This document delves into the sociological factors influencing educational outcomes among different social classes, focusing on internal school dynamics.
It covers key theories and concepts such as labelling, self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming, and the creation of pupil subcultures.
Detail...
Labelling
● To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. For example a teacher may label a
student as hardworking or a trouble maker.
- Studies show that teachers often label students based on stereotypical assumption they
have about their background
- Interactionalist sociologists study small scale face to face interactions between people in
classroom or playground - they argue that children to get labelled
Howard Becker, an interactionist, used an interview of 60 Chicago highschool teachers and found that
they labelled students based on how closely they fitted the image of an ‘ideal pupil’.
Students' work, conduct and appearance contributed to the judgments made by teachers. Working
class pupils were seen to be the furthest away from this ideal pupil whereas middle class were seen as
the closest.
However, Jorgenson studied 2 English primary schools and found that notions of the ideal pupil can
vary on social classes in school.
In the Aspen primary school which was mostly working class the issue was bad behaviour and lack of
discipline so the ideal pupil was seen as someone who is quiet,obedient.
Whereas in the Rowan primary school which was mostly middle class there were no behaviour issues
and the ideal pupil was seen as being academic and intellectual.
Labelling in secondary schools:
Dunne and Gazeley argue that ‘schools persistently produce working class underachievement’ through
labels and teachers assumptions.
From interviews of 9 state secondary schools they found that teachers normalised the
underachievement of working class pupils and were not concerned by it as they thought they can’t
overcome it. Contrastingly, they believed that middle class underachievement could be overcomed.
A major reason for this was teachers' beliefs about students' home backgrounds. Labelled working
class pupils were seen as having parents who were not interested in their education, but middle class
pupils who were labelled as underachieving, their parents were seen as more supportive e.g they
would pay for music lessons or tuition.
As a result teachers would be willing to help the middle class pupils who were underachieving by for
example setting them extra work or extending deadlines for them. However with working class
students who were underachieving they would enter them into easier exams. If there were working
class pupils who did really well in education they would be labelled as overachievers.
Labelling in primary school
Rist carried out a study in American kindergarten shows where she found that teachers would use
background information and a child to place them in separate groups at school. For example, middle
class pupils were put on the table called ‘tigers’ meaning that they would get teacher help attention
and support. However working class pupils were labelled as ‘clowns’ or ‘cardinals’, being put on other
tables further away from getting teacher support, they would be given easy books to read and less
chances to show their academic abilities.
, Self - fulfilling prophecy ( SFP)
● Self fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that is made which comes true simply through the virtue of
it being made.
- Interactionalits argue that labelling can affect pupils' achievement as it creates a SFP.
There are 3 steps that lead to this:
1. Teacher labels a student
2. Teacher treats the student like the label
3. The student internalises the label which biomes part of his self image, he then fulfils the
production by doing as the prediction
For example:
1. A teacher labels a student as making outstanding academic progress
2. The teacher treats him like this so e.g. helping him, giving him more work and and
attention
3. The students gain confidence and try harder and succeed.
The prediction now is fulfilled.
Teachers expectations:
In 1986 Rosenthal and Jacobson carried out a longitudinal study showing the SPF at work. They had
told the school that they could identify students with their new test of who will ‘spurt ahead’. The test
was not a new test but a standard IQ test. Importantly the teachers believed what they were told. After a
year they came back and found that almost half (47%) of those that they predicted as the ‘spurters’
made significant progress..
Rosenthal and Jacobson argue that the teacher's beliefs about the pupils were influenced by the
prediction. The teachers conveyed students these beliefs through giving them more attention and
encouragement.
The fact that students were selected at random indicates that one can make them into a certain type
through a teacher believing that the students can do well and treat them accordingly through their
interactions.
Streaming
Streaming involves separating students into different ability groups or classes called streams. Then each
group is taught separately. Sociologists argue that this allows the self fulfilling prophecy to take place as
each designated group will be told beliefs that fit their ability.
Working class students are seen as not the ideal pupil thus they are placed in lower streams. Once in a
stream it is hard to move up. Children in lower streams are locked in a stream with their teachers limiting
low expectations and beliefs.
Thus create a SFP as the the beliefs teachers have for each stream ultimately determine their interaction
with these children. For example children in a low stream will be treated in a way that makes them
underachieve. Douglas found that students who were placed in lower stream at the age of 8 suffered from
an IQ decline by the age of 11.
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