 4

• role allocation
• the need for inequality
• shifting and sorting

Question 5

semi skilled choosers:

Answer 5

parents who have a high level of concern for their children’s education, but do not have the same abilities or resources as skilled choosers

Question 6

disconnected choosers:

Answer 6

parents who are less concerned with the academic reputation of a school and are more concerned with their child’s happiness

Question 7

skilled choosers:

Answer 7

parents who have the money, skills and motivation to make informed choices about the school they send their child to

Question 8

marketisation

Answer 8

• according to neoliberalism, marketisation is the key to raising
  standards in education
• schools, colleges and universities should compete for customers in a free market
• this will incentivise them to raise standards so that they attract more ‘customers’

e.g. SATs and OFSTED are put in place to help governments monitor schools and raise standards.

Question 9

privatisation:

Answer 9

• private sector participation in the education market
• this raises standards and improves efficiency

e.g. government employing private companies to provide catch up tuition to schools after COVID – rather than teachers.

Question 10

globalisation:

Answer 10

• where global organisations are increasingly involved in disseminating
  educational policy and education is seen as key to success in the global market.
• global companies can be involved in education, for instance exam boards and
  producers of educational resources like Pearson

Question 11

1988 Education Reform Act:

Answer 11

• introduced formula funding, in which schools would be given funding based upon the number of student they have

Question 12

the creation of OFTSED

Answer 12

governemnt organsation that inspected. monitered and graded schools and educational establishments, which were available for parents to read

Question 13

academies and free schools

Answer 13

where local councils no longer oversea schools, meaning they were freed from local authority control and could choose how schools were ran themselves

Question 14

standardised testing

Answer 14

government tests to ensure schools are reaching targets and age related expectations

Question 15

league tables

Answer 15

a way of ranking schools based on criteria such as academic performance, student-teacher ratios, and a school’s facilities

Question 16

idealogical state apparatus

Answer 16

institutions that encourage conformity by transmitting ruling class ideology, teaching us to accept capitalism as normal and
fair

Question 17

repressive state apparatus

Answer 17

institutions that force the proletariat to conform and keep them in their place
-e.g. the police and the army

Question 18

correspondece principle

Answer 18

• the theory that there is a very close similarity, between the social relationships at school and at work
• school prepares young people for work in capitalist society, teaching the majority to be passive unquestioning workers of the future.

Question 19

false class consciousness

Answer 19

• a false picture of society which disguises the reality of the exploitation workers experience in capitalist system
• this stops them initiating revolution.

Question 20

reproduction of labour power

Answer 20

where new generations of workers must be produced to create the profits on which capitalism depends

Question 21

submission to authority

Answer 21

where students have to submit to teacher’s authority in school which prepares them for the workplace

Question 22

external rewards

Answer 22

where students get little satisfaction from their work and are motivated by gaining grades this prepares them for dissatisfying work

Question 23

alienation

Answer 23

where workers feel a sense of disconnection and dissatisfaction from their work.

Question 24

legitimising inequality

Answer 24

where the education system provides an explanation or justifies inequality through the myth of meritocracy

Question 25

myth of meritocracy

Answer 25

the idea that we all have a fair and equal opportunity in society is a deception

Question 26

counter school culture

Answer 26

a culture of norms and values which go against the school’s values and culture
- e.g. being late, disrespecting teachers, misbehaving earns you respect from your peers

Question 27

working class masculinity

Answer 27

manual work and being physically strong is seen as masculine

Question 28

shop floor culture

Answer 28

factory-floor culture of norms and values
- e.g. lack of respect for authority, having a laugh,
seeking out maximum possible freedoms