Class difference in achievement: Internal factors Thursday, 04 July 2019 Class difference in achievement: Internal factors Lesson 1: TOPIC 2 The processes and factors inside school that may lead to differential achievement The effect of these processes on working and middle class students and their outcomes Evaluation of the importance of in school factors Labelling, self fulfilling prophecy, streaming, pupil identities, subcultures

Immediate activity No books, no notes, no discussion We are now at the end of our lessons on the EXTERNAL factors leading to working class under achievement It’s time to review the key terms and concepts. You have 15 minutes to answer the 6 questions, do it individually so that you know where your strengths and weakness are.

Mark your work

What makes the ideal student? Get you thinking Smug points opportunity which sociologist in your reading does this link to? What makes the ideal student?

How might a teacher label a student How might a teacher label a student? What influences them when they create this label?

Labelling theory Interactionalist sociology- This means that the sociologist focus on how different groups interact with each other and how this shapes behaviour. Definition of labelling: To attach a meaning or definition to a student, e.g. They’re thick, bright, hardworking, trouble maker Some pupils are labelled positively, others negatively

Which pupil would be most positively labelled? I’m working class and get high marks Rank in order, 1 being most positive, 4 being least positive. I’m middle class and get high marks Sociologist focus: Dunne & Gazeley (2008) argue that this student is likely to be labelled as over achieving. Sociologist focus: Dunne & Gazeley (2008) argue that this student is likely to be entered for higher tier exam papers I’m middle class but struggle in class I’m working class and am not that bright Sociologist focus: Dunne & Gazeley (2008) argue that this student is likely to be given support to achieve as parents are perceived as supportive Sociologist focus: Dunne & Gazeley (2008) argue that this students weaker academic performance is viewed as ‘normal and inevitable’ due to class background Why do you think this?

Key sociologists in labelling ... Becker (1971) Rosenthal & Jacobson (1968) Ray Rist (1970)

Immediate activity No discussion, no notes, no books True or false? Douglas argued that middle class parents are more likely to attend parents evening. The teacher in Rist’s study labelled the middle class children as ‘tigers’ Collectivism describes being more focused on group identity rather than individual achievement. Compensatory education is viewed as a success by all sociologists.

Labelling starts from the outset of a child’s educational career.... Rist (1970)- American kindergarten study Used info about children’s home background and appearance to place them into different groups Tigers- fast learners, M/C and neat/clean in appearance, placed nearest to her and showed them greatest encouragement Clowns and Cardinals- W/C, lower level books to read, fewer opportunities to demonstrate their abilities Task: Summarise the Rist study in your notes and consider how these labels may have affected the future achievement of these pupils?

So what are the consequences of labelling? Page 28-29 Self Fulfilling prophecy- what is it? How is it created. Who can we use (sociologists) as evidence for it? Streaming- What is it? How does it impact a child’s achievement? Who benefits and who suffers as a result? Stretch and challenge: Key term: A-C economy- What is it, how is it created? What is it’s impact? Which sociologists can we link it to?

Key study:Rosenthal and Jacobson

Evaluation extra: Cicourel and Kitsuse (1963) Inconsistencies in how teachers assessed students suitability for courses Students with similar grades- more likely to label M/C students as having college potential and to place them on higher level courses Students are Judged on social class and ethnicity.

4. Labelling and the self-fulfilling prophecy. Teachers are unavoidably involved in making judgements about pupils. Pupils’ are continuously assessed and placed in particular classes based on the label they have been given. The “halo effect”: labelling a student as bright, based on early impressions. If teachers have low expectations of working-class children they may see the student as only being capable of reaching a certain level of academic achievement, and may see no point in trying to develop the student’s performance any further- this is called a self-fulfilling prophecy. Use random name generator

Applying the theory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP-wEhEZewA Look at Sister Mary Clarence’s class What expectations do you have of them? Why have you formed these expectations? What are the sociological term do we apply to these judgements? Now watch the clip: How have they lived up to these expectations? What sociological term to we apply to their actions based on your predictions? BY THE END OF THE LESSON:What type of pupil subculture have they formed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP-wEhEZewA

