Unit 1 - Education
Do now!
Make a spider diagram of everything you
can remember from the Education topic
Hint: types of schools, function & purpose, formal & hidden
curriculum, criticisms etc
Homework due Monday
Complete at least:
• 2 x 2 mark Qs
• 2 x 4 mark Qs
• 2 x 5 mark Qs
• 2 x 12 mark Qs
From anywhere in this powerpoint
* Of course you can do more! *
Revision Topic
Week 1
• Social Inequality mock exam
• Studying Society (Social structures, processes & issues)
Week 2
• Studying Society (Research methods, ethical issues)
Week 3
• Education
Week 4
• Family
Week 5
• Crime & Deviance
EASTER
Week 6
• Mass Media
Week 7
• Power
Week 8
• Social Inequality
• Revise all topics / exam practice
Week 9
• Revise all topics / exam practice
UNIT 1 Exam (prov. 17th May)
UNIT 2 Exam (prov 22nd May)
Session 1 – The structure & function of the Education
system
Key concepts revised today
 Describe the basic structure of education system
 Describe the functions and expectations of the educational system
Copy and complete the elements of the basic structure of the UK
education system:
1) Pre- school or E_________ Y_________ education (3-4yrs)
2) P_____________ education (5-11 yrs)
3) S_____________ education (11-16)
4) F______________ education (16+ A levels & vocational courses)
5) H______________ education (university degrees etc)
1) At what age/key stage do these exams take
place?
• SATs?
• GCSEs
• A Levels
2) In what other ways are schools monitored?
3) What are league tables and what are they for?
Ext: Can you think of any criticisms of league
tables?
Exam Questions
1) Identify one advantage and one
disadvantage of testing in primary
schools.(2 marks)
2) Describe one way in which British
governments have increased the use of
testing in primary schools over the past
25 years and explain the criticisms of this
policy. (5 marks)
What is the education system for?
1) Complete Task 1 & Task 2 looking at the
functionalist and Marxist views of the
purpose of the education system (p.23)
2) Write a paragraph explaining the key
similarities and differences between the
two sociological approaches.
Which of these functions take place in the formal curriculum
and which take place in the hidden curriculum?
Economy
Social control
Purpose of education
system
Social cohesion
Social mobility
Secondary
socialisation
The hidden curriculum…
•
•
•
•
•
•
Structure & hierarchy
Social control
Achievement & competition
Routine
Dress code
Gender role allocation
Criticisms
• Does everyone agree with the values
taught within schools? Are they the values
of the upper class (Marxist argument)?
• Does everyone get fair chances within
education?
• Deschooling = argument that compulsory
education stifles creativity and should be
banned.
Exam questions:
1)
2)
Explain what sociologists mean by “social cohesion”. (4
marks)
Explain what sociologists mean by the “hidden
curriculum.” (4 marks)
3)
Describe one function that education is expected to fulfil in
Britain today and explain how it is expected to fulfil this
function. (5 marks)
4)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that serving the
needs of the economy is the most important function of the
education system in Britain today. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that encouraging
social cohesion is the most important function of the
education system in Britain today. (12 marks)
5)
Session 2 – Changes in education
Key concepts revised today
 Describe the basic structure of education system
 Describe the functions and expectations of the educational system
 Be aware of key political debates around different educational provisions
There are many different types of schools within the UK.
1) Match up the type of school with the definition
2) Which type of school is CWC?
Comprehensive
Specialist
State-run schools for children with Special Educational
Needs (SEN)
State schools that have handed power and control over to
a board of trustees or sponsor
Special
State-run schools that receive additional funding to support
a subject of expertise e.g. sports or languages
Academy
State-run schools reflecting a particular religion in their
curriculum, admissions criteria and staffing policies.
Faith
State-run selective schools based on academic ability.
Independent
State-run school aiming to educate all students, regardless
of background or ability, under one roof.
Grammar
Private school with the freedom to set their own curriculum
and policies.
Task: Using the information on pp.58-61, complete the
educational changes timeline. Make sure you include the
keywords below.
Tripartite
system
Three types of secondary school for different types of pupil
based on an IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test at the age of 11.
Eleven plus
A type of intelligence test taken at the age 11 to determine
whether a child should attend a grammar school or a
secondary modern.
A way of dividing pupils into groups for particular subjects
based on their ability in those subjects.
Setting
Streaming
New
vocationalism
Marketisation
of education
A way of diving pupils according to their supposed ability. A
pupil will normally remain in the same stream across all areas
of the curriculum.
Training aimed to equip the young with the skills and
education required by a rapidly changing economy.
Changes to the education system in the late 1980s, so that it
became more business-like.
