...If Your Teen Begins to Fail in School More Information on School Success - Universal Education Many teens experience a time when keeping up with school work is difficult. These periods may last several weeks and may include social problems as well as a slide in academic performance. Research suggests that problems are more likely to occur during a transitional year, such as moving from elementary to middle school, or middle school to high school. Some adolescents are able to get through this time with minimal assistance from their parents or teachers. It may be enough for a parent to be available simply to listen and suggest coping strategies, provide a supportive home environment, and encourage the child's participation in school activities. However, when the difficulties last longer than a single grading period, or are linked to a long-term pattern of poor school performance or behavior problems, parents and teachers need to intervene. Identifying Adolescents Who Are At Risk for Failure Some "at-risk" indicators, such as those listed here, may represent persistent problems from the early elementary school years for some children. Other students may overcome early difficulties but begin to experience related problems during middle school or high school. For others, some of these indicators may become noticeable only in early adolescence. To intervene effectively, parents and teachers can be aware of some common indicators of an adolescent...
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...Assess the view that social class differences in educational achievement are the result of internal processes such as labelling. Many sociologists would agree school processes such as labelling have an effect on a child’s educational achievement. However there are many other school processes that cause underachievement. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. For example, teachers may label a student as smart, thick, hardworking or troublemaker. Studies have shown that teachers often attach such labels regardless of the pupil’s actual ability or attitude. Instead they label pupils on the basis of stereotyped assumptions about their class background. Becker carried out an important study of labelling. He carried out interviews with 60 Chicago high school teachers. His findings were that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of the ‘ideal pupil’. Pupils work, conduct and appearance were key factors influencing teacher’s judgments. Middle class children were seen as the closest to ideal by teachers however lower working class children were seen as furthest away from it because they regarded them as badly behaved. Cicourel and Kitsuse’s study of educational councilors in an American high school shows how such labelling can disadvantage working class students. Cicourel and Kitsuse found inconsistencies in the way the councilors assessed students’ suitability for courses. Although they claimed to judge students according...
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...achievement caused by out of school factors and in school factors will be discussed. Education has had a huge impact to peoples lives and there is a significant difference in the educational achievement based class, ethnicity and gender. A child`s social background has a huge impact on the success in education and their life in future. On average children from middle class families perform well in school, get better GCSE results, stay longer in full time education than children from the working class families. Majority of children from middle class families will go to university compared to the children from working class families. Statistics show that 77% of students from parents with higher professional jobs will achieve 5 or more GCSE, 66% from parents with lower professional, 40% from parents with intermediate jobs and 33% from parents with routine jobs or unemployed, reason being that most middle class parents will afford to take children to private schools or pay for private tuition (webb, r etal2008). We operationalize the concept of class in school by using the access of free school meals (FSM), which is offered to children whose parents get unemployment benefit and come from deprived areas. There is a huge difference in education attainment between pupil receiving FSM and not receiving FSM, Statistics show that at age11, 40% of children receiving FSM will not attain skill in maths or English, at age 16, 35% of children receiving free school meals will get 5 GCSE`S. 31...
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...students who do not have cultural capital, and are therefore deprived of what is needed to be successful at school – this percentage, according to cultural deprivation theorists, are working-class. There are three main aspects of cultural deprivation: intellectual development, language, and attitudes and values. Cultural deprivation theorists argue that intellectual development plays a big part in the educational failure of the lower classes. Due to cost constraints, working-class parents are unlikely to buy educational toys which would stimulate their child’s mind, and intellectual development. This stimulation of the mind is vital for when a child begins their educational journey, as many middle-class mothers would say. J.W.B Douglas found that working-class children tend to score less on tests of ability than middle-class students because working-class parents are less likely to support their child’s intellectual development – even by simply reading to them. Bernstein and Young also found that middle-class mothers are more likely to buy toys which encourage thinking and reasoning – skills which are needed for educational success. However, although intellectual development may seem like a major aspect of an individual’s life which could affect their educational achievement, it is more likely to affect the start of the educational journey rather than the entire experience - school can teach and encourage the skills the child needs. Another aspect of a child’s primary socialisation...
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...Many sociologists would agree school processes such as labelling have an effect on a child’s educational achievement. However there are many other school processes that cause underachievement. These will be discussed below. To label someone is to attach a meaning or definition to them. For example, teachers may label a student as smart, thick, hardworking or troublemaker. Studies have shown that teachers often attach such labels regardless of the pupil’s actual ability or attitude. Instead they label pupils on the basis of stereotyped assumptions about their class background. Howard Becker (1971) carried out an important interactionist study of labelling. He carried out interviews with 60 Chicago high school teachers. His findings were that they judged pupils according to how closely they fitted an image of the ‘ideal pupil’. Pupils work, conduct and appearance were key factors influencing teacher’s judgements. Middle class children were seen as the closest to ideal by teachers however lower working class children were seen as furthest away from it because they regarded them as badly behaved. Aaron Cicourel and john Kitsuse’s (1963) study of educational councillors in an American high school shows how such labelling can disadvantage working class students. Cicourel and Kitsuse found inconsistences in the way the councillors assessed students’ suitability for courses. Although they claimed to judge students according to their ability, in practice they judged...
