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Education

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why do some groups do better than others in education?

The factors affecting educational attainment: how social class, gender and ethnicity are linked to differences in achievement, and the home and school explanations for these patterns.
A focused answer on factors affecting attainment for WJEC GCSE Sociology: how social class, gender and ethnicity link to achievement, and the home (material and cultural) and in-school explanations.
15 min answer →

How do things that happen inside school affect pupils?

The processes within school: labelling and the self-fulfilling prophecy, setting and streaming, and pro-school and anti-school subcultures, and how they shape pupils' experiences and achievement.
A focused answer on processes within school for WJEC GCSE Sociology: labelling and the self-fulfilling prophecy, setting and streaming, and pro-school and anti-school subcultures.
13 min answer →

What is the role of education, and how do sociologists view it?

The role and functions of education for individuals and society, and the contrasting functionalist, Marxist, feminist and interactionist perspectives on education.
A focused answer on the role and functions of education for WJEC GCSE Sociology: what education does for society, and the functionalist, Marxist, feminist and interactionist perspectives on it.
14 min answer →

What different types of school exist, and how are pupils selected for them?

The main types of school in the UK including state and independent schools, comprehensive and grammar schools, faith schools, and the debate over selection by ability.
A focused answer on types of school for WJEC GCSE Sociology: state and independent schools, comprehensive and grammar schools, faith schools, and the debate over selection by ability.
13 min answer →