...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that factors and processes within the school are the main cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social classes: There are many internal factors which affect the educational achievement of children within a school. Internal factor are factors inside the education system which explain class differences in achievement, such as poor teaching, type of school and how students are treated. Labelling plays an important role in different achievement between classes. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to someone, these could be positive or negative. As it says in Item A positive or negative labelling of pupils by teachers can have important effects on performance. Studies have shown that teachers often attach labels regardless of the pupil’s actual ability or attitude. Instead, they labelled the pupils on the basis of stereotyped assumptions about their class background, labelling working- class children negatively and middle- class children positively. A self- fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true simply by the virtue of having being made. Interactionists argue that labelling can affect pupils’ achievement by creating a self- fulfilling prophecy. For example a teacher labels a pupil and on the basic of this label makes predictions about him. The teacher treats the pupil accordingly, acting as if the prediction they made is already true. The pupils then internalises...
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...view that differences in educational achievement between social classes are the result of factors and processes within the school. Within school there are educational differences within achievement between social classes. Generally the middle class on the whole tend to do better and outperform the working class. Some of the reasons why are put forward by interactionists sociologists who believe that the difference is “a result of factors and processes within the school” which are internal factors which cause this difference in achievement between social classes. Interactionists look at processes in the school on a small scale interaction to try and figure out why there is a difference. However there are other views such as external factors which suggest it is factors outside the school which lead to differences in educational achievement between social classes. One internal factor which can be seen as partly responsible for differences in educational achievement between social classes is labelling. Labelling refers to the process of defining a person or group in a certain way. Labelling by teachers can contribute to differences in educational achievement. For example a study by Howard Becker discovered how teachers judged pupils according to how closely they fitted the image of the “ideal pupil” and based their judgement on many key factors such as work, conduct and appearance. The teachers saw the middle class as the closest to the ideal pupil and the working class as the furthest...
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...affect educational achievement amongst the different social class groups. (12 marks) Despite brilliant improvements within the educational system and level of the nation as a whole, social class differences still continue to exist, as middle class pupils tend to achieve higher academically than working class pupils. This is due to many external factors (these are factors outside of the educational system, e.g. influences from home and the family background as well as cultural deprivation etc) but also internal factors (these are factors within schools and the educational systems, such as the relationship between teachers and pupils). In this essay I intend to explain the ways in which material deprivation can affect the educational achievement between different social classes. Material deprivation, an external factor refers to poverty and a lack of resources to succeed in education, such as; books, internet and adequate housing etc. It is the working class families who have a low income and inadequate housing that affects how a child does in their education. There are 3 features within material deprivation; 1) housing- working class families are more likely to live in poor housing with overcrowding, which means a lack of personal space that can lead to illnesses to spread within the house quicker meaning children are ill more often and taking time off school, resulting in underachievement. 2) Diet and health- compared to middle class families, the working class families...
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...Differences in educational achievement refer to the significant differences in educational success and failure. This difference can be found between the two genders where it is a fact that girls outperform boys in the education system; some may argue that this is a result of factors outside of school. The validity of this or whether the differences are caused by factors outside school will be discussed. One reason as to why it can be argued that gender differences in educational achievement are caused by factors outside school is because of changes in society’s views on females. In past generations, girls would not attend school and instead stay at home and learn from their mother how to cook and look after children, they were nurtured to become housewives for their future husbands. This meant that women had low aspirations, however this has changed. Sue Sharpe argues that this is a result of a gender quake that society is experiencing. Previously, girls had aspired to get married at a young age and become mothers to children early on in their lives. However, girl’s priorities have changed to getting an education so that they can have a career (Francis and Skelton) and therefore being able to support themselves above all other priorities rather than relying on a husband. This therefore means society accepts that it is normal for girls to get an education and provide for themselves; therefore society’s views on women can be argued to be an important outside school factor to influence...
