Interactionist View of Education

• Interactionist View

  Interactionism is a micro theory; it focuses on the way individuals interact together to create and shape society, it can also be known as a 'social action theory.
• Interactionist View

  Interactionists are particularly interested in the meanings people attribute to their own and others actions and to the objects that surround us.
• Teacher stereotyping and labelling

  Teacher stereotyping and labelling

  The way a teacher treats a student can influence the construction and development of the pupil's self-concept and identity.
• Teacher stereotyping and labelling

  Labelling by teachers has been known to affect the academic performance of students; if you are labelled as 'clever' you will do well and vice versa.
• Halo - effect

  The stereotype held by the teacher can produce the halo-effect - this is where all behaviour is seen through the stereotype.
• Halo - effect

  If a student is labelled as good' and

  'well-behaved' then being disruptive might be put down to being unwell or the influence of others. However, if the stereotype is difficult then disruption is seen as bad behaviour and punished.
• Teacher stereotyping and labelling

  The labelling then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for the child - they have been labelled as 'disruptive' or 'rebellious' so they will act that way. This may add to the formation of subcultures, discussed in another topic.
• Educational Triage

  Triage means to treat people according to the severity of their needs (it is a medical term and it is used in schools according to Gillborn and Youdell 2000). 
• Educational Triage

  Students are placed into groups:

  • those who will probably get the 5 GCSEs at grade A * -C
  • those who are on the C / D borderline
  • those who are unlikely to achieve C grades no matter what help they are given.
• Educational Triage

  As schools are judged in league tables by how many pupils achieve the C grades in their GCSEs the third group are written off as they will not benefit the school in any way.
• Educational Triage

  This pressure to perform has been strengthened by the current government, who have closed schools which don't meet the targets of 40-50% of pupils achieving five GCSEs.
• Educational Triage

  This leads to even more attention being given to the C/D group and less time and resources available for the third group; they put mote time into the second group so none is left for the third group.