Social Class & Educational Achievement Flashcards

Flashcards on Social Class & Educational Achievement

Social class

The most consistent predictor of academic achievement in the UK.

Bourdieu

Argues that middle-class families pass on tastes, knowledge, confidence and the language valued by schools.

Habitus

Schools that reflect middle-class norms.

Poverty

Impacts educational performance via lack of resources, poor diet, and overcrowded housing.

Pupil Premium

Aimed to offset material deprivation but shows mixed success.

Becker

Teachers see the ideal pupil as middle-class.

Rosenthal & Jacobson

Expectations shape outcomes.

Willis

Working-class boys form anti-school subcultures and resist authority.

Marketisation policies

Assume all parents are equally capable of choosing schools.

Gerwitz

Identified 'skilled choosers' vs 'disconnected choosers'.

Bartlett

Cream-skimming, silt-shifting schools select middle-class high achievers.

Bernstein

Working-class children use 'restricted code,' schools operate in 'elaborated code'.

Sugarman

Working-class values discourage long-term academic success.

Conclusion

Social class differences in achievement stem from both home background and school structure.