What Factors Help To Explain Differences In Educational Achievement And Experience? (Education part 1)
Overview
Walk into any country’s examination results and you will find a pattern: achievement is not spread evenly. On average it differs by social class, by gender and by ethnicity, and it differs hugely between rich and poor societies. The big sociological question is why. Is it the home a child comes from, or the school they attend, or both?
This lesson tackles the home and out-of-school side of that question. You will learn how material deprivation, from a lack of books to a lack of broadband, holds some pupils back; how cultural deprivation and Bourdieu’s idea of cultural capital give middle-class children a head start; how language and parental attitudes feed in; and how compensatory education tries to level the field. You will weigh these against in-school factors and learn to argue, like an examiner wants, that achievement is shaped by both home and school together.
Objectives
- Social class.
- Ethnicity.
- Gender.
- Global differences.
- Material factors, e.g. access to digital technology.
- Cultural and social factors.
- Cultural capital.
- Home/community factors.
- Linguistic factors.
- Compensatory education.
- In-school factors, e.g. pro- and anti-school sub-cultures.
- Selective and private education.
- Labelling theory.
- Marxist explanations.
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on What Factors Help To Explain Differences In Educational Achievement And Experience? (Education part 1). Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Material deprivation in education is best described as: A. a lack of the attitudes and values schools reward B. a lack of money and physical resources that support learning C. a teacher's low expectation of a pupil D. placing pupils in sets by ability Answer: B
- The concept of 'cultural capital' was developed by: A. Bowles and Gintis B. Pierre Bourdieu C. Talcott Parsons D. Emile Durkheim Answer: B
- Which of the following is an out-of-school (home) factor? A. Setting and streaming B. The hidden curriculum C. Parental attitudes to education D. Teacher labelling Answer: C
- A common criticism of cultural deprivation theory is that it: A. blames the school for everything B. unfairly blames working-class families and ignores poverty C. denies that home factors matter D. only applies to middle-class pupils Answer: B
- Compensatory education refers to: A. paying teachers more in poorer areas B. extra support aimed at offsetting out-of-school disadvantage C. setting pupils strictly by ability D. teaching only in a second language Answer: B
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