Class Difference in Achievement (Internal Factors)

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  • Created by: evekav
  • Created on: 10-02-21 16:47
What is labelling?
Teachers attach a meaning or definition to them, for example labelling a pupil bright or thick, troublesome or hardworking.
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What did Becker (1971) find about labelling and the ideal pupil?
Interviews based on 60 Chicago high school teachers, they judged pupils on how closely they matched the 'ideal pupil'. Pupils' work, conduct and appearance were factors in judgement, MC were the closest to 'ideal pupil' and WC were the furthest
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What did Hempel-Jorgenson (2009) find about the ideal pupil?
Study of 2 English primary schools-WC Aspen primary school (staff disciple problems) ideal pupil is defined as quiet, passive and obedient. MC Rowan primary school (few discipline problems) ideal pupil was defined by personality and academic ability.
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What did Dunne and Gazeley (2008) find about labelling in secondary schools?
'Schools persistently produce WC underachievement' - found teachers 'normalised' underachievement of WC pupils and didn't help them to improve, whereas when MC pupils underachieved, teachers gave them more support.
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What did Rist (1970) find about labelling in primary schools?
Study of American kindergarten-teachers used info about child's home background and appearance, put in separate groups and sat them at different tables. Fast learners=MC and teachers gave these the most help, the 'lower' group were WC
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What is the Self-fulfilling Prophecy?
*Teacher labels pupil and on the basis of the label, makes predictions of them
*Teacher treats pupil accordingly, acting as the prediction is true
*Pupil realises the label and begins to act to the teacher's label, leading to the label being fulfilled.
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What did Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) find about teachers' expectations and the self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP)?
Told school they had a test to determine which pupils would 'spurt' ahead, this was false but teachers believed it. They picked randomly 20% of the pupils as 'spurters', a year later 47% had made significance progress, this shows the SFP
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What is streaming?
Involves separating children into different ability groups or classes called 'streams'. Each ability group is then taught separately from others for all subjects.
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Why is streaming a problem?
Once put into streams, it is difficult to move up to a higher stream and children are more or less locked into their teachers' low expectations of them.
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What did Gillborn and Youdell (2001) find about streaming and the A-C economy?
Study of two London secondary schools-found teachers are less likely to see WC and black students as having ability. Low streams denies them knowledge and opportunities, widening the class gap in achievement.
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What is the A-C economy?
This is a system in which schools focus their time, effort and resources on those pupils they see as having the potential to get five or more grade Cs. Those who aren't in the A-C triage don't receive the help needed to succeed.
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What is the educational triage?
Schools sort pupils based on how likely they are to achieve 5+ GCSEs grade A*-C, they sort them in 3 groups, 'those who'll pass anyway', 'borderline C/D' and 'hopeless cases' teachers do this based on stereotypes.
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What is a pupil subculture?
A group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns - they often emerge as a response to the way pupils have been labelled and as a reaction to streaming.
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What did Colin Lacey (1970) find about pupil subcultures?
Found differentiation and polarisation are explanations for how pupil subcultures develop.
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What is differentiation according to Lacey?
The process of teachers categorising pupils according to how they perceive their ability, attitude or behaviour. Those that the school sees as 'more able' are given high status=higher streams and 'less able'=lower streams.
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What is polarisation according to Lacey?
The process that pupils respond to streaming by moving towards one of two opposite 'poles', pro-school and anti-school subcultures.
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What is the pro-school subculture?
Pupils placed in high streams tend to remain committed to the values of the school, they gain status through academic success and subsequently form a pro-school subculture.
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What is the anti-school subculture?
Pupils placed in low streams suffer a loss of self-esteem: the school has undermined their self worth by placing them in an inferior position. They go against the values of school.
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What did Hargreaves (1967) find about pupil subcultures?
From the point of view of the education system, boys in the lower streams were triple failures, failed their 11+ exam; been placed in lower streams; and had been labelled as 'worthless louts'.
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What did Ball (1981) find about abolishing streaming?
When the school abolished banding, the polarisation of pupils was largely removed. But, differentiation continued, his study showed inequalities continued due to teacher's labelling.
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What did Woods (1979) find about pupil responses?
There are 4 types of responses to labelling and streaming, other than pro and anti-school subcultures.
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What is 'Ingratiation' according to Woods?
Being the 'teacher's pet'
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What is 'Ritualism' according to Woods?
Going through the motions and staying out of trouble.
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What is 'Retreatism' according to Woods?
Daydreaming and mucking about.
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What is 'Rebellion' according to Woods?
Outright rejection of everything the school stands for.
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What did Furlong (1984) find about pupil responses?
Many pupils are not committed permanently to any one response, but may move between the different types and act differently in lessons with different teachers.
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What did Fuller (1984) criticise about the labelling theory?
Found just because teachers label pupils - it doesn't mean the pupils have to fulfil the prophecy.
