EDUCATION THEORIES
FUNCTIONALISM:
Consensus Approach – Believes society works in harmony as all parts of society work together in agreement (refer to
organic approach)
Structural Theory – Society’s shared values influence how we behave
Believes there are 4 main roles of the education system…
SOCIAL SOLIDARITY – School teaches shared norms and values that bring society together
KEY THEORIST – DURKHEIM – Believes society creates social solidarity by passing shared norms and values through
generations and allowing students to interact with non-family members
- EG; National curriculum promotes this through subjects like English and History teach topics like World War
1 and 2 to instil national pride.
AO3 - The curriculum is ethnocentric as it gives priority to white British achievements and does not instil pride in the
diverse range of ethnic minorities.
- New Right would argue to make society function we need to promote competition between students, not
solidarity.
SPECIALIST SKILLS – Skills taught to children to help them get a place in the workplace
KEY THEORIST – DURKHEIM – Believes teaching specialist skills enables children to take their place in the economy to
help improve society by teaching skills such as literacy, numeracy, reading, writing and listening etc.
AO3 – Wolf Review 2011 found 1/3 of 16–19-year-olds are doing courses that did not lead to good jobs; therefore
they are not being taught the needed skills.
- Postmodernists would argue this is outdated as skills can be accessed any time during life.
SECONDARY SOCIALISATION – Meritocracy – Everyone is given an equal opportunity in the education system.
KEY THEORIST – PARSONS – Believes the education system is a bridge between home and the workplace. Everyone is
judged equally in the education system like they would be in the workplace.
- Students get to interact with people outside their family
- EG; Everyone gets the same exams and are taught from the same national curriculum.
AO3 – Bowles and Gintis would argue meritocracy is a myth, the higher-class children obtain better qualifications
as they can pursue private education.
SIFTING AND SORTING – The most talented and qualified students get the better jobs which are better suited to
them.
KEY THEORISTS – DAVIS AND MOORE – Believe the function of school is to allocate pupils to future roles in a
meritocratic society. All pupils sit the same exams, so this legitimises social inequality as people get the better jobs
based off success purely.
AO3 – Marxists would argue wc students who are smart can’t afford to pay for higher education.
NEW RIGHT –
Believe the current education system is failing the economy due to it being run by the state. The state has 2 jobs;
1. to create a framework for competition
2. Ensure that the schools transmit a shared national culture through the national curriculum.
MARKETISATION – State no longer controls education and schools become answerable to consumers who have
increased choice. Therefore, creates a parentocracy.
KEY THEORISTS – CHUBB AND MOE – Believed state education fails disadvantage students. They found from 60 000
wc pupils, those who went to private schools did 5% better. (The voucher system)
- Schools would get money from consumers and will use the money to improve, creating choice for the
parents, increasing standards and competition between schools.
AO3 – Disadvantages wc pupils as GERWITZ says the mc are cream skimmed and the wc students are silt shifted out
of the oversubscribed schools into the poorer schools.
- Middle class are skilled choosers, but the working-class parents are disconnected choosers as they lack the
cultural capital to interpret education policies (1988 ERA)
FUNCTIONALISM:
Consensus Approach – Believes society works in harmony as all parts of society work together in agreement (refer to
organic approach)
Structural Theory – Society’s shared values influence how we behave
Believes there are 4 main roles of the education system…
SOCIAL SOLIDARITY – School teaches shared norms and values that bring society together
KEY THEORIST – DURKHEIM – Believes society creates social solidarity by passing shared norms and values through
generations and allowing students to interact with non-family members
- EG; National curriculum promotes this through subjects like English and History teach topics like World War
1 and 2 to instil national pride.
AO3 - The curriculum is ethnocentric as it gives priority to white British achievements and does not instil pride in the
diverse range of ethnic minorities.
- New Right would argue to make society function we need to promote competition between students, not
solidarity.
SPECIALIST SKILLS – Skills taught to children to help them get a place in the workplace
KEY THEORIST – DURKHEIM – Believes teaching specialist skills enables children to take their place in the economy to
help improve society by teaching skills such as literacy, numeracy, reading, writing and listening etc.
AO3 – Wolf Review 2011 found 1/3 of 16–19-year-olds are doing courses that did not lead to good jobs; therefore
they are not being taught the needed skills.
- Postmodernists would argue this is outdated as skills can be accessed any time during life.
SECONDARY SOCIALISATION – Meritocracy – Everyone is given an equal opportunity in the education system.
KEY THEORIST – PARSONS – Believes the education system is a bridge between home and the workplace. Everyone is
judged equally in the education system like they would be in the workplace.
- Students get to interact with people outside their family
- EG; Everyone gets the same exams and are taught from the same national curriculum.
AO3 – Bowles and Gintis would argue meritocracy is a myth, the higher-class children obtain better qualifications
as they can pursue private education.
SIFTING AND SORTING – The most talented and qualified students get the better jobs which are better suited to
them.
KEY THEORISTS – DAVIS AND MOORE – Believe the function of school is to allocate pupils to future roles in a
meritocratic society. All pupils sit the same exams, so this legitimises social inequality as people get the better jobs
based off success purely.
AO3 – Marxists would argue wc students who are smart can’t afford to pay for higher education.
NEW RIGHT –
Believe the current education system is failing the economy due to it being run by the state. The state has 2 jobs;
1. to create a framework for competition
2. Ensure that the schools transmit a shared national culture through the national curriculum.
MARKETISATION – State no longer controls education and schools become answerable to consumers who have
increased choice. Therefore, creates a parentocracy.
KEY THEORISTS – CHUBB AND MOE – Believed state education fails disadvantage students. They found from 60 000
wc pupils, those who went to private schools did 5% better. (The voucher system)
- Schools would get money from consumers and will use the money to improve, creating choice for the
parents, increasing standards and competition between schools.
AO3 – Disadvantages wc pupils as GERWITZ says the mc are cream skimmed and the wc students are silt shifted out
of the oversubscribed schools into the poorer schools.
- Middle class are skilled choosers, but the working-class parents are disconnected choosers as they lack the
cultural capital to interpret education policies (1988 ERA)
