Topic 2 - Class Differences in Achievement (Internal)

Question 1

What are internal factors? (E)

Answer 1

Factors inside the school environment hindering achievement

Question 2

Internal factors of educational difference [5]

Answer 2

Labelling
Streaming
Subcultures
Pupil Identities
Self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 3

Labelling: Becker

Answer 3

Teachers label how close student is to ‘ideal pupil’

Question 4

Labelling: Rosenthal and Jacobson

Answer 4

Self-fulfilling prophecy - almost 50% students labelled as spurters had significant growth

Question 5

Labelling: Gillborn and Youdell

Answer 5

Teachers labelled working-class students as unintelligent, resulting in them being placed in lower streams and sets.

Question 6

Pupil Subcultures - 2 ways in which they developed, Lacey

Answer 6

Polarisation: When pupils respond to a streaming by moving to a pro/anti-school subculture.
Differentiation: Those placed in higher streams gain higher status

Question 7

Pupil Identities Archer et al

Answer 7

Found w/c invest in ‘nike’ identities -> self-exclusion from education because it does not fit their identity

Question 8

Evaluating internal factors [3]

Answer 8

Hard to fully divide factors up between in-school and out-of-school as both impact each other.

• Language codes for instance is really both an out-of-school and in-school factor as it relates both to how people speak at home and in school
• Anti-school subcultures might explain why working-class pupils underperform, but the question of why working-class pupils join them is more complex & must relate to external factors too

Question 9

Links between external & internal factors [3]

Answer 9

• External linguistic differences - restricted & elaborate code
• Language within school takes form of elaborate code e.g. textbooks, exams
  Is it the schools fault for using elaborate code, or the parents for using restricted?
• Teachers may label students based on external factors e.g. family background, appearance - may be disruptive due to lack of nutrition.