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2-mark Questions (identify two things each)
Q1: Identify two functions of education.
Answer:
Socialization
Skill provision
Q2: Identify two types of schools.
Answer:
Public school
Private school
Q3: Identify two ways students are informally socialized in school.
Answer:
Hidden curriculum
Peer group interaction
4-mark Questions (describe two things each)
Q1: Describe two functions of education according to functionalists.
Answer:
Socialization – Teaching shared norms and values for social cohesion.
Role allocation – Sorting students into suitable jobs based on merit.
Q2: Describe two examples of the hidden curriculum.
Answer:
Obedience – Students learn to follow rules and authority without questioning.
Punctuality – Emphasis on arriving on time prepares students for work discipline.
Q3: Describe two reasons for educational underachievement among working-class students.
Answer:
Material deprivation – Lack of resources like books or internet access.
Teacher labeling – Low expectations can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies of failure.
8-mark Questions (2 strengths + 2 limitations with explanations)
Q1: Describe two strengths and two limitations of using surveys to study education.
Answer:
Strength 1: Large samples – Can collect data from many students for representative results.
Strength 2: Quick and cost-effective – Efficient to administer in schools.
Limitation 1: Superficial answers – Closed questions may miss complex experiences.
Limitation 2: Low response rates – Some students may not return or complete surveys honestly.
Q2: Describe two strengths and two limitations of using observations in schools.
Answer:
Strength 1: High validity – Captures real student-teacher interactions.
Strength 2: Rich detail – Provides in-depth understanding of classroom dynamics.
Limitation 1: Hawthorne effect – Students may change behavior because they know they're watched.
Limitation 2: Time-consuming – Requires long periods in school settings.
Q3: Describe two strengths and two limitations of using interviews to study education.
Answer:
Strength 1: In-depth data – Can explore student experiences in detail.
Strength 2: Clarification possible – Interviewer can explain questions.
Limitation 1: Time-consuming – Hard to interview large samples.
Limitation 2: Researcher bias – Interviewer may influence responses unintentionally.
10-mark Questions (5 points each with explanation)
Q1: Explain how the hidden curriculum teaches students society’s values.
Answer:
Obedience – Following school rules prepares students to respect authority.
Competition – Grading systems encourage competition for success.
Punctuality – Emphasizing timeliness trains students for work expectations.
Hierarchy – Respect for teachers reflects workplace power structures.
Patriotism/civic values – School rituals can promote national identity.
Q2: Explain reasons for gender differences in educational achievement.
Answer:
Teacher expectations – Teachers may have higher expectations for girls.
Feminist movement – Raised aspirations among girls for careers.
Coursework advantages – Girls may do better at sustained coursework.
Peer pressure – Boys may be pressured to reject academic achievement.
Gender socialization – Girls may be socialized to be more studious.
Q3: Explain how social class can affect educational achievement.
Answer:
Material deprivation – Lack of resources harms study at home.
Cultural capital – Middle-class families pass on knowledge valued by schools.
Teacher labeling – Working-class students may face low expectations.
Parental support – Middle-class parents may engage more with schools.
School quality – Wealthier areas often have better-funded schools.
15-mark Essay Questions (full essay form with named sociologists)
Essay 1: ‘Education benefits everyone equally.’ Discuss this view.
Introduction
Education is often described as a meritocratic system that offers equal opportunities. Some sociologists argue schooling benefits everyone by rewarding ability, while others suggest it reinforces social inequalities.
Body 1: Arguments education benefits everyone equally
Functionalists like Emile Durkheim argue education teaches shared values and social solidarity. Talcott Parsons sees it as meritocratic, sorting individuals into roles based on talent. Exams and qualifications aim to reward ability rather than background. In theory, everyone can succeed through hard work, with schools offering mobility for talented students regardless of class.
Body 2: Arguments education reinforces inequality
However, Marxists like Louis Althusser argue education reproduces class inequality by transmitting ruling-class ideology. Pierre Bourdieu highlights cultural capital, where middle-class students succeed because their culture matches school expectations. Paul Willis found working-class boys resisted schooling, resulting in limited opportunities. Feminists like Ann Oakley argue schools reinforce gender roles, with girls encouraged into caring careers and boys into leadership.
Conclusion
While education can offer opportunities for all, evidence suggests it often reinforces existing social inequalities. I believe schools can reduce inequality but need reforms to address class and gender biases.
Essay 2: ‘The main role of education is to maintain social order.’ Discuss this view.
Introduction
Social order means stability and shared norms in society. Some argue education’s main function is to maintain this order by socializing individuals. Others suggest education also promotes change and personal development.
Body 1: Education maintains social order
Functionalists like Durkheim see education teaching shared norms and values, integrating individuals into society. Parsons describes education as a bridge between family and wider society, ensuring rule-following and role allocation. The hidden curriculum trains students in obedience, punctuality, and respect for authority. Marxists argue education maintains capitalist order by legitimizing inequality, as seen in Bowles and Gintis’ correspondence theory, which links school discipline to workplace hierarchies.
Body 2: Education promotes change and individual success
However, education can also be a site of social change. Feminists argue education challenges patriarchy by empowering girls and questioning traditional gender roles (as seen in Ann Oakley’s work). Social mobility is possible when working-class students achieve high qualifications. Young and Willmott’s studies show changing family roles supported by education. Critical teaching can encourage questioning and reform rather than conformity.
Conclusion
While education does maintain social order through socialization, it also promotes change and individual achievement. I believe both roles are important, but maintaining social order remains a central function.
Essay 3: ‘Gender is the most important factor affecting educational achievement.’ Discuss this view.
Introduction
Educational achievement refers to how well students perform in school. Some argue gender is the main factor shaping outcomes, while others emphasize class, ethnicity, or school factors.
Body 1: Gender as the most important factor
Girls often outperform boys in exams. Feminists like Ann Oakley argue gender socialization shapes school performance, with girls taught to be more studious. Teacher expectations may favor girls due to perceived maturity. The decline of traditional male jobs has led to lower motivation among boys. Coursework assessment has historically favored girls’ learning styles.
Body 2: Other important factors
However, social class also affects achievement. Pierre Bourdieu describes cultural capital advantages for middle-class students. Material deprivation limits resources for working-class children. Ethnicity also matters—some minority groups face language barriers or racism. School factors, like teacher labeling (Becker’s work), can limit working-class and minority success. Intersectionality shows gender interacts with class and ethnicity in complex ways.
Conclusion
While gender clearly affects achievement, it is not the only factor. I believe class and ethnicity are equally important, and understanding educational inequality requires considering all these factors together.
QUESTIONS DONE BY FARIDA SABET
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