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Topic 5 of 7 · Form 4

Education

Functionalist: socialisation, role allocation, meritocracy, value consensus. Marxist: reproduces inequality, the hidden curriculum, correspondence with work. Feminist: gendered curriculum and expectations.

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Functions of education

Functionalist: socialisation, role allocation, meritocracy, value consensus. Marxist: reproduces inequality, the hidden curriculum, correspondence with work. Feminist: gendered curriculum and expectations.

Types of schooling

State and private schools, single-sex and mixed schools, faith schools, home schooling; vocational versus academic education.

Factors affecting achievement

  • Social class: material deprivation, cultural capital, parental attitudes, language codes.
  • Gender: changing patterns of achievement, subject choice, teacher expectations.
  • Ethnicity: language, discrimination, cultural factors.
  • In-school factors: labelling, self-fulfilling prophecy, setting and streaming, pupil subcultures.

Educational policies

Free primary education, compensatory programmes, school feeding, inclusion policies.

Exam tip: Separate home factors from school factors when explaining differences in achievement.

Check yourself

  1. What is the hidden curriculum?
  2. Define the self-fulfilling prophecy.
  3. Give one material factor affecting educational achievement.
Show answers
  1. Values and attitudes taught informally through school routines and rules.
  2. When a label given to a pupil influences their behaviour so that the label comes true.
  3. Any one: lack of money for fees, books, uniforms, transport, a quiet place to study, internet.
Next topicCrime, deviance and social control

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