Education
01 outline two factors external to schools that may affect social class differences in
educational achievement (4 marks)
One external factor that may affect educational achievement for social classes is language
codes. The working class use a restricted code, whereas middle class used the elaborated
code, which better suits the demands of school. Another external factor is material deprivation,
working class children usually live in poorer housing conditions, for example, no space to study
compared to middle class students. Therefore, middle class children perform better because
they have a more suitable home environment that allows them to study effectively.
02 Outline three functions that the education system performs for society (6 marks)
One function of the education system is secondary socialisation. The school passes on key
values necessary for the world of work. For example, students are taught time management and
how to work hard. Another function of the education system is skills provision. In school
students are taught key skills like writing, reading and math's which are essential for the
economy and gaining qualifications. Another function of the education system is role allocation.
Through exams, the students who get the best results are the ones who will get the best jobs.
Role allocation ensures that the individuals best suited for the jobs are employed.
03 read item a below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Businesses compete with each other to attract customers. Another route to success for
businesses is to provide unique products for their customers. The introduction of
marketization policies into the state education system means that schools are run like
businesses.
Applying material from item A, analyze two ways in which marketisation policies have led
to schools being run that businesses.
(10 marks)
The introduction of league tables was used to "attract customers". Customers are parents and
their children. Schools compete by ensuring their students get the best grades by providing the
most useful resources so that the "customers" will choose a particular school. League tables
show off which schools are the highest achieving and allows parents and children to choose
which schools is best for them so that they can maximise on the opportunity to succeed. One
strength of league tables is that it allows parents in children to choose the best thriving school
for their education. However, middle class parents use their cultural and social capital to ensure
, that their children get into the most successful schools. This in turn reinforced class inequality.
Another marketisation policy that led schools to be run like businesses is formula funding.
Schools that were successful in terms of results, received more money so that they could
expand and accept more students. Therefore, successful schools were able to "provide unique
products for their customers". This created more competition between schools and encourage
them to improve standards to be the best. One strength of this is that schools work harder to
improve the service that they could provide students. This means that more students will get top
grades and perform well. However, the best schools generally enrolled middle class students to
keep their position on league tables high. This also reinforced class inequality.
04 read item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
The patterns of educational achievement by gender have changed over time. Some
sociologists explain these patterns through factors external to schools, such as
socialisation and parental attitudes towards education. Changes in wider society, such
as employment opportunities, may also contribute to these patterns.
However, the way schools are organised and the social interactions that take place
within schools are also likely to affect gender differences in educational achievement.
Apply material from item B and your knowledge evaluate sociological explanations of
gender differences in educational achievement. (30 marks)
Item B states that "factors external to school, such as socialisation" can explain some of the
changes in educational achievement. Some sociologists would argue that girls are socialised
into attitudes and values that align better with the demands of the school environment, For
example, during the process of socialisation traits such as organisation, cleanliness,
communication through speaking and writing are heavily enforced. These values help young
girls time keep and communicate with teachers effectively in the school environment. On the
other hand young boys are socialised into physical activities that require high energy. Activities
like play fighting values such as being tough. Do not meet the demands of the school system.
As boys spend less time reading and writing in leisure time, their educational achievement has
declined, unlike girls, where this has increased. Young boys may read and write less because
mother's typically carry out this activity with their children. Therefore, they associate it with
femininity.
One strength of this viewpoint is that there is empirical evidence. Differences in socialisation
have contributed to why girls generally perform better in coursework and exams. However, this
does not show causality, a limitation of this argument is that not all boys who are sports-oriented
under achieve many people get high grades and succeed in the education system. Another
limitation of this argument is that internal factors may play a bigger role in differences in
01 outline two factors external to schools that may affect social class differences in
educational achievement (4 marks)
One external factor that may affect educational achievement for social classes is language
codes. The working class use a restricted code, whereas middle class used the elaborated
code, which better suits the demands of school. Another external factor is material deprivation,
working class children usually live in poorer housing conditions, for example, no space to study
compared to middle class students. Therefore, middle class children perform better because
they have a more suitable home environment that allows them to study effectively.
02 Outline three functions that the education system performs for society (6 marks)
One function of the education system is secondary socialisation. The school passes on key
values necessary for the world of work. For example, students are taught time management and
how to work hard. Another function of the education system is skills provision. In school
students are taught key skills like writing, reading and math's which are essential for the
economy and gaining qualifications. Another function of the education system is role allocation.
Through exams, the students who get the best results are the ones who will get the best jobs.
Role allocation ensures that the individuals best suited for the jobs are employed.
03 read item a below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Businesses compete with each other to attract customers. Another route to success for
businesses is to provide unique products for their customers. The introduction of
marketization policies into the state education system means that schools are run like
businesses.
Applying material from item A, analyze two ways in which marketisation policies have led
to schools being run that businesses.
(10 marks)
The introduction of league tables was used to "attract customers". Customers are parents and
their children. Schools compete by ensuring their students get the best grades by providing the
most useful resources so that the "customers" will choose a particular school. League tables
show off which schools are the highest achieving and allows parents and children to choose
which schools is best for them so that they can maximise on the opportunity to succeed. One
strength of league tables is that it allows parents in children to choose the best thriving school
for their education. However, middle class parents use their cultural and social capital to ensure
, that their children get into the most successful schools. This in turn reinforced class inequality.
Another marketisation policy that led schools to be run like businesses is formula funding.
Schools that were successful in terms of results, received more money so that they could
expand and accept more students. Therefore, successful schools were able to "provide unique
products for their customers". This created more competition between schools and encourage
them to improve standards to be the best. One strength of this is that schools work harder to
improve the service that they could provide students. This means that more students will get top
grades and perform well. However, the best schools generally enrolled middle class students to
keep their position on league tables high. This also reinforced class inequality.
04 read item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
The patterns of educational achievement by gender have changed over time. Some
sociologists explain these patterns through factors external to schools, such as
socialisation and parental attitudes towards education. Changes in wider society, such
as employment opportunities, may also contribute to these patterns.
However, the way schools are organised and the social interactions that take place
within schools are also likely to affect gender differences in educational achievement.
Apply material from item B and your knowledge evaluate sociological explanations of
gender differences in educational achievement. (30 marks)
Item B states that "factors external to school, such as socialisation" can explain some of the
changes in educational achievement. Some sociologists would argue that girls are socialised
into attitudes and values that align better with the demands of the school environment, For
example, during the process of socialisation traits such as organisation, cleanliness,
communication through speaking and writing are heavily enforced. These values help young
girls time keep and communicate with teachers effectively in the school environment. On the
other hand young boys are socialised into physical activities that require high energy. Activities
like play fighting values such as being tough. Do not meet the demands of the school system.
As boys spend less time reading and writing in leisure time, their educational achievement has
declined, unlike girls, where this has increased. Young boys may read and write less because
mother's typically carry out this activity with their children. Therefore, they associate it with
femininity.
One strength of this viewpoint is that there is empirical evidence. Differences in socialisation
have contributed to why girls generally perform better in coursework and exams. However, this
does not show causality, a limitation of this argument is that not all boys who are sports-oriented
under achieve many people get high grades and succeed in the education system. Another
limitation of this argument is that internal factors may play a bigger role in differences in