Exam Questions
1)
2)
3)
4)
Identify two reasons why some parents of children with
special educational needs may want their children to
be educated in a special school rather than
mainstream. (2 marks)
Describe one type of school that pupils aged 11-16
might attend and explain the advantages of this type of
school. (5 marks)
Describe one way in which British governments have
tried to increase competition between schools over the
last 30 years and explain why they have tried to do
this. (5 marks)
Describe one way in which British governments have
tried to increase the number of pupils who stay on in
education and training after Year 11 and explain why
they have tried to increase the staying on rates. (5
marks)
Exam Questions
1) Identify two reasons why parents might
send their children to private school. (2
marks)
2) Identify two examples of vocational
education (2 marks)
4) Describe ONE way in which governments
have tried to raise educational standards
over recent years and explain how
successful this has been. (5 marks)
Session 3 – Barriers to educational achievement
Key concepts revised today
 Describe and explain variations in educational
achievements
 Awareness of range of influences on educational
achievement
Quick think: Which groups within society statistically
achieve the highest and lowest GCSE results?
Key factors:
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Social Class
But why?
GENDER AND EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS
WHY DO GIRLS OUTPERFORM BOYS IN EXAMS?
Since the 1990’s girls began to equal boys education and now
out-perform boys at every level of education.
This is due to;
1. Changes in employment and expectations of employment.
There are many more opportunities for females today.
2. The National Curriculum introduced coursework this
suited girls, who are often very organised and socialised
to multi- task and plan.
3. Girls and their parents have higher aspirations than in the
past
4. Girls Subcultures tend to be quite positive and focus on
their futures as more than just getting married and being
mothers.(girl power)
5. Awareness of gender issues in schools led to teachers
treating boys and girls equally.
However women are still paid less than men.
Brainstorm and plan
Girls now achieve well
because……
• Equality policies – no sexism
• National curriculum – equality
for all
• Feminism – increased
positive role models, etc
Boys are now
underachieving because….
• Peer pressure / negative
subcultures
• Poor concentration for long
periods of time - need short
tasks
• Socialisation –parents and
teachers expect boys to behave
in a different way to girls
Exam Questions
1) Identify two reasons why girls are now
achieving higher grades than boys
throughout the education system. (2
marks)
2) Identify two ways in which females might
still face disadvantages in the education
system. (2 marks)
ETHNICITY and EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS
It is not true to say that those from the
ethnic minorities perform worse than the majority, white population.
Rather different ethnic groups have different performance levels, and
within ethnic groups there are further variations by social class and
gender.
E.g. students from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds
are less successful in the education system, with the females from
those backgrounds performing worse than the males.
Females from Indian backgrounds are amongst the most successful in
the state education system.
Males from African-Caribbean backgrounds are less successful than
average but females are more successful.
Children from Chinese backgrounds are also particularly successful.
EXPLANATIONS FOR DIFFERENCES IN EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT BY ETHNIC GROUP
Explanations for the differences in educational attainment
between different ethnic groups include:
1. deprivation
2. the impact of teachers' labelling of students
3. institutional racism
4. home backgrounds
5. cultural differences.
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
Definition
Institutional racism - where an organisation
(such as a college or company) has procedures
and regulations that discriminate against certain
groups.
OFSTED inspectors have suggested that there is
institutional racism in British schools.
e.g. subjects like history and English literature may
just focus on the success of white British people.
Home Backgrounds
Jones (1997) found that the educational success of the child, of whatever
ethnic group, was closely related to the educational standards of the
parentsAlso the success of many Indian school students has led some to argue it
is based on high levels of parental encouragement...
However government funded research has also found
•Four out of 10 black parents support the idea of racially separate schools
•Some felt school failed to acknowledge or understand their ‘cultural
needs’.
•The majority of parents identified education as their greatest
concern,
•Many sent children to Saturday school to gain extra tutoring
Source- The Daily Telegraph, 16 August 1996
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
The majority of ethnic minority school pupils
attending British schools were born in
Britain.
However many may well have parents who are
not fluent in written or even spoken English.
They may not have the shared cultural values
and backgrounds which help their children to
succeed.
Exam Questions
1. Describe ONE way in which schools prepare
pupils for employment in later life and explain
how this works. (5 marks)
2. Identify one way in which ‘streaming’ might
affect the educational success of school
children and explain why this could be. (5
marks)
3. Identify two differences between selective
schools and comprehensive schools. (2 marks)
Extended answer questions – class & underachievement
Home arguments
Parents can’t
help with
work
Facilities at
home eg
computers
Overcrowding
Crime in
home
area
Underachievement – home vs school
Labelling
by
teachers
SFP
Peer
pressure
School
culture and
values
School arguments
Language
Exam Questions
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Explain what sociologist mean by the term ‘differential
educational achievement.’ (4 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that
teachers’ expectations are the most significant
influence on children’s educational achievements (12
marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that ethnic
background is the most significant influence on pupils’
educational achievements in Britain today. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that schoolbased factors are the most important influence on
pupil’s educational achievements in Britain today. (12
marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that gender
is the most significant influence on pupils’ educational
achievements in Britain today. (12 marks)