30-mark Education essays
Ethnicity
Examine the ways in which processes within schools may contribute to the educational under achievement
among some ethnic groups.
Assess sociological explanations of ethnic differences in educational achievement.
Assess the importance of school factors such as racism and pupil’s responses to racism in creating ethnic
differences in educational achievement.
Assess sociological explanations for the educational achievement of children from different minority ethnic
groups.
Point- internal factors Evaluation- external factors
Troyna & Williams- institutional racism Rex- racism in wider society
Gillborn & Youdell- racialised expectations limit progress Sugerman- fatalistic values & low ambition
Mirza- 3 types of teacher Black/ ethnic minority teachers benefit pupils
Archer- ‘demonised pupil’ identity Mac an Ghaill, Fuller- rejecting labels
Wright & Connolly- high exclusion rates, low banding Highest performers are Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi
Sewell- responses to teacher racism e.g. rebels Jackson- white subcultures exist s well- lads & ladettes
Osler- black Caribbean boys & internal exclusions Perform same level as working class white boys
Gender
Examine the ways in which boys’ and girls’ experiences in school shape their identities and achievements.
Point Evaluation
Willis- ‘lads’ subcultures & shop floor culture Doesn’t apply to postmodern society
Jackson- lads & ladettes, self-worth protection Reay- this is due to ‘boffin shaming’
Archer- ‘Nike identity’ to resist symbolic violence Sewell- conformists make up majority of students
Ringrose- ideal feminine identity Currie et al- frigid shaming & slut shaming
Colley- gender domains & subject choice Leonard- solution is single-sex schools
Sewell- feminised curriculum. YouGov- 16% p.s.t male Men dominate industry so should provide role models
Examine the reasons why females now tend to achieve more than males in the education system.
Point- internal factors Evaluation- external factors
Sewell- feminised curriculum. YouGov- 16% p.s.t male Men dominate industry so should provide role models
Bartlett- silt shifting. Slee- boys 4x more exclusions Class more important- FSM girls underachieve
Mitsos & Browne- coursework, McRobbie- bedroom Fem- moral panic of male failure. Biggart- wage gap
Sharpe- aspirations, 70’s vs 90’s. 21% of women still not in work
Ross- gender domains, most subjects are ‘female’ Men still dominate most industries
GIST and WISE advantage girls National Curriculum isn’t gendered
Assess the view that gender differences in achievement are largely the result of changes in the education system.
Point- changes in education system Evaluation- external factors
Slee- marketisation favours girls, boys unattractive Rise in girls’ grades due to feminism & family
Bartlett- silt shifting of ‘disruptive’ boys Willis- ‘lads’ labelled by teachers
Gilborn & Youdell- A-C- boys ‘hopeless cases’ Mothers read more so academia= feminine
Mitsos & Browne- coursework. McRobbie- bedroom Wilce- girls naturally more conscientious anyway
GIST and WISE advantage girls National Curriculum= equal opportunity
Sewell- feminised education e.g. ‘love’ poetry. YouGov Maths, DT, IT all still advantage boys. Wage gap still
Ethnicity
Examine the ways in which processes within schools may contribute to the educational under achievement
among some ethnic groups.
Assess sociological explanations of ethnic differences in educational achievement.
Assess the importance of school factors such as racism and pupil’s responses to racism in creating ethnic
differences in educational achievement.
Assess sociological explanations for the educational achievement of children from different minority ethnic
groups.
Point- internal factors Evaluation- external factors
Troyna & Williams- institutional racism Rex- racism in wider society
Gillborn & Youdell- racialised expectations limit progress Sugerman- fatalistic values & low ambition
Mirza- 3 types of teacher Black/ ethnic minority teachers benefit pupils
Archer- ‘demonised pupil’ identity Mac an Ghaill, Fuller- rejecting labels
Wright & Connolly- high exclusion rates, low banding Highest performers are Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi
Sewell- responses to teacher racism e.g. rebels Jackson- white subcultures exist s well- lads & ladettes
Osler- black Caribbean boys & internal exclusions Perform same level as working class white boys
Gender
Examine the ways in which boys’ and girls’ experiences in school shape their identities and achievements.
Point Evaluation
Willis- ‘lads’ subcultures & shop floor culture Doesn’t apply to postmodern society
Jackson- lads & ladettes, self-worth protection Reay- this is due to ‘boffin shaming’
Archer- ‘Nike identity’ to resist symbolic violence Sewell- conformists make up majority of students
Ringrose- ideal feminine identity Currie et al- frigid shaming & slut shaming
Colley- gender domains & subject choice Leonard- solution is single-sex schools
Sewell- feminised curriculum. YouGov- 16% p.s.t male Men dominate industry so should provide role models
Examine the reasons why females now tend to achieve more than males in the education system.
Point- internal factors Evaluation- external factors
Sewell- feminised curriculum. YouGov- 16% p.s.t male Men dominate industry so should provide role models
Bartlett- silt shifting. Slee- boys 4x more exclusions Class more important- FSM girls underachieve
Mitsos & Browne- coursework, McRobbie- bedroom Fem- moral panic of male failure. Biggart- wage gap
Sharpe- aspirations, 70’s vs 90’s. 21% of women still not in work
Ross- gender domains, most subjects are ‘female’ Men still dominate most industries
GIST and WISE advantage girls National Curriculum isn’t gendered
Assess the view that gender differences in achievement are largely the result of changes in the education system.
Point- changes in education system Evaluation- external factors
Slee- marketisation favours girls, boys unattractive Rise in girls’ grades due to feminism & family
Bartlett- silt shifting of ‘disruptive’ boys Willis- ‘lads’ labelled by teachers
Gilborn & Youdell- A-C- boys ‘hopeless cases’ Mothers read more so academia= feminine
Mitsos & Browne- coursework. McRobbie- bedroom Wilce- girls naturally more conscientious anyway
GIST and WISE advantage girls National Curriculum= equal opportunity
Sewell- feminised education e.g. ‘love’ poetry. YouGov Maths, DT, IT all still advantage boys. Wage gap still
