June 07

1
June 07

• (a) Explain what is meant by .social solidarity.
  (Item 1A, line 2). (2 marks)

2
Ans

• Two marks for an appropriate explanation or
  definition, such as individual members in
  society feeling part of a wider community, a
  sense of belonging etc.

3

• (b) Suggest two ways in which schools are .based
  on meritocratic principles. (Item 1A, line 7) (4
  marks)

4

• Two marks for each of two ways suggested, such
  as
• education is free
• educational success is measured against
  external national standards (ie exams)
• those that work hard achieve success
• the most intelligent are the most successful
• the education system treats everyone fairly, eg
  same rules apply to all
• everyone has the same opportunity to, eg take
  an exam, take a subject
• schools reward ability, eg sporting or
  academic
• teachers are promoted according to their worth.

5

• (c) Suggest three ways in which school prepares
  pupils for work Item 1A. (6 marks)

6

• Two marks for each of three appropriate ways
  suggested, such as
• teaching specific skills
• socialising pupils into appropriate values
• teaching them social skills
• role allocation/social selection
• learn to work in hierarchy
• motivation by extrinsic rewards
• rules and regulations, eg punctuality, dress
  code.

7

• (d) Identify and briefly explain two criticisms
  that may be made of the functionalist view of the
  role of the education system (Item 1A). (8 marks)

8

• Two marks for each of two appropriate criticisms
  identified, such as
• wrongly assumes education instils consensual
  values
• deterministic
• equal opportunities do not exist
• education system fails to prepare young people
  adequately for work.
• Continued..............

9

• A further two marks for each of these explained,
  such as
• deterministic many functionalists wrongly
  assume that pupils passively accept the values
  they are taught and never reject them
• equal opportunities do not exist achievement
  is greatly influenced by social backgrounds such
  as class, ethnicity etc
• education system fails to prepare young people
  adequately for work from a New Right perspective
• the education system fails to prepare pupils
  adequately for work because of a failure to teach
  the appropriate skills/values/attitudes etc.

10
Jan - 07

• (a) Explain what is meant by .deferred
  gratification. (Item 1A, line 8) (2 marks)

11
Ans

• Two marks for an appropriate explanation or
  definition, such as
• the ability to postpone satisfaction
• future-time orientation or similar

12

• (b) Identify two features of .anti-school
  subcultures. (Item 1A, line 10). (4 marks)

13

• Two marks for each of two appropriate features,
  such as
• lack of respect for teachers or the school
• truancy
• habitual rule breaking
• lack of interest in academic work eg failure to
  do homework
• poor exam results
• immediate gratification
• collectivism
• likely to be boys
• likely to be working class.

14

• (c) Suggest three ways in which childrens
  cultural background may fail .to equip them to
  meet the demands of schooling. (Item 1A, lines 6
  . 7). (6 marks)

15

• Two marks for each of three appropriate ways,
  such as
• lack of positive role models
• parents may not be supportive
• parents with low levels of education may not be
  able to offer help with homework etc
• friends/peers may discourage educational
  ambitions
• schools/teachers may make negative assumptions
  based on cultural background
• fatalism
• lack of cultural capital
• restricted code.

16

• (d) Identify and briefly explain two reasons,
  apart from those referred to in Item 1A, which
  might explain why boys .tend to do less well than
  girls. in school (Item 1A, line 9).
• (8 marks)

17

• Two marks for each of two reasons identified,
  such as
• examination system may favour girls
• the school may not make sufficient allowance
  for boys. interests
• girls. performance has improved as more
  employment opportunities become available to
  them
• family structure.
• Continued

18
June 06

• (a) Explain what is meant by .universalistic
  norms. (Item 1B, line 7). (2 marks)

19
Ans

• Two marks for an appropriate explanation or
  definition, such as that there is one set of
  rules for everyone that everyone is judged by
  the same standards, or similar.
• One mark for an example only, eg all having to
  wear school uniform, equal opportunity.

20
Ques

• (b) Identify two policies that have .aimed to
  introduce .market forces. into education. (Item
• 1A, lines 1 . 2). (4 marks)

21

• Two marks for each of two appropriate policies
  suggested, such as
• league tables/SATS/exam results
• formula funding
• diversity of schools eg faith, specialist,
  private, grant maintained etc
• school control of own admissions criteria
• school control of own discipline/exclusions
  policies (allows them to get rid of .liability
  students.)
• schools. promotional activities
• LMS/LMC
• tuition fees
• National Curriculum
• Ofsted.

22
Ques

• (c) Suggest three reasons, why boys tend to
  under-achieve in school compared with girls (Item
  1A, lines 9 . 10). (6 marks)

23

• Two marks for each of three appropriate reasons
  suggested, such as
• boys have more behavioural problems
• male anti-school subcultures
• role models at home many boys come from
  female-headed lone parent families
• role models at school most teachers are
  female
• decline of men.s jobs/nothing to aspire to
• labelling by schools
• coursework favours girls
• girls. earlier intellectual maturity/greater
  concentration span
• girls. greater linguistic ability.

