Social class differences in achievement - Internal factors

Social Class Differences in Achievement

INTERNAL FACTORS

LABELLING:

= (linked to interactionist theory) - attaching a meaning/definition to someone.

> Studies show teachers label based on social class e.g. BECKER - studied 60 Chicago high school teachers, each had an image of the 'ideal pupil'. MC = ideal. WC = furthest from ideal + disruptive.

SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY (SFP):

= when someone takes on a label they have been given.

> The teacher labels a pupil, treats them based on the label and then the student internalises (takes on) the label. E.G. ROSENTHAL & JACOBSON (AO3) told teachers at a school that they had a new test designed to identify spurters - this was in fact a standard IQ test. They then selected 20% of students at random & told teachers these were the future spurters. When they returned to school a year later, 47% of the "spurters" showed significant progress - it was argued this was due to how the teachers treated those students.

• Studies show teachers are more likely to positively label MC students…