Sociology · Oct / Nov 2016 · Paper 22 · Question 2

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Educational achievement is argued to be linked to many things, one of which is IQ Tests. Different types of education exist to suit the needs of all students, a recent example of which is vocationalism. Some sociologists still believe, however, that male and female students do not receive the same opportunities and experiences within education and that this affects their levels of achievement.

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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘IQ Tests’? [2]
Intelligence quotient tests – answering questions that are then used to work out a score, which supposedly indicates how intelligent the person is. One mark for partial definition, e.g. how clever you are. Two marks for clear definition, e.g. a set of questions to measure intelligence.
2(b)[4]
Describe two ways that the peer group a child belongs to can affect his or her educational achievement. [4]
Candidates will describe two different ways. It may be that one way the candidate chooses to describe is positive and the other negative. Possible answers:
Peer group based on gender – male students often engage in laddish behaviour, seeking peer group status through misbehaviour and so form an anti-school subculture, e.g. Willis study;
Peer group based on gender – female students tend to have more positive attitudes towards education and thus work and try harder than males;
Peer group based on low class position – lower class students do least well in education – lack of parental encouragement, material/cultural deprivation, teacher labelling, self- fulfilling prophecy, etc.;
Peer group based on high class position – culture of valuing education, may be in fee paying private schools with a competitive ethos, cultural capital, etc.;
Peer group based on ethnicity – may not do as well due to perceptions of racism, ethnocentric curriculum, discrimination, stereotyping, language barriers, setting and streaming, labelling and stereotyping, culture clash ;
Anti-school subcultures – tend not to value education and thus do not do work, disrupt lessons, etc.;
Pro-school subcultures – education and learning are highly valued, very conformist, work and try hard;
Positive labelling from the peer group may counteract school/home factors and result in higher educational achievement, e.g. re ethnicity;
Negative labelling may result in a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby the student accepts the label of ‘failure’ or ‘trouble causer’, etc.;
Gang culture – a peer group based on gang membership is unlikely to value education;
Positive peer groups encourage educational success, e.g. homework clubs;
Negative peer groups do not encourage educational success, e.g. drugs;
Other reasonable response. One mark for each point correctly identified (up to maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).
2(c)[6]
Explain how vocationalism is different from other types of education. [6]
Candidates should show an understanding of the differences between vocationalism and other types of education. Vocationalism – education that prepares people for work in a general skills based sense or, alternatively, trains them for particular jobs/careers. Possible answers:
Vocationalism is far more specific in terms of preparing you for a particular area of work/job than other types of education;
Vocationalism tends not to lead to university education but to specific careers instead;
Vocationalism is often seen to have lower status than an academic education;
Vocationalism is less likely than many other types of education to be classroom based;
Vocationalism tends to be dominated by working class students;
Vocationalism does not just test ability and progress via examinations but uses other means as well – ongoing assessments, skills based tests, etc.;
Vocationalism often involves ‘hands on’ learning, i.e. work experience;
Other reasonable response. Band 0 No creditworthy response. Band 1 (1–3) Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of how vocationalism is different to other types of education. Responses may be short and undeveloped and there may be confusion about what is meant by vocationalism. Candidates may only consider vocationalism or another type of education rather than looking at the differences. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point, but there may be a tendency towards simplistic answers, engaging with sociological ideas without using sociological language, e.g. ‘where you learn about work.’ Band 2 (4–6) A clear and accurate explanation showing good sociological knowledge and understanding of the differences between vocationalism and other types of education. Sociological terms and concepts should be expected. Candidates may discuss, e.g. ‘the learning of skills specific to the workplace, norms and values of the workplace, tested via assessments and skills based learning rather than traditional examinations taken in schools, etc.’ At the bottom of the band, the range of points covered may be narrow or lack detail. Higher in the band, answers will cover more than one factor in a well-developed way or cover several factors in less detail.
2(d)[8]
Explain why tests used to measure intelligence may not be accurate. [8]
Candidates should show understanding of the various reasons why tests used to measure intelligence may not be accurate. Possible reasons:
IQ tests are based on a narrow range of reasoning skills and exclude other types of intelligence, e.g. Gardner study;
Some people with low IQ scores go on to do well in education and careers;
Performance on IQ tests improves with practice-some parents (typically middle class) make their children practise the tests more than others, thus questioning the accuracy of any test results gained as a measure of intelligence;
Performance on IQ tests can be affected by factors such as nerves or feeling ill;
IQ tests are taken at just one moment in time whereas intelligence develops over time;
Are IQ tests testing innate intelligence or environmental factors? If the environment affects intelligence then higher test scores may merely indicate a more positive learning environment when the child was younger;
IQ tests are written by people who will build into tests their own cultural norms and assumptions (typically white and middle class) so those not from that cultural background are less likely to do well;
Other reasonable response. Band 0 No creditworthy response. Band 1 (1–3) Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of why tests used to measure intelligence may not be accurate. Candidates may only discuss tests generally, rather than IQ tests specifically. Responses may be short and undeveloped, e.g. ‘unfair’ without justification. Sociological terms and concepts are unlikely to be used. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point. Band 2 (4–6) Answers in this band will show basic sociological knowledge and understanding of why tests used to measure intelligence may not be accurate. Responses may be underdeveloped and lacking in range. Answers may concentrate on just a few points with little detail and so be a little narrow. At the bottom of the band, candidates are unlikely to use sociological terms and concepts accurately. Higher in the band, candidates may be beginning to use sociological terms and concepts with greater accuracy, i.e. linking points to ideas about class and ethnic background. However, some aspects