PAPER 1: Education 4 and 6 mark
questions
Outline two cultural factors that may affect ethnic differences in educational achievement.
-correct answer_POSSIBLE ANSWERS INCLUDE: • language (1 mark); for some pupils
English may be a second language and so they may have difficulty in understanding class
work (+1 mark) • parental attitudes to education (1 mark); Indian and Chinese parents are
more likely to be pro-school and encourage their children to be successful in education (+1
mark) • pupil subcultures (1 mark); black pupils are more likely to be subjected to
anti-educational peer group pressure, leading to them rejecting school (+1 mark) •
ethnocentric curriculum (1 mark); the school curriculum reflects the dominant culture and this
benefits White British students (+1 mark)Outline three ways in which factors within schools
may shape gender differences in subject choice. Outline three ways in which factors within
schools may shape gender differences in subject choice. -correct answer_POSSIBLE
ANSWERS INCLUDE: • peer group pressure (1 mark); leads to girls and boys choosing
subjects which reflect stereotypical gender identities (+1 mark) • career advice (1 mark); for
example, girls are more likely to choose childcare courses, because childcare jobs are seen as
female (+1 mark) • subject counselling (1 mark); teachers may channel boys and girls into
different subject choices in relation to their own gender stereotypes (+1 mark) • learning
resources may include gender stereotypes (1 mark); for example, science may be represented
as a mainly male activity • gender of teachers (1 mark); for example, males may pick science
as a subject because the teachers are more likely to be men (+1 mark). Outline two cultural
factors that may cause social class differences in educational achievement. -correct
answer_POSSIBLE ANSWERS INCLUDE: • working-class pupils' restricted code (1 mark)
means they are less able to communicate in ways that the school values (+1 mark) •
middle-class parents have a more positive attitude to education (1 mark), so they are more
supportive of their child's education (+1 mark) • middle-class parents are more likely to
socialise children in ways that foster intellectual development (1 mark), eg by reading to them
or providing educational toys (+1 mark) • fatalistic working-class values (1 mark) do not
prepare children for school, which is achievement-oriented (+1 mark). Outline three examples
of ways in which government policies may have reduced social inequalities in educational
achievement. -correct answer_POSSIBLE ANSWERS INCLUDE: • abolition of the tripartite
system (1 mark) meant all pupils would go to the same type of secondary school, rather than
middle-class pupils taking most of the places in the grammar schools (+1 mark) • Education
Maintenance Allowances (1 mark) provided financial support to enable poorer students to
continue in post-16 education (+1 mark) • the Pupil Premium (1 mark) earmarks funds for
schools to spend on meeting the needs of disadvantaged pupils (+1 mark) • Education Action
Zones (1 mark) targeted funds on schools in socially deprived areas to raise achievement (+1
mark) • grants for higher education (1 mark) make it easier for poorer students to attend
university (+1 mark). Outline two material factors that may affect social class differences in
questions
Outline two cultural factors that may affect ethnic differences in educational achievement.
-correct answer_POSSIBLE ANSWERS INCLUDE: • language (1 mark); for some pupils
English may be a second language and so they may have difficulty in understanding class
work (+1 mark) • parental attitudes to education (1 mark); Indian and Chinese parents are
more likely to be pro-school and encourage their children to be successful in education (+1
mark) • pupil subcultures (1 mark); black pupils are more likely to be subjected to
anti-educational peer group pressure, leading to them rejecting school (+1 mark) •
ethnocentric curriculum (1 mark); the school curriculum reflects the dominant culture and this
benefits White British students (+1 mark)Outline three ways in which factors within schools
may shape gender differences in subject choice. Outline three ways in which factors within
schools may shape gender differences in subject choice. -correct answer_POSSIBLE
ANSWERS INCLUDE: • peer group pressure (1 mark); leads to girls and boys choosing
subjects which reflect stereotypical gender identities (+1 mark) • career advice (1 mark); for
example, girls are more likely to choose childcare courses, because childcare jobs are seen as
female (+1 mark) • subject counselling (1 mark); teachers may channel boys and girls into
different subject choices in relation to their own gender stereotypes (+1 mark) • learning
resources may include gender stereotypes (1 mark); for example, science may be represented
as a mainly male activity • gender of teachers (1 mark); for example, males may pick science
as a subject because the teachers are more likely to be men (+1 mark). Outline two cultural
factors that may cause social class differences in educational achievement. -correct
answer_POSSIBLE ANSWERS INCLUDE: • working-class pupils' restricted code (1 mark)
means they are less able to communicate in ways that the school values (+1 mark) •
middle-class parents have a more positive attitude to education (1 mark), so they are more
supportive of their child's education (+1 mark) • middle-class parents are more likely to
socialise children in ways that foster intellectual development (1 mark), eg by reading to them
or providing educational toys (+1 mark) • fatalistic working-class values (1 mark) do not
prepare children for school, which is achievement-oriented (+1 mark). Outline three examples
of ways in which government policies may have reduced social inequalities in educational
achievement. -correct answer_POSSIBLE ANSWERS INCLUDE: • abolition of the tripartite
system (1 mark) meant all pupils would go to the same type of secondary school, rather than
middle-class pupils taking most of the places in the grammar schools (+1 mark) • Education
Maintenance Allowances (1 mark) provided financial support to enable poorer students to
continue in post-16 education (+1 mark) • the Pupil Premium (1 mark) earmarks funds for
schools to spend on meeting the needs of disadvantaged pupils (+1 mark) • Education Action
Zones (1 mark) targeted funds on schools in socially deprived areas to raise achievement (+1
mark) • grants for higher education (1 mark) make it easier for poorer students to attend
university (+1 mark). Outline two material factors that may affect social class differences in
