Educational underachievement external & internal factors (some) Unit 1 AS level sociology AQA includes : gender, ethnic minorities and social class. research inc: Sewell & Rosenthal & Jacobsen e.t.c

2. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
SOCIAL CLASS AND LANGUAGE
Bernstein:
• Bernstein argued that W/C students are socialised into speaking in the restricted
code at home which puts them at a disadvantage at school as they fail to fully
comprehend with the elaborated code used by teachers and in resources and exam
papers. Whilst W/C only had access to the restricted code, W/C had access to both.
Labov:
• Labov questioned whether language socialisation was a key factor for working class
underachievement, as he did a study on a group of black students in Harlem and
concluded that their speech patterns were simply different therefore leading other
sociologists to finding different external factors in educational underachievement.
External = outside of the school

3. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
GENDER AND LANGUAGE
Girls:
• Develop language quicker due to early socialisation e.g. Hannan, where from a
young age girls spend a lot of their time talking with their friends and role
playing toys etc. which helps them develop their language skills and contributes
to them benefiting at school, as school is described as a language experience.
Boys:
• In contrast, boys during their early socialisation tend to play with toys such as
cars whereby they make sounds rather than actual speech which puts them at a
disadvantage as they are further behind in terms of speech and language which
is necessary for school life.

4. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
ETHNIC MINORITIES AND LANGUAGE
• English is a second language to many ethnic minority pupils
• As a result, teachers may label language difficulties as a lack of ability.
• However, language is only a temporary disadvantage as they tend to catch up by
the age of 16, as several studies including Ballard, and Mahmood in his Swann
Report have proved this.

5. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
SOCIAL CLASS AND FAMILY LIFE/CULTURAL
DEPRIVATION• W/C fail to provide appropriate attitudes and values for their children to educaation, so as a
result, they end up being socially deprived which is why W/C pupils tend to gratify
themselves in the present (immediate gratification.)
• W/C parents tend to not often be involved in their children’s education as they themselves
are not often not educated.
• In contrast to W/C pupils who tend to have access to books, toys and groups that tend to
encourage thinking and put a positive label on learning.
• M/C parents are generally more involved in their children’s education, e.g being able to help
with homework because they are educated themselves.
• M/C families often have more social capital, whereby they watch documantaries, visit
theaters and attend cultural/educational trips
• They also have social capital whereby they have a wider access to links and networks which
may help their child to succeed further within the education system.

6. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
GENDER AND FAMILY LIFE/CULTURAL DEPRIVATION• Working class parents fail to give their children positive attitudes and values towards education, so
their children end up growing up being culturally deprived as a result.
• The working class tend to have immediate gratification, whereby they put off planning for future
education and careers and gratify themselves now, in the present.
• The working class also aren’t very involved in their children's education e.g. homework, as they
tend not to be educated themselves.
• However, the Middle class generally have more money so they can provide things for their child
such as extra tuition and revision resources.
• The M/C have more cultural capital, so they tend to spend their spare time visiting education places
and theatres for example, they also tend to read more and watch TV programmes such as
documentaries.
• M/C are more involved in their children’s education as they are educated themselves and they also
have more social capital so they have links and networks that can help contribute to their
children’s education. As well as this, the M/C have deferred gratification, whereby they put aside
pleasure to gratify themselves later on in order to plan for their education and future career in the
present, now.

7. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
GENDER AND FAMILY LIFE/CULTURAL
DEPRIVATION
• Boys tend to not spend their spare time efficiently in terms of education, as they tend to
gratify themselves in the present and spend it playing things such as football and video
games for example. This puts them at a disadvantage in terms of education because they are
likely to be behind.
• There is also a decrease in opportunities in the job sector for boys, which can be
demotivating.
• In contrast, girls tend to spend their spare time more efficiently, doing things such as
reading, watching a wider range of TV programmes such as documentaries and attending
clubs.
• There are also more girls in university in comparison to boys which is a reflection to the
increase in job opportunities that there are for girls now.

8. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
ETHNICITY AND FAMILY LIFE/CULTURAL
DEPRIVATION
• Bhatti’s research showed that ethnic minorities including Indian and Chinese parents were more
heavily involved in their children's education.
• Mahdood’s study also showed that ethnic minority parents have higher aspirations for their children.
• Indian and Chinese parents generally have more social capital which puts them at an advantage.
• However, black Caribbean children are at a disadvantage as they tend to live in families where they
have lonesome parents, so their parents tend to not be so heavily involved in their childrens
education as they spend most of their time working in order to provide for the family.
• This puts them at a disadvantage in terms of education as they lack help at home and therefore may
find it difficult at school.

9. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
SOCIAL CLASS AND MATERIAL DEPRIVATION
• The working class have less income so are more likely to live in poverty.
• They have less money for food which can result in a poor diet for their kids, which may lead to sickness e.t.c which
may lead to them having to have days off at school, where they will be behind on the work.
• Because of their lower income, they are more likely to live in poorer housing conditions, for example, having to
share a room with siblings and not having a desk means that it is harder to find the time and space to revise.
• However, the Middle class have a higher income so can provide things such as materials, tuition and resources
for their children.
• Often have bigger houses, so they’re more spacious and there is more room to revise.
• Can also provide transport to better schools that are further away.

10. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
GENDER AND FAMILY MATERIAL
DEPRIVATION
• Boys tend to ask for/spend their money on things that don’t contribute to their education
such as video games for example, spending their money on wants rather than needs which
puts them at a disadvantage because this can easily be distractible when it comes to things
such as revision.
• However, girls tend to ask for/spend their money on things that will benefit them to a better
education, such as stationary for school, books and revision resources.

11. EXTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION:
ETHNICITY AND FAMILY MATERIAL
DEPRIVATION
• Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean families are at greater risk of living in poverty or experience
unemployment, their children are often eligible for free school meals also, which means they are at a
disadvantage because their parents aren’t able to support them as they may find it difficult to provide
revision resources and uniform for their children as well as paying for them to go on beneficial educational
trips.
• However, ethnic minorities such as Chinese and Indian families tend to earn a high income so are more able
to have their children experience more cultural capital and be able to afford revision resources e.t.c

12. INTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION SOCIAL
CLASS AND LABELLING/STEREOTYPING
• Working class are more likely to receive negative teacher labelling as they are seen as being badly
behaved and less able.
• Middle class are more likely to receive a positive teacher labelling as they are seen as well behaved
and more able.
Becca:
• Conducted a study of 60 teachers in Chicago and found that they labelled students based upon their
social class.

13. INTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION GENDER
AND LABELLING/STEREOTYPING
• Boys are negatively labelled as teachers have low expectations of them, for example,
they expect their work to be late, rushed and messy, this can lead to a self-fulfilling
prophecy.
• However, girls are seen as well behaved, organised and more motivated to learn.

14. INTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION
ETHNICITY AND LABELLING/STEREOTYPING
• Whilst Indian and Chinese students are labelled positively due to the stereotype of them being high
achievers, black Caribbean students are labelled negatively.
Sewell:
• This was shown in Sewell’s study whereby he found that teachers looked down upon them as rebellious
and of an anti-authority.

15. INTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION SOCIAL
CLASS AND THE IDEAL PUPIL
Becker:
• Becker argued that middle class teachers have an idea of ‘ideal pupils’ who are generally middle class who
speaks in the elaborated code, is polite and well dressed.
• Becker also argued that whilst the middle class were positively labelled, the working class were negatively
labelled as a irrespective to their intelligence.
Rosenthal & Jacobsen:
• Rosenthal and Jacobsen argued that teacher labelling led to a self fulfilling prophecy.

16. INTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION SOCIAL
CLASS AND STREAMING
• Working class students are normally put into a lower stream due to negative labelling.
Keddie:
• Keddie found that students in higher streams were generally students of a middle class and
were fed high status knowledge whilst students in the lower stream were given only low status
knowledge.
Ball:
• Ball argued that the middle class were warmed up and cooled out of the education system.

17. INTERNAL FACTORS IN EDUCATION GENDER
AND STREAMING
• Girls are generally placed in higher streams as they are seen as dedicating school like to hard work
and success.
• However, boys are placed into lower streams and are seen as only wanting to escape school to enter
the world of unskilled, manual work.