Educational achievement: Class differences in achievement-Internal and External factors

Class differences in achievement:  Internal and External factors

Key concepts:

• Internal factors- Factors within schools and the education system which can cause class differences in educational achievement, such as interactions between pupils and teachers. E.G (labelling, self fulfilling prophecy, pupils sub culture, and marketisation)

• External factors- Factors outside the education systems, such as the influence of home and family background and wider society.E.G (material and cultural deprivation, attitudes, and restricted codes)

Internal factors-

• Labelling: To attach a meaning or definition to them for example teachers labelling a students as a troublemaker would have a negative effect whereas labelling a student as hardworking would have a positve effect on achievement in education.

• Self fullfiling prophecy: The tendency of people to respond to and act on the basis of stereotypes, leading to validation of false definitions.

• Streaming: Involves seperating children into different ability groups or classes. Pupils live
  

• Pupils sub-culture: Group of pupils who share similar values and behaviour patterns, usually formed because of labels.