class differences external

• What is a notable feature of education in Britain?

  Class differences in achievement
• What has improved since state education began in 1870?

  The educational level of the nation
• What is the main comparison sociologists make regarding social class differences?

  Between working-class and middle-class pupils
• How do most sociologists determine a pupil's social class?

  By parental occupation
• What occupations are considered middle-class?

  Doctors, teachers, and managers
• What occupations are included in the working-class category?

  Skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers
• How does social class background influence educational success?

  It affects children's chances of success
• What happens to the class gap in achievement as children age?

  It grows wider
• What qualifications are middle-class children more likely to achieve?

  Good GCSEs and A levels
• What is one explanation for class differences in achievement?

  Middle-class parents can afford private schools
• What percentage of Britain's children are educated in private schools?

  7%
• What proportion of students entering elite universities come from private schools?

  Nearly half
• How many pupils did Eton send to Oxbridge in three years?

  211 pupils
• What is the focus of most sociological research regarding class differences?

  Middle-class vs. working-class pupils in state schools
• What are the two types of factors affecting class differences in educational achievement?

  • Internal factors: within schools and education system
  • External factors: outside education, like family background
• What external factors affect pupils' educational achievement?

  • Cultural deprivation
  • Material deprivation
  • Cultural capital
• At what age do class differences in achievement begin to appear?

  By the age of three
• What do sociologists claim is the result of cultural deprivation?

  Working-class children lack cultural equipment
• What are the three main aspects of cultural deprivation?

  • Language
  • Parents' education
  • Working-class subculture
• How does language affect children's cognitive development?

  It influences their ability to benefit from schooling
• What did Hubbs-Tait et al (2002) find about parental language use?

  It improves children's cognitive performance
• How do educated parents use language differently?

  They challenge children to evaluate understanding
• What is the effect of less educated parents' language use?

  It leads to lower performance in children
• What do cultural deprivation theorists claim about lower-class language?

  It is deficient
• What do Bereiter and Engelmann (1966) argue about lower-class communication?

  It lacks necessary language skills
• How does the restricted code differ from the elaborated code?

  Restricted code has limited vocabulary
• What is the context-bound nature of the restricted code?

  It assumes shared experiences between speaker and listener
• Why do middle-class children have an advantage in school?

  They are socialized into the elaborated code
• What does Bernstein argue about the role of schools in achievement?

  Schools fail to teach the elaborated code
• How do parents' attitudes towards education affect children's achievement?

  Working-class parents value education less
• What did Feinstein (1964) find about working-class parents?

  They were less ambitious for their children
• What is the significance of the difference in speech codes for educational achievement?

  Elaborated code is used in education
• How does early socialization into the elaborated code affect middle-class children?

  They feel 'at home' in school
• What do critics argue about Bernstein's view on working-class speech?

  He describes it as inadequate
• What is the relationship between parents' education and children's achievement?

  Parents' education influences children's success
• How do working-class parents' school visits compare to middle-class parents'?

  Working-class parents visit schools less often
• What is the impact of parents' education on their children's educational aspirations?

  Less educated parents are less ambitious
• How does the communication style of working-class parents affect their children?

  It leads to lower performance in school
• Why is the elaborated code essential for education?

  It is used by teachers and exams
• How do differences in speech codes affect children's feelings in school?

  Working-class children may feel excluded