Internal and external factors- social class

statistic on how social class impacts education

3x more likely to get five 4-9 grades if upper class than if working class.

material factors

things that can be bought to give an educational advantage e.g. laptop, textbook

- diet - housing

cultural deprivation

lack norms, values, roles and mores that would allow someone to succeed at school

intellectual stimulation

providing stimulating toys/games/ reading to enhance development

language codes, bernstein

w/c- restricted code: done provide context just explained by the situatin

u/c and m/c- elaborated code: context is provided meaning they are better practiced in language needed for exams

cultural capital, bourdieu

knowledge, skills and experience that allows us to get things we want in the world

w/c and m/c have diferent cultural capital e/g/ m/c would known how to successfully complain to a school to change something for their child which helps them get an educational advantage

parent’s values and education, feinstein

parents who are better educated tend to value education more and so build positive relationships with school and see the important of it. more likely to have routines and disciplines which help support learning, more likely to use money in ways that promote learing for their children e.g. buying books

working class subculture

1. immediate gratification- w/c more likely to favour instant gratification over deferred gratification, however education is deferred gratification as it is hard work now for future reward.

2. fatalism- belief that we do not have control over our future so no point in trying in education as there will be no reward —> this makes the outcome inevitable so the belief comes true.

3. low value of education- w/c people do not value education as they do not believe they will succeed as they don’t try.

labelling, howard becker

w/c students often labelled as badly behaved, essy, have a low reading age.. this leads to a self fulfilling prophecy meaning tehy underperform

labelling study, rosenthal and jacobson, spurters

• in a school in the US, teachers were told that a test carried out by the researchers would unlock hidden potential in some students

• after the test some students were identified as “spurters”

• however, the test was fake and the students were chosen at random.

• it was the difference of labelling by teachers that made the difference.

halo effect

impact of postiive labellign where a teacher perceives everything abut a student as good because they have a positive impression of them e.g. good manners

ideal pupil

perception of a perfect student is m/c or u/c