24

• (d) Identify and briefly explain two reasons for
  ethnic differences in educational achievement,
  apart from marketisation policies (Item 1A). (8
  marks)

25
Ans

• Two marks for each of two appropriate reasons
  identified, such as
• ethnocentric curriculum
• teacher racism/stereotyping
• poverty
• cultural deprivation
• English as a second language.
• Continued..................

26

• A further two marks for each of these explained,
  such as
• Ethnocentric curriculum the curriculum
  devalues or ignores minority cultures, causing
  low self-esteem and under-achievement.
• Poverty Bangladeshis, Pakistanis,
  Afro-Caribbeans are more likely to face material
  hardships eg than whites and this leads to early
  leaving, inability to afford educational aids
  etc.
• Cultural deprivation some minorities fail to
  socialise their children appropriately . eg
  lacking appropriate language skills or
  achievement orientation needed for educational
  success.

27
January 06

• (a) Explain what is meant by .cultural capital.
  (Item 1A, line 8). (2 marks)

28

• Two marks for an appropriate explanation or
  definition, such as the values, knowledge,
  attitudes, skills, tastes etc. possessed by the
  upper/middle class, or the values, knowledge etc.
  that give one class an educational advantage.

29

• (b) Suggest two criticisms that could be made of
  Marxist views of education (Item 1A).
• (4 marks)

30

• Two marks for each of two appropriate criticisms
  identified, such as
• neglects gender inequalities
• neglects ethnic inequalities
• too deterministic
• romanticises working-class pupils as
  .revolutionaries.
• doesn.t explain satisfactorily why some
  working-class pupils do succeed
• explanations/concepts untestable or
  unsupported by evidence (e.g. Halsey on cultural
  capital).

31
Ques

• (c) Identify three features of the restricted
  speech code (Item 1A, lines 10-11). (6 marks)

32

• Two marks for each of three appropriate features
  identified, such as
• used by the working class
• short/incomplete sentences
• often reduced to gestures
• context-bound/particularistic meanings/speaker
  assumes audience shares same frame of reference
• not used in education
• a product of repetitive, unskilled work
• a product of positional/rigid family
  structures.

33
Ques

• (d) Identify and briefly describe two ways in
  which schooling in capitalist society may mirror
• the world of work (Item 1A, line 4). (8 marks)

34

• Two marks for each of two appropriate ways
  identified, such as that both school and work are
• characterised by
• hierarchy of authority
• alienation
• extrinsic satisfaction
• fragmentation/compartmentalisation
• competition and division
• levels of autonomy/supervision vary for
  different groups.
• Continued......................

35

• A further two marks for each of these
  satisfactorily described, such as
• Hierarchy of authority the schools. hierarchy
  of head . teachers . pupils etc. mirrors that of
  work boss . supervisors . workers etc.
• Alienation pupils lack control over their
  education (e.g. timetabling, what to study)
  workers lack of control over production (e.g.
  what to produce, how, when, where etc.).
• Extrinsic satisfaction pupils study to gain
  grades, not from interest in the subject itself
  workers work to gain wages, not for the
  satisfaction of doing the job itself.
• Fragmentation/compartmentalisation knowledge
  is fragmented into apparently unconnected
  subjects the division of labour fragments work
  into small, meaningless, apparently unconnected
  tasks

36
Ques

• (a) Explain what is meant by .streaming. (Item
  1A, line 3). (2 marks)

37
Ans

• Two marks for an appropriate explanation or
  definition, such as separating children of
  different ability into different classes, or
  teaching pupils of similar ability in the same
  class etc.

38
Ques

• (b) Identify and briefly explain one criticism
  made of the labelling theory of educational
  under-achievement. (4 marks)

39

• Two marks for an appropriate criticism
  identified, such as that it
• is deterministic
• assumes no other causes are important
• assumes those labelled are aware of the label
• doesn.t explain origins of labels
• doesn.t explain consistency of labels/groups
  labelled
• relies on a flawed methodology.
• Continued.............................

40
Ques

• (c) Suggest three examples of how the curriculum
  and/or the ways school is organised may be
  ethnocentric. (Item 1A, lines 3 . 4). (6 marks)

41

• Two marks for each of three appropriate examples,
  such as
• dress/uniform requirements based on western
  norms
• not providing halal meals
• religious assemblies based on one religion
  only
• holidays based on the Christian calendar
• arrangements for PE/games (showers, changing
  etc)
• subject content note that specific features
  of different subjects count as separate examples,
  e.g. from
• literature, foreign languages, history,
  geography, art, music, RE.

42
Ques

• (d) Identify and briefly explain two factors
  apart from those referred to in Item 1A that may
  account for the educational under-achievement of
  boys. (8 marks)

43
Ans

• Two marks for each of two appropriate factors
  identified, such as
• lack of male role models in lone parent
  families
• education perceived as feminine
• anti-school subcultures
• lack of male job opportunities
• over-confidence in own abilities
• more behavioural problems.
• Continued.........................................
  ...