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...In this essay, the view that social class differences in educational underachievement are the result of school processes such as labelling will be assessed. Internal and external factors will be assessed with the use of researchers such as: Bernstein, Bereiter & Engelmann, Keddie and Howard. Internal factors such as labelling have been shown to effect education achievement. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. Becker carried out a study on labelling on 60 Chicago high school teachers, and found that they judged pupils according to how closely they fit an image of the ideal pupil. The pupils work, conduct, and appearance were key factors to the teachers’ judgements. Becker found that middle class children were closer to the image of the ideal pupil whereas the working class children were furthest away and seen as badly behaved. Cicourel & Kituse’s study of educational counsellors in an American high school shows how this labelling can disadvantage working class student. They found that the way in which counsellors would assess the student’s suitability for courses. They judged students on the basis of their class and/or race. Where students would have the same grades, they work more likely to label middle class pupils as having college potential and to place them on higher level courses. Rist did a study on an American kindergarten and found that the teachers used information about the children’s home, background and appearance to place them...
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...Sociological research has challenged the view that ethnic differences in achievement reflect innate differences of intelligence and ability; this has become a view that very few sociologists now put forward. Ethnicity refers to the shared cultural traditions and history, which are distinct from other groups in society. The level of achievement of different ethnic groups varies. This may be due to factors such as home background, class, language and in-school factors. Recent studies highlight the effects of racism. Ethnicity influences factors that lead to an impact on education. There are many reasons for educational underachievement and it has been said that ethnicity is one of these key factors. Item A suggests that Chinese and Indian pupils are of higher educational achievement than Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Black pupils. One possible cause of ethnic differences in education could be at the fault of the education system. To investigate this Sewell carried out a study using semi-structured interviews and observations in an inner-city boys’ comprehensive school. His study revealed the ways in which African-Caribbean students are labelled by their teachers, peers and white students as ‘problems’ in the classroom. Sewell showed how Black boys use these negative perceptions to construct different responses to school based on their own ‘masculine’ images. Many of these belong in the anti-school culture, such as conformists and rebels, all in favour of gang culture. However...
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...rewards are based on achievement/ability or similar. Partial answer: [fair rewards] • Immediate gratification: wanting rewards now, or leaving school as soon as possible to get a job, or similar. • Cultural capital: the values, etc that the middle class transmit to their children or that confer advantage in the education system. • Compensatory education: additional educational opportunities/resources directed at deprived or under-achieving pupils. • Cultural deprivation: a lack or deficit of values (or of norms, attitudes, skills or knowledge). Partial answer [immediate gratification / a lack of culture] • Vocational education: relating to a career or specific work roles. • Ethnocentric curriculum: the subjects taught in school being biased towards one particular culture. One mark for a partially satisfactory answer. 02 Suggest three ways/reasons ... (6 marks) Two marks for each of three appropriate ways. One mark will be awarded where there is a partially appropriate answers. Marxists see school as being similar to the world of work: • A hierarchy of authority • Fragmentation of work/learning • Extrinsic rewards • Based on competition • Alienation • Status differences. Boys’ educational under-achievement: • Lack of male teacher role models • Feminisation of assessment • Boys’ poorer literacy • Laddish subcultures • Decline of traditional ‘male’ jobs. Educational policies that may...
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...Education and differences in educational achievement- past questions and mark schemes (CLASS, GENDER and ETHNICITY) January 2006 (a) Explain what is meant by cultural capital. (Item 1A, line 8). (2 marks) Two marks for an appropriate explanation or definition, such as the values, knowledge, attitudes, skills, tastes etc. possessed by the upper/middle class, or the values, knowledge etc. that give one class an educational advantage. (c) Identify three features of the restricted speech code (Item 1A, lines 10-11). (6 marks) Two marks for each of three appropriate features identified, such as: • used by the working class; • short/incomplete sentences; • often reduced to gestures; • context-bound/particularistic meanings/speaker assumes audience shares same frame of reference; • not used in education; • a product of repetitive, unskilled work; • a product of positional/rigid family structures. (e) Examine the reasons why females now tend to achieve more than males in the education system. (20 marks) Candidates will consider a range of reasons, such as the impact of feminism, equal opportunities policies, role models, changes in the family and work, changes in the curriculum and assessment, changes in girls aspirations, teacher attention and classroom interaction, selection, league tables etc. Concepts and issues such as meritocracy, patriarchy, pupil subcultures, labelling, de-industrialisation, marketisation, the hidden curriculum...
