1. Decide which person will be your working-class character, your middle-class character and your upper class character.

2. Attach one speech bubble to the character that you think it most likely belongs to.

Starter:

Complete task

You have 10 minutes

10 Mins

The Nature vs. Nurture debate• The nature theory (biological explanation) argues

that educational success or failure depend on the intelligence of each individual child. The intelligence is inherited from parents through genes. Therefore, how we perform in school is determined by the ability levels we are born with.

• The nurture theory (Sociological explanation) argues that educational success or failure is determined by the social environment. Therefore, factors such as social class, gender, ethnicity, peer pressure, family and teachers affect educational performance.

• Class vote - which view do you agree with? Hands up for nature... and now for nurture view.

5 Mins

Task 1

• Work in pairs to fill in the gaps in the text – it is a summary of what you need to know about social class factors that affect educational achievement.

20 Mins

Peer assess: Material deprivation – working class

• Material deprivation means living in poverty. • Working class parents may not be able to afford to buy school

uniform, PE kit or specialist equipment required. Many schools have a policy whereby if a child comes to school in incorrect uniform or without equipment, they are sent home.

• Moreover, being poor means that some working class families find themselves living in overcrowded housing with a lack of privacy or quiet space where a child can do their homework or revision.

• Unhealthy living conditions such as damp and cold and a nutritionally poor diet can also affect the educational achievement of working class children as they suffer more illnesses so their school attendance is poor.

• Therefore, they miss out on learning and lack the necessary knowledge to pass the exam.

10 Mins

Material deprivation – middle class

• On the other hand, middle class children tend to live in better quality housing with their own room to study in.

• Middle class parents can afford to buy extra books and computers for their children to learn from as well as to pay for private tutors.

• These factors help middle class children do better in exams.

Cultural deprivation – working class

• Cultural deprivation means a lack of experiences, knowledge and skills needed to succeed in education.

• Working class children are said to be culturally deprived as their parents can’t give them the experiences such as trips to museums or foreign holidays.

• Their parents may not be able to buy them extra books or PC or educational toys to help them learn.

Cultural deprivation – middle class

• Children from middle class backgrounds are not culturally deprived as they have life experiences which help them with their school work.

• These experiences include trips to museums and galleries with their parents, foreign holidays, etc.

• Through these experiences they gain a better understanding of the world which helps them understand what is being taught at school.

• Middle class children tend to have books, computers and educational toys to help them learn at home.

• Middle class have cultural capital. This means that middle class parents are well educated so can help their children with homework and coursework.

• Middle class parents also have the knowledge of how the education system works so they can get their children into the best schools or get them extra help from the school if the child needs it.

Parental attitudes – working class

• Working class values are different to middle class values as they tend to seek immediate gratification. This means living for the moment with little thought for the future.

• Working class parents are less likely to be involved in their children’s education, for example, their poor attendance of parents’ evenings. However, this may be down to the fact that working class occupations require shift work so it could be that the type of employment working class parents do prevents them from being involved in their children’s education.

• Working class parents also tend to hold fatalistic attitudes to their situation. This means that they feel there is nothing they can do to improve their situation. As they pass this attitude to their children; they do not realise that through education they can improve their lives.

Parental attitudes – middle class

• Middle class parents place high value on personal, individual success and emphasise planning for the future. They pass these values to their children thus helping them become ambitious and motivated to do well in education.

• Middle class parents also teach their children to value deferred gratification. This means being prepared to make sacrifices now for future rewards.

• Moreover, middle class parents are said to show more interest and involvement in their children’s education. They are said to be more likely to regularly check their children’s homework and keep in touch with teachers.

Speech codes – middle class • Language is a major reason for the difference between

working and middle class children’s achievement. • The elaborated code is used by the middle class. It has

a wide vocabulary and consists of longer, grammatically correct sentences.

• Elaborated code is used by teachers, textbooks and exams.

• Middle class children are socialised into using the elaborated code at home and so feel comfortable using it at school.

Speech codes – working class

• The restricted code is used by the working class. It is limited in vocabulary, uses short, unfinished and grammatically simple sentences.

• As working class children are not familiar with the elaborated code, it puts them at a disadvantage at school.

Past exam questions

• Explain what sociologists studying education mean by material deprivation. (4 marks)

• What is the difference between the restricted and the elaborated speech code (4 marks)

• What is meant by the term ‘cultural deprivation’ and how can it affect educational achievement of working class children

(4 marks)15 Mins

Material deprivation

Speech patterns

Cultural capital Parental attitudes

Labelling

A lack of resources related to financial situation.

Supporting study

Challenge: How can this affect educational achievement?

Attainment levels in schools may be related to differences in speech patterns.

Supporting study

Challenge How can this affect educational achievement?

Students from working class background lack the correct values and attitudes from socialisation

Supporting study

Challenge How can this affect educational achievement?

Supporting study

Challenge How can this affect educational achievement?

Attaching a characteristic or definition to an individual or a group

Supporting study

Challenge How can this affect educational achievement?

Becker (1977) found that teachers make judgements and label their students in the first 5 minutes of meeting them. The ideal student is seen as middle-class.

Douglas’s (1964) longitudinal study clearly showed that home background (especially parents’ interest in education), rather than IQ, determined students’ qualifications.

Bernstein (1961) argued there are two types of language: elaborated code and restricted code. Working-class students are at a disadvantage as schools require the elaborated code.

Statistics show that increasing numbers of working-class students are going to university.

Gewirtz et al. (1995) found middle-class parents were more likely to have knowledge about where the best schools are, and can afford to buy houses near good schools.

Smith and Noble (1995) argue that poverty means some parents are unable to afford school uniform, trips, computers.

Keddie (1973) found that working-class students are often placed in lower streams.

Boudon (1974) argues that middle-class students have more pressure to succeed than working-class students because if they don’t go to university they will loose their friends.

Bourdieu (1973) argued that education benefits the ruling class, who possess cultural capital. The education system is based on ruling-class culture, which gives the ruling class an advantage.

Plenary

Which is most to blame for social class differences in achievement?

Note down points for each social agent.

Home School

Challenge: If you were a Head Teacher, what would you do to raise the achievement of working-class students?

5 Mins

Homework • For each of the factors listed, explain how they could lead to educational

underachievement of working class children:

• • Lack of correct school uniform or PE kit –

• • Lack of quiet space at home to study –

• • Poor diet, e.g. no breakfast before going to school –

• • Lack of books and a PC at home –

• • Lack of visits to museums or holidays abroad –

• • Using the restricted code –

• • Lack of parental visits to school, e.g. parents not attending TSD –

The purpose of education - Sociological theories on

education – Functionalism and Marxism

Formal and informal education – National

Curriculum and hidden curriculum

Reforms of the British education system over the

last 40 years and the criticisms of these

educational reforms

Contemporary issues relating to the education

system such as faith schools, testing, special

needs

The alternative forms of education in Britain –

home schooling, private education

The factors affecting educational achievement -

social class

End of unit assessment – mock exam

The factors affecting educational achievement

– ethnicity

The factors affecting educational achievement

– gender

The factors affecting educational achievement

– school

Revision

Education in contemporary Britain –

structure, vocational education, marketisation,

LEARNING JOURNEY