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Define the term ‘secondary socialisation’. [2]When a child learns the values, beliefs, and attitudes of their culture through those outside of the family,
such as teachers, friends and the media.
Using one example, briefly explain how schools might respond to increased diversity caused by
patterns of migration. [2]
Schools might respond to diversity by implementing a culturally inclusive curriculum, for example, in a
school with a growing population of immigrant students, the curriculum may be adapted to include diverse
cultural perspectives, ensuring that students from various backgrounds feel represented and engaged in
school. Such as celebrating Diwali and Eid, or incorporating their culture into the curriculum in subjects
like History or English.
Outline three reasons why girls may be more successful in schools than boys. [6]
Girls may outperform boys in school due to evolving gender stereotypes and differences in educational
attitudes. Norman argues that girls are socialized into more passive subjects, while boys are socialized
into active play. This reinforced the traditional gender roles, as a result, girls may be more motivated and
encouraged to excel academically as they are used to writing, reading, and talking, while boys may face
societal expectations that prioritize traits like toughness or being an athlete over academic achievement.
Furthermore, girls often exhibit learning styles and classroom behaviors that align more closely with the
expectations of the school. They tend to be more organized, attentive, and cooperative, which portrays
them in a positive light to the teachers, which gives them more attention. Whereas boys may engage in
more disruptive behavior or struggle with the structured nature of schooling, and as they aren’t getting
academic validation, they might turn to anti-subcultures and make it their self-fulfilling prophecy to fail.
Lastly, girls may benefit from educational resources and support over the years. Mitsos and Browne that
the gender gap was fairly constant until the year coursework was introduced in GCSE, AS, and A level.
As girls are more conscientious and more organized than boys, as they spend more time on their work
and make sure it is well presented, and handed in on time, it has helped girls benefit and succeed in
schools over boys.
Outline and explain two ways in which teacher-pupil interactions may affect the educational
achievement of pupils from minority ethnic groups. [10]
One way in which teacher-pupil interactions may affect the educational achievement of pupils from
minority ethnic groups is because of cultural differences. Teachers who come from a different cultural
background than their minority ethnic pupils may not understand their cultural beliefs, values, and
practices. This lack of understanding can lead to a breakdown in communication and a failure to connect
with minority ethnic pupils. If pupils feel that their cultural identity is not valued or appreciated in the
classroom, they may disengage from learning and experience lower levels of educational achievement,
making it their self-fulfilling prophecy to underachieve.
Another way in which teacher-pupil interactions may affect the educational achievement of pupils from
minority ethnic groups is because of stereotyping, labeling, and teacher expectations. Teachers may
unintentionally hold negative stereotypes and lower expectations of minority ethnic pupils. This can be
due to unconscious biases or limited exposure to diverse cultures. When teachers hold these negative
perceptions, they may communicate them to pupils through their language, tone, and behavior. This can
lead to minority ethnic pupils being underestimated and not given the same opportunities to excel as their
, peers. Consequently, pupils may struggle to succeed academically and feel marginalized within the
school environment.
Item A
From a functionalist perspective, one role of the education system is to help create a value consensus.
Functionalists also believe education contributes to role allocation in a variety of ways, for example
through the use of examinations and assessments.
However, other sociologists are critical of the functionalist approach to the education system. For
example, Marxists and feminists would challenge the idea that the education system is meritocratic.
Applying material from Item A and your knowledge, evaluate the functionalist approach to the
education system. [20]
Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a
shared culture or value consensus. When studying education, functionalists seek to discover what
functions it performs. They take a conscience, ‘top-down’ approach, where they generally emphasize the
positive functions that schools perform for individuals and society arguing that schools promote social
harmony. Their views are criticized by Marxists and Functionalists, who claim the ideological state
apparatus, such as schools, reinforces social inequality and lacks meritocracy. Therefore, when
assessing whether the functionalist approach towards education, is justified accurately, it is important to
evaluate it compared to other sociological theories.
According to Item A, the role of education is to “create value consensus”. Durkheim argues that the role of
education is to create a social solidarity which in turn promotes value consensus. Social solidarity is
where the individual members of society feel themselves to be a part of a single body or community and
work together towards a shared goal. Durkheim argues that without social solidarity, social life and
cooperation would be impossible because each individual would pursue their own selfish desires. The
education system helps to create social solidarity by transmitting society’s culture, its shared beliefs and
values, from one generation to the next. For example, Durkheim argues that teaching of a country’s
history instills in children a sense of shared heritage and a commitment to the wider social group, this is
achieved through children learning subjects such as History and English. He further argues that schools
also act as a ‘society in miniature’ as they prepare us for a life in a wider society, for example, both in
school and at work we have to cooperate with people who are neither family nor friends. Especially in
primary schools, where children are given roles or jobs that increase responsibility and make children
engaged which supports the functional belief that education contributed to the role allocation in life.
However, it is debatable whether schools are successful in instilling a genuine sense of social solidarity in
most students. A minority of students are excluded from schools, and around 5% are persistent
absentees. Hence if students are not in mainstream education, then schools cannot promote a sense of
belonging, while for those students who are at school, many are there in body, but not necessarily in
spirit, as many don’t concentrate in class. Finally, there is the fact there is such a huge diversity of
schools, such as faith schools, private schools, and even home education, hence education is too
fragmented and divided for it to promote true solidarity at the national level, to the extent that
postmodernists suggested there is no such thing as a unified culture anymore. Furthermore, Wrong
argues that the functionalist has an ‘over-socialized view’ of people as mere puppets of society.
Functionalists wrongly imply that pupils passively accept all they are taught and never reject the school's
values, and Marxists clearly identify how the hidden curriculum reinforces ruling class idealogy in order to
socialize the students.
Functionalists also believe that schools provide students with the necessary skills needed for the future.
Durkehiem argues that the modern industrial economy requires a complex division of labor, where the
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