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...Many sociologists would agree school processes such as labelling have an effect on a child’s educational achievement. However there are many other school processes that cause underachievement. These will be discussed below. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. For example, teachers may label a student as smart, thick, hardworking or troublemaker. Studies have shown that teachers often attach such labels regardless of the pupil’s actual ability or attitude. Instead they label pupils on the basis of stereotyped assumptions about their class background. Howard Becker (1971) carried out an important interactionist study of labelling. He carried out interviews with 60 Chicago high school teachers. His findings were that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of the ‘ideal pupil’. Pupils work, conduct and appearance were key factors influencing teacher’s judgements. Middle class children were seen as the closest to ideal by teachers however lower working class children were seen as furthest away from it because they regarded them as badly behaved. Aaron Cicourel and john Kitsuse’s (1963) study of educational councillors in an American high school shows how such labelling can disadvantage working class students. Cicourel and Kitsuse found inconsistences in the way the councillors assessed students’ suitability for courses. Although they claimed to judge students according to their ability, in practice they judged...
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...Assess the view that social class differences in educational achievement are the results of school processes such as labelling (20) James Palman School processes such as labelling and streaming are examples of factors which can effect students achievement. This can be linked to the difference in social classes of students which will have an adverse effect on their achievement, partly due to different school processes which can put certain students at a disadvantage. Labelling is attaching a meaning or definition to a specific person or group. Teachers can label students negatively due to their social class. If the student is labelled in a negative manor such as being a trouble maker or thick the student can react to this label. Consequently a self-fulfilling prophesy can occur, this is when a student takes the label they are given and continue to show this characteristic. For example is a student is labelled as a trouble maker then the student can start to believe that they actually are a trouble maker and therefore continue to act in this manner. Howard Becker carried out an interactionist study of labelling. He found that from the 60 teachers he asked most of them judged pupils on how closely they fitted an image of the ‘ideal pupil’. The students work, conduct and appearance all effected this judgement, the teachers saw students from middle class backgrounds as the closest to the ‘ideal pupils’. Cicourel and Kitsuse studies educational counsellors in America and found that...
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...sociologists see differences in achievement as resulting from factors internal to the education system. Processes within schools that can cause these differences include labelling, streaming and the various ways pupils respond to being treated differently. In many cases, these factors link together to create a substantial inequalities in educational experiences and outcomes. By contrast, other sociologists claim that home and community background exerts a greater influence on achievement. Refers to the use of social ideas, social definitions, beliefs, and values to support, rationalise, and justify patterns of inequality. It is clear that there are differences in educational achievement of certain social groups, such as gender, ethnicity, and social class. Some may argue that this is due to internal factors, reasons from within the education system. However, others argue that the differences are due to external factors, which occur outside of the education system. Firstly, an internal factor that causes differences in educational achievement is labelling that item a states. This is when a teacher makes assumptions about a student and treats them accordingly to that assumption. An example of this is when a teacher labels boys as more disruptive than boys because of the gender stereotyping. Teachers communicate with girls more positively because they see them as being more co-operative. This can then raise girl’s self esteem which raises their achievement. Teachers have...