Hargreaves (1967) and Lacey (1970) both studied streaming Hargreaves (1967) and Lacey (1970) both studied streaming. Their basic findings were as follows: Students in low streams: Students in high streams: Anti - school orientation, value academic failure and pursue it, apathetic to teacher demands, are negatively evaluated and unfavourably perceived by their teachers. Get the least able and inexperienced teachers. Status in lower streams is based on bad behaviour, not doing work, truanting, and being tough. The worst offenders are the most popular among their peers. However their sense of worth ( i.e. their self concept ) had been undermined by the process of setting and the allocation of inferior status by the school and teachers, thus the need to seek higher status by other means, through anti - school cultures. Pro - school orientations, value academic success and pursue it, conform to teachers demands, are positively evaluated and favourably perceived by their teachers. Get the best / most able teachers. Status in high streams is based on academic success. The most able students tend to be the most popular within the set. The school studied by Lacey was a grammar school, so all the students came because of success in their 11+ exams. Yet within a short time those placed in lower streams saw themselves labelled as failures and suffered from sleeplessness, bed-wetting, headaches and other physical reactions. Within a year or two a significant proportion of low stream pupils were anti - school, as they adjusted to their new status and experiences of "failure". Ball (1981) studied streaming at Beachside comprehensive. The schools was in the process of getting rid of streaming, doing this stopped polarisation and anti school subcultures, but teacher differentiation and labelling still occurred showing that class inequalities can continue as a result of teacher labelling even without the effect of subcultures or streaming.

Polarisation: Lacey (1970) Hightown Grammar. Lacey attempts to explain why subcultures form through 2 key concepts: Refers to the way that teachers categorise or ‘Differentiate’ between pupils according to stereotypes about ability, appearance etc. Differentiation: Setting & Streaming are forms of differentiation as well as ‘Foundation’ & ‘Higher’ tier exam differentiation. Polarisation: This is way that pupils respond to differentiation – moving towards 2 extremes (polar opposites)…………….

Inside school factors: educational triage- Gillborn and Youdell 2000 The ways pupils are divided into three groups Those who are likely to succeed in exams (a*-c) whatever happens Those who have a chance at succeeding if they get some extra help (those around the C/D boundary) Those who have little chance of succeeding what ever is done. Discuss: Which students do you think schools will focus their attention on? Why?

They found that schools focus on the first two groups as this will improve their place in the league tables and give the impression of a successful school. The third group are written off as no hopers and left to ‘die and educational death’ Pressures on schools to reach exam results targets by 2015 meant that schools intensified this triage system.

Inside school factors: how students respond to schooling The way that students respond to the way they’re schooled can also have an impact on achievement. As a result students can form subcultures with other pupils who share values, experiences and behaviours. These groups provide support and peer-group status. Which subculture a student moves towards can also be affected by ethnicity, class and gender.

Status Interactionist emphasise that all human beings seek status in their own eyes and in the eyes of others, particularly significant others. If people cannot achieve status through the conventional status avenues they will adopt alternative status channels.

Hargreaves 1967 Hargreaves highlights how damaging factors (such as stereotyping, labelling, SFP & Setting & Streaming) prevents W/C pupils from achieving status & rewards within the education system. W/C pupils that the Value System of the school is contradictory in terms of their own progress, options, status & progression. This creates frustration & results in W/C pupils forming ‘Resistant Anti-School Subcultures’ that directly oppose the values that the education system promotes. Status & Reward can thus be achieved through an ‘Alternative’ set of values set out by the resistant group (Peer Group Status)

Sociological studies Sociological discussion and analysis of pupil subcultures has focused on the idea that they develop around an anti-school theme (pupils who reject the values and norms perpetuated through the school system), but conformist sub-cultural groups also exist within schools. Pro-school subcultural groups, while clearly important, are basically considered here "by default" (that is, it is assumed that any pupil who conforms to a pro-school orientation, for whatever reason, is of less immediate interest than those who do not conform in this way).

Anti-school subculture Watch the Video, make notes about Pro/Anti school culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biVdYHimLKc&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biVdYHimLKc&feature=youtu.be to 4.11

Question Answer What is educational triage? Who came up with the idea? Why is status important? How can this affect students behaviour in school? What is a pro-school subculture? What is an anti-school subculture? Using evidence from Hargreaves, why do students form anti-school subcultures? Question Answer How might a students pro or anti school subculture affect their achievement at school? How does SFP and labelling link to the formation of anti and pro school subcultures? What is Differentiation and Polarization? Who developed the idea? Using the video, write some examples of pro and anti school behaviours/attitudes. Pro school Anti school

Homework Prep notes on pupil subcultures page 30-32 up to pupil’s class identity and the school.