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...primarily on the basis of objective criteria such as achievement, ability, intelligence and effort. However, there are significant inequalities in society such as those based on social class which prevents equality of opportunity (a system in which every person has an equal chance of success). For example, many working class pupils underachieve in school. As a result, the extent to which the educational system is able to develop and asses the pupils ‘real’ ability is questionable. The inequalities of opportunity which exist both inside and outside school suggests that education is not meritocratic in the process. It can be argued that the education system gives people their social positions rather than providing an opportunity to gain a higher status. Middle class people are seen to get middle class jobs and in general, they have higher qualifications than working class people. Because of these qualifications, middle class people may feel that they almost have a right to be middle class; even though their ‘success’ in school may be result from the advantages of their class position than their ability. Parsons suggests that schools allocate individuals to appropriate positions in the occupational system. This is challenged by evidence that there are barriers preventing many students from achieving their potential. Bowles and Gintis argue that rewards in education and occupation are not based on ability but on social background. The higher the class they began in, the more likely...
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...Cultural deprivation has many different aspects including lack of linguistic skills and lack of educational experience. Many suggest that due to working-class children are ‘culturally deprived’ compared to middle class children due to them having more access to things such as classical music, educational holidays or trips and literature. Bourdieu (1984) uses the term cultural capital to refer to the knowledge, attitudes , values , language , tastes and abilities of the middle class. He sees middle-class culture as a type of wealth due to it giving an advantage to the people who possess it. He suggests that through this middle class children acquire the abilities to grasp and analyse abstract ideas which leads to more intellectual interests and a better understanding of what they need to do to succeed. This gives middle-class children an advantage in school where such abilities are and interests are highly valued and rewarded. In contrast, working class children find that their culture is devalued to be ‘rough’ and inferior compared to that of the middle-class. The lack of cultural development in the child leads to exam failure, truanting, early leaving and just generally not trying. Alice Sullivan(2001) used questionnaires to conduct a survey of 465 pupils in 4 schools. To assess their cultural their cultural capital, she asked them about a range of activities, such as reading and TV viewing habits and whether or not they visit art galleries, museums or the theatre. She also...
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...where I was finding out who I wanted to be. In eighth grade I knew how things worked, I basically knew who I was, but everything was still so small. I’m still in middle school, nothing really matters a whole lot, I’m just barely a teenager. At first, I viewed that as a negative thing. At first, failure was such a terrible thought, it was scary how easily everything could be messed up, especially in the beginning of the year. I had this new beginning, and it felt so fragile, I wanted to finish middle school the right way. I was worried I would mess it up but, I wanted things to feel important. Throughout eighth grade I learned how to embrace the things that don’t matter. I thought I was ready for things to matter but I still cowered at the thought. I also, hadn’t yet learned how to fail, and that it was okay to just not know. All the lessons I learned this year are pretty accurately displayed through the long “Maybe IDK” sung by Jon Bellion. Towards the end of eighth grade is when I really learned this lesson. I...
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...of falling behind their classmates leading to academic failure, increased school dropout rates, and brushes with law enforcement (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017). Allday and Christle (2015) concluded that students who were recommended for expulsion tended to perform at a lower level than their counterparts. As students moved into higher grades from lower grades, their...
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... There are major differences between the levels of achievement of the working class and middle class. Generally the higher the social class of the parents the more successful a child will be in education. Social class inequality begins in primary school and becomes greater as you move up through the education system with the higher levels of the education system dominated by middle and upper-class students. There are many other factors that can explain differences in educational achievements for different social classes, these include material explanations which put the emphasis on social and economic conditions, cultural explanations which focus on values, attitudes and lifestyles and factors within the school itself. Material factors such as poverty, low wages, diet, health and housing can all have important direct effects on how well individuals do at school. Material deprivation such as this helps when explaining the pattern of working-class underachievement in education. Douglas (1964) found that poor housing conditions such as overcrowding and insufficient quiet can make study at home difficult meaning they cannot complete homework and may not pass exams. In working class families, low income or unemployment may mean resources such as computers and text books cannot be bought which will restrict the amount of studying the child can do. They may also not be able to attend school trips that could be useful for their studies. If they child cannot study they may fall...