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What do Marxists criticise about the labelling theory?
They state it ignores the wider structures of power within which labelling takes place - the theory tends to blame teachers but doesn't explain why they do so
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What did Louise Archer et al (2010) focus on in terms of pupils' class identities and the school?
Focused on the interaction between WC pupils' identities and the school, and how this produces underachievement-she draws on Bourdieu's (1984) concept of habitus.
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What is 'habitus'?
It refers to the 'dispositions' or learned, taken for granted ways of thinking, being and acting that are shared by a particular social class, including tastes and preferences about lifestyles and consumptions.
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How does class affect habitus?
MC has the power to define its habitus as superior and to impose it on the education system so the school puts a higher value on MC tastes, preferences, etc.
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Why does a MC pupil have an advantage due to their habitus?
The school has a MC habitus and so their values match the habitus of the pupil and the WC pupil has an inferior status.
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What is 'symbolic capital'?
Status or recognition from the school and are deemed to have worth or value.
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What is 'symbolic violence'?
Refers to harm done by denying someone symbolic capital, eg by defining WC culture as worthless.
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What did Archer find about Symbolic capital/violence?
WC pupils felt to be educationally successful, they would have to change how they talked and presented themselves.
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What are 'Nike' identities?
When pupils heavily invest in styles to create self worth, status and value after experiencing symbolic violence.
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How are pupils experiencing symbolic violence able to gain symbolic capital?
Style performances were heavily policed by peer groups and not conforming was 'social suicide', the right appearance earned symbolic capital from peer but not the school.
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How did gaining symbolic capital from peer groups conflict with the school?
The 'right appearance' comes into conflict with the school's dress code and can cause teachers to label pupils as 'rebels'.
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How do 'Nike' styles play a part in pupils' rejection of higher education?
They saw it as 'unrealistic'-not for people 'like us' but for richer and cleverer people.
They also saw it as 'undesirable'-it would not 'suit' their preferred lifestyle or habitus-living on a student loan = they couldn't afford street styles.
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According to Archer et al, what does investment in 'Nike identities' also express?
Their positive preference for a particular lifestyle and results in WC choosing self-elimination or self-exclusion from education. They then reject education because it does not fit with their identity.
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What did Ingram (2009) find about educational success in WC pupils?
Study of WC Catholic boys from highly deprived area-one group passed their 11+ and gone to grammar school and the other had gone to a local secondary.
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What did Ingram find about having a WC identity?
Having a WC identity was inseparable from belonging to a WC locality. The networks of family and friends were a key part of the boy's habitus and gave them a feeling of belonging.
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What did Ingram find about the community's emphasis on conformity?
The boys experienced a pressure to 'fit in' which was a problem for the grammar school boys who had tension between WC neighborhood habitus and the schools' MC habitus.
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What did Sarah Evans (2009) find about class identity and self-exclusion?
Studied a group of 21 WC girls from South London Comprehensive doing A-levels and found they were reluctant to apply to elite universities and those who did felt a sense of hidden barriers.
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According to Bourdieu (1984), what did he find about class identity and self-exclusion?
Many WC people think of Oxbridge a being 'not for the likes of us'- feeling from their habitus and their realistic opportunities. This becomes part of their identity and leads to WC exclusion from such Unis.
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What else did Evans find about the girls' attachment to their locality?
Only 4 girls intended to move away from their home to study.
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What did Reay el al (2005) point out about class identity and self-exclusion?
Self-exclusion from elite universities narrows the options of many WC pupils and limits their success.
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What does Ingrams, Evans and Archer's study show a pattern of?
Pattern of a MC education system that devalues the experiences and choices of WC people as worthless or inappropriate. WC pupils are often forced to choose between maintaining their WC identities or abandoning them.
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What is the issue with WC habitus and identities formed outside schools?
They may conflict with the school's MC habitus resulting in symbolic violence.
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What does teachers belief about WC home background produce?
Underachievement.
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What may poverty lead to?
Bullying or stigmatisation by peer groups which can led to truanting or failure.
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What did Ingram (2009) find out about educational success in WC pupils?
Study of WC Catholic boys from highly deprived area-one group passed their 11+ and gone to grammar school and the other had gone to a local secondary.
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Card 2

Front

What did Becker (1971) find about labelling and the ideal pupil?

Back

Interviews based on 60 Chicago high school teachers, they judged pupils on how closely they matched the 'ideal pupil'. Pupils' work, conduct and appearance were factors in judgement, MC were the closest to 'ideal pupil' and WC were the furthest

Card 3

Front

What did Hempel-Jorgenson (2009) find about the ideal pupil?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What did Dunne and Gazeley (2008) find about labelling in secondary schools?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What did Rist (1970) find about labelling in primary schools?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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