44

• A further two marks for each of these
  satisfactorily explained, such as
• Education perceived as feminine e.g. mothers
  not fathers read to children teaching is an
  increasingly feminised profession, so few
  educational male role models.
• Anti-school subcultures boys. subcultures are
  often macho and anti-school and those who appear
  to take school seriously may be bullied.
• Lack of male job opportunities decline of
  traditional male jobs de-motivates boys who
  conclude there is nothing to strive for in
  school.
• More behavioural problems means boys are more
  likely to be put in remedial groups, excluded,
  not favoured by selective/successful schools.

45
Jan 05

• (a) Explain what is meant by .material
  deprivation. (Item 1A, line 1). (2 marks)

46

• (b) Suggest two reasons why many working-class
  parents may fail to attend parents evenings,
  apart from lack of interest (Item 1A, lines 5 .
  6). (4 marks)

47
Ans

• Two marks for each of two appropriate reasons
  suggested, such as
• feelings of social inferiority to teachers
• lack of education/unable to understand the
  schoolwork
• cannot afford childminders for other children
• have to work longer hours to make living wage
• more likely to be shift workers.
• Note No marks for parents don.t value education.

48
Ques

• (c) Identify three policies that government or
  educational bodies have introduced to overcome
  children.s cultural deprivation (Item 1A, lines 8
  . 9). (6 marks)

49
Ans

• Two marks for each of three appropriate policies
  identified, such as
• Headstart
• Sure Start
• EAZs
• parenting classes
• parental basic education provision
• pre-school provision
• educational TV programmes.

50
Ques

• (d) Identify and briefly explain two reasons why
  girls are .now generally out-performingboys at
  all levels of schooling. (Item 1A, line 13). (8
  marks)

51
Ans

• Two marks for each of two appropriate reasons
  identified, such as
• introduction of coursework
• changes in the family
• changes in the labour market
• the impact of feminism
• equal opportunities policies in education.

52

• A further two marks for each of these explained,
  such as
• Introduction of coursework has enabled girls
  to do better as they are more organised,
  meticulous, persistent, etc than boys and this is
  rewarded in coursework.
• Changes in the family e.g. more divorce has
  given girls a greater incentive to gain useful
  qualifications, as they cannot now expect to be
  full-time housewives permanently provided for by
  their husbands.
• Changes in the labour market e.g. greater
  numbers of women working and opportunities for
  promotion have given girls the incentive to
  achieve qualifications with which to pursue a
  career.

53
June 04

• (a) Explain what is meant by the .self-fulfilling
  prophecy. (Item A, line 7). (2 marks)

54
Ans

• Two marks for an appropriate explanation or
  definition, such as when a pupil comes to live
  up to the label given to him/her.

55
Ques

• (b) Identify two other factors or processes
  within schools, that may negatively affect
  working-class pupils. achievement. (4 marks)

56
Ans

• Two marks for each of two appropriate
  factors/processes, such as
• anti-school pupil subcultures
• streaming/banding
• setting
• truancy
• bullying

57
Ques

• (c) Suggest three .material factors. that may be
  responsible for working-classunder-achievement in
  education (Item A, line 9). (6 marks)

58

• Two marks for each of three appropriate factors,
  such as
• overcrowding
• insecure accommodation (eg BB)
• inadequate diet (illness/absence hunger/lack
  of concentration in class)
• cannot afford home learning resources (toys,
  books, computer)
• having to earn money so cannot study (too
  tired early leaving/university drop-out)
• moving house into different catchment areas
• essential for schools . eg geometry sets
• cannot afford private provision
• stigma of free school meals leading to
  non-attendance etc
• H E fees
• travel costs
• working class parents. lack of time.

59
Ques

• (d) Identify and briefly explain two .cultural
  differences between the classes. that may explain
  class differences in achievement (Item A, line
  10). (8 marks)

60
ANS

• Two marks for each of two appropriate differences
  identified, such as
• language/speech codes
• parental encouragement/attitudes to education
• cultural capital/parental knowledge of
  education
• immediate vs deferred gratification
• present- vs future-time orientation.
• Continued....................................

61
A further two marks for each of these
satisfactorily explained, such as

• Language/speech codes middle class use the
  same elaborated code as teachers, textbooks, exam
  papers etc, so are better equipped for success
  than working class who only have the restricted
  code.
• Cultural capital/parental knowledge of
  education middle class parents, being better
  educated themselves, have better knowledge/skills
  with which to negotiate the system/choose more
  effectively.
• Present- vs future-time orientation middle
  class are future-oriented, so more likely to see
  education as a meaningful part of a long-term
  career plan, whereas working class or
  present-oriented (reflecting realities of
  working-class life), so don.t see education as a
  stepping stone to the future.