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...Assess the view that the education system favours middle class students. Over the past 50 years, sociological research and government statistics have shown time and time again that in general the higher a person’s social class of origin (the class they were born into) the higher their educational qualifications. There are many explanations behind why in general the education system tends to favour middle class students such as cultural capital, to succeed in the education system, students need certain norms and values which middle class students have and working class students lack. May working class students are labelled by teachers and cannot do as well as middle class students. Working class students are sometimes materially deprived where they have a lack of money and all the things money can buy eg; school equipment. All of things which will help them in the long run in the education system. During the 1960s, it was clear that the low educational attainment of working class students was due to material deprivation. Material deprivation is lack of money and all things money can buy such as school equipment, trip money etc.. Other things that come under this factor is also whether the student had a comfortable home life style, enough personal space and studying space, home internet.. all of things which help students perform better in education. They were not only materially deprived but also culturally where they lacked certain attitudes and skills, norms and values...
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...culturally deprived? Cultural deprivation is the notion that the underachievement of working class children in exams is a result of their home background and parent’s failure to socialize them into the skills and values required for educational success. The three aspects of cultural deprivation are: Intellectual development, Language and Attitudes and Values. One of the aspects of cultural deprivation is Intellectual Development, which is the development of thinking and reasoning. Working class children may be less intellectually developed as their homes may lack books, educational toys and activities that stimulate their intellectual development. Douglas’ study found that working class pupils scored lower on tests of ability that middle class pupils, and due to this he argues that working class parents were less likely to read with their children thus stunting their intellectual growth and development. However, is has been argued by sociologists that cultural deprivation is not the only factor contributing to the underachievement of working class children, and that material deprivation and internal school factors may be just as important, if not more so, than cultural deprivation. The second aspect of cultural deprivation is Language, which is the differences that exist in the language used by the middle class and the language used by the working class. Bernstein has identified two different types of language, separated into different ‘Speech Codes’. The Restricted Speech...
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...families do not instil the value of deferred gratification. Cultural deprivation is an outside school/home background factor that could affect the achievement of working class pupils as if their family do not place a high standard on education, the pupil may imitate this causing their grades to lower. The attitudes and values that working class pupils usually hold vary from that of middle class, one being fatalism. Barry Sugarman suggested that the idea of believing in fate and that ''whatever will be, will be" could lead to underachievement as working class pupils with this view think that nothing they can do will stop what is already planned for them. Middle-class values usually emphasises that you can change your position through your own efforts. Sugarman also believed in the idea of present-time orientation. This is where someone sees the present as more important than the future and therefore does not set long-term goals or plans. This view is also usually held by working class people in contrast to middle-class culture that has a future-time orientation that sees planning for the future as important as the present. Douglas suggested that immediate gratification is also a large contributing factor to the under achievement of working class pupils. It's basis is that working class people seek pleasure now rather than making sacrifices in order to get rewards in the future whereas middle-class values emphasise deferred gratification, making sacrifices now for greater rewards later...
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...4 questions on Education. These are simply names – you do not need to remember them all – you need to choose which ones you want to remember. Cut and paste to reduce. It is vital that you also have a generaloverview of the key ideas so do the same for key concepts / theories 1. Theories of Education – What is the role and purpose of education? |Functionalism | | |E.Durkheim and T.Parsons |Passing on society’s culture: this then unites people together by giving them shared values (value consensus). | | |According to Durkheim schools are societies in miniature - he argues that the key role of education was to teach | | |children moral responsibilities in order to promote social solidarity. Education provides secondary socialisation. | | |(Meaning the teaching of norms and values of society) to add to the primary socialisation provided by the family. | | |Examples of the values that education teaches to children include the importance of achievement, meritocracy and | | |competition. | | ...
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...“The Effects of Nature and Nurture in Middle Childhood” Middle Childhood is the name given for the age division from 6 to 11 years of a child’s life. They are also known as the “school years.” During this time a child’s health, education, and emotional well being are all undergoing changes. Though not as drastic as the changes they will soon face in adolescence, they are steady, and the impact that nature and nurture will have on these aspects reach far and wide across the many developments they face in their lives. Heath is of the utmost importance in raising a child, and is the biggest factor of a child’s physical development in middle childhood. When a child is receiving the proper nutrition he or she needs, they grow at the expected, normal rate during middle childhood. In families where the SES is lower, the children are more inclined to be fed snacks with high caloric content, than food with fresh ingredients. These eating habits can lead to obesity. The food they eat isn’t the only way in which a child may become obese. At an age where most normal children love engaging in physical activity, and expending energy in exercise, children who sit in front of the TV, are at greater risk of becoming overweight and obese. This has everything to do with the family’s SES and therefore, has to do with nurture, the environment in which they’re raised. One illness that can be linked to obesity is asthma. It is common amongst children raised in poverty-stricken environments...
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