gcse sociology education- essential vocabulary

• formal curriculum


  timetabled subjects taught in schools (eg. maths, english, rs, science etc.)
• hidden curriculum


  things learned in school that are not formally taught- like punctuality, conformity, obedience, dress codes
• labelling


  the process of attaching a label, characteristic, or definition to individuals or groups
• self-fulfilling prophecy


  this occurs when a person who has been labelled comes to fit the image people have of them (eg, prediction comes true)
• meritocracy


  a system in which individuals achievements are based on their own talents and efforts (functionalists like this)
• material deprivation


  refers to the inability of individuals or households to afford the goods and activities that are typical in society at a given point in time
• teacher expectations


  assumptions that teachers make out students' future academic achievements based on their knowledge of students' current performance
• streaming


  dividing students into different groups or bands based on a general assessment of their ability (not based on subjects)
• league tables


  measure school performance data- statistical information showing how well pupils in england have done in public examinations
• marketisation


  an attempt to improve education standards and opportunities by making schools compete for students