internal factors

• differences in social class experiences in education:

  Labelling:

  • working class students are often subject to negative labelling based on their appearance, attitudes, language or where they live. (all external factors)
  • this leads to them being vilified in education and leads them to develop self-fulfilling prophecies.
• differences in social class experiences in education:

  The halo effect:

  • middle students are often subjected to a different form of labelling, outlined by Rosenthal and Jacobsen.
  • because of their cultural capital, they have similar attributes, language and tastes to the education system.
  • this leads teachers to have high expectations of them and as a result, they develop positive self-fulfilling prophecies, which benefit them.
• differences in social class experiences in education:

  anti and pro school subcultures:

  • due to negative labelling working class students are likely to seek status within their peers as part if an anti-school subculture.
  • middle class students on the other-hand are likely to be encouraged by positive attention received and form pro-school subcultures, where they internalise the schools ethos and values and are respected by teachers.
• differences in social class experiences in education:

  nike identities and hyper-heterosexual:

  • as a result of not achieving status at school working class students tried to achieve status by wearing branded clothing or adopting ultra feminine personas.
  • Archer suggests that this brings them into further conflict with the school and leads to exclusion and sanctions based upon their appearance.
  • Middle class students are more likely to conform and be accepted.
• differences in social class experiences in education:

  setting and streaming:

  • allegedly based upon academic ability, but often based upon superficial characteristics such as language, appearance, conflict with teachers, working class students are placed in lower sets and streams than their middle class peers.
  • in these sets and streams they are given low status knowledge, entered for low ability exams and this hampers their future prospects.
  • middle class students are given the whole range of knowledge and are challenged to achieve.
• evidence for labelling in contemporary education:

  • setting and streaming
  • educational triage
  • performance targets for students
  • pupil premium
  • gifted and talented programmes
• Evaluation:

  • not all students of low social class accept labels-other factors such as gender and ethnicity are important in determining reaction.
• Evaluation:

  • external influences in determining what label in applied- family, cultural background, material deprivation.
• Evaluation:

  • links to other concepts within education- setting and streaming, identity formation, university choice.
• Labelling arguments


  Evaluations of
• Research by Fuller (1984)


  • Found that not all students internalise labels placed on them by teachers
  • Examined the reaction of Year 11 African-Caribbean girls to teacher labelling
  • They rejected the teacher's labels and adopted anti-school subcultures
  • They still valued education and worked harder to succeed
• Labelling


  • Can impact on the identity formation of pupils
  • Can impact on their achievement
  • Being rejected by education can lead to working-class pupils rejecting education
• Labelling can be seen as deterministic, as many pupils who are subjectively labelled will be successful in other areas of the curriculum
• internal factors:

  • Becker's view on labelling theory- can be both negative and positive- depending on the ethnic group.
• internal factors

  • Gillborn- considers how teachers label Black students in a negative way, referring to the 'myth of the black challenge'
• internal factors:

  • Mac An Ghaill- says that African-Caribbean boys are seen as a threat, while Asian girls have more potential than African-Caribbean girls