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EnglandSociology

Education

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why do working-class pupils tend to achieve less in education than middle-class pupils?

External factors (material deprivation, cultural deprivation, cultural capital) and internal factors (labelling, streaming, pupil subcultures) explaining social-class differences in educational achievement.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Sociology Education topic on class differences in achievement, covering external factors (material and cultural deprivation, cultural capital) and internal school factors (labelling, the self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming and subcultures).
12 min answer →

Why do achievement patterns differ by gender and by ethnicity in education?

Gender differences in achievement and subject choice, and ethnic differences in achievement, explained through external factors and internal school processes including teacher labelling and ethnocentric curricula.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Sociology Education topic on gender and ethnic differences in achievement, covering the reversal of the gender gap, gendered subject choice, and external and internal explanations of ethnic differences including labelling and ethnocentric curricula.
12 min answer →

How have educational policies tried to shape equality, standards and the structure of schooling?

The significance of educational policies, including selection, comprehensivisation, marketisation and privatisation, and policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity or outcome by class, gender and ethnicity.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Sociology Education topic on educational policy, covering the tripartite system, comprehensivisation, marketisation and parentocracy, privatisation, globalisation and policies on class, gender and ethnic equality.
12 min answer →

How do everyday processes inside schools shape pupils' experiences and outcomes?

Relationships and processes within schools, including teacher labelling, the self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming and setting, pupil identities and subcultures, and the hidden curriculum.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Sociology Education topic on in-school processes, covering teacher labelling, the self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming, pupil identities and subcultures, and the hidden curriculum.
12 min answer →

What is the role of education in society, and do its effects benefit everyone or only the powerful?

Functionalist, Marxist, New Right and other perspectives on the role and purpose of the education system, including socialisation, role allocation, the correspondence principle and human capital.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Sociology Education topic on the role and functions of education, covering functionalist, Marxist, New Right and feminist perspectives, the correspondence principle, meritocracy and human capital.
12 min answer →