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...Assess the view that factors and processes within the school are the main cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social groups. It is clear that there are differences in educational achievement of certain social groups, such as gender, ethnicity, and social class. Some may argue that this is due to internal factors, reasons from within the education system. However, others argue that the differences are due to external factors, which occur outside of the education system. An internal factor that causes difference in educational achievement is labelling. This is when a teacher makes assumptions about a student and treats them accordingly to that assumption. An example of this is the fact that teachers label boys as more disruptive than girls. Teachers communicate with girls more positively because they see them as being more co-operative. This can then raise girl’s self esteem which raises their achievement. Teachers have lower expectations of boys, and expect them to misbehave more often. Becky Francis found that while boys got more attention in class, they were disciplined more harshly and felt picked on by teachers. This would lead to them retaliating with bad behaviour, thus lowering their achievements. Labelling can also happen to people due to their ethnicity. Gillborn found that teachers were quicker to discipline black pupils than others for the same behaviour. Gillborn and Youdell found that this is the result of teacher’s radicalised expectations...
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...that are in a working-class have the tendency to underachieve in school, in contrast to those students that are middle-class, this is due to external and internal factors. External cultural factors are claimed to be a key cause of social class differences in educational achievement according to various sociologist. These factors consist of Cultural deprivation, cultural capital and material deprivation. Students from working class backgrounds often experience economic problems (poverty) more so than any other class; this is linked to material deprivation which these pupils are exposed to throughout their time. Being in poverty could entail the students not having enough money to buy all the essential equipment that they will need for educational attainment, supported by sociologist - Bull. This is closely linked to educational under achievement for example in 2006 33% of children on pupil premium (free school meals) achieved 5 A* to C grades in comparison to 61% not on pupil premium. However, statistics cannot prove that material deprivation is the cause of under achievement as the government doesn’t always collect statistics that is supporting the claim 100%, therefore the claim cannot generalise. To support this claim sociologist Flaherty also states that having money problems in the family were a significant factor in younger children’s low attendance at school, which links to under achievements at school. The idea that children from working class backgrounds is also...
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...RELATED LITERATURE Educational achievement of students demands urgent attention to attain their goals. A numerous researches have been conducted to contribute to determine the predictors of educational success of college students. A research work always takes the advantages of the information and the knowledge that had been accumulated in the past as a result of constant research endeavour by mankind. According to Koul (2009) research can never be undertaken in the isolation of the work that has already been done on the problems related to the study propose by any researcher. Every researcher reviewed the related literature from the different resources that includes research journal, articles, books, magazines, encyclopedias, dissertations, abstracts, international year books, theses and most important in the present era the internet access. The detailed account of review of related literature pertaining to variables under study, namely academic achievement, parental encouragement, achievement motivation and intelligence is presented here under. 2.1 STUDIES RELATED TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Krishnan (1977) conducted a study on non-intellectual factors and their influence on academic achievement. The sample comprised of 180 students of sixth to ninth class studying in central school Tirupati and was divided into three groups depending on their parents‟ education as high, middle and low. The results indicated that parents‟ educational status had significant...
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...Mathew Bleasdale-Clews Using Material From Item A & Elsewhere, Assess The View That Factors & Processes Within The School Are The Main Cause Of Differences In The Educational Achievement Of Different Social Groups: The cause of differences in the educational achievement of different social groups can be asssigned to various social areas. One example is that of gender within school; the level of success in a child’s education can vary greatly depending on how a boy or girl is treated throughout their school life compared to the other. For example, in the 1960’s/70’s, sociologists were concerned with the apparent underachievement of girls. It wasn’t simply due to a lack of ambition; back then it was the norm for women to marry, and it was almost socially unacceptable for women to reach higher education, thus girls may have felt pressured in lower education to have less of a strive towards educational success than boys did. Far fewer girls studied maths, physics and chemistry as boys as these were considered ‘male’ orientated subjects, in which mostly male teachers were tutors for the subjects. If women did study such subjects they likely will have been ignored in the presence of so many male students. By the time boys were ready for university, girls were very likely to be considering family life, marriage and raising offspring. Even if they wished to attent university, grade boundaries were inflated to make it far more difficult for them to attain entry than boys...
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