This is a 20 mark essay of ‘Official Statistics’, including a plan which will help you to understand how to structure the essay better and get full marks.
I achieved a grade A*
Item A Many sociologists have examined the relationship between social
class and achievement and have found that there is a clear pattern of
middle-class pupils outperforming working-class pupils. However,
sociologists also want to understand the reasons for this pattern.
Sociologists may use official statistics to investigate social class
differences in achievement. This allows researchers to see trends and
patterns over time which can help to reveal cause-and-effect
relationships. Official statistics can be highly representative because they
are often collected across a wide range of institutions. However, it is very
difficult for the researcher to be sure that official statistics have not been
manipulated in some way by the organisations responsible for their
collection.
Applying material from Item A and your knowledge, evaluate the
strengths & limitations of official statistics for the study of social class
differences in achievement (20-marks).
20-Mark Essay Plan - use this to help you to plan your essay
Essay Question:
INTRODUCTION - What is the question asking you to argue? - Explain what you
understand the question wants you to do. Main topic? What are the issues to be
considered?
The advantages and disadvantages of investigating official statistics for the study of
social class differences in achievement
, INTRODUCTION - What will you argue to answer to the question? - summarise your
view in one sentence as this will help you make judgements later.
I will argue both sides by diving the factors in theoretical, ethical and practical factors
INTRODUCTION - Key points: Select 4 key points that will each form the basis of a
subheading of a developed paragraph. Remember it is important to fully deal with the
question.
• Easy access and not costly
• Representativeness
• Ethical issues
• Gov collect data for their own purpose
INTRODUCTION - Redefine the key terms: Use the statements you have created to
state your arguments to the question. Make sure you define and use key terms in the
question.
practical factor as it relates to how costly the data is, theoretical which means how
good the data collected is and ethical associating to moral issues of right and wrong.
INTRODUCTION - Why is this question being asked at this moment in time?
To compare the strengths and weaknesses
Section One
Point: Keep it clearly focused on the question- remember to link directly to the question
& include "because" to explain how your point relates.
official statistics often produce a representative sample to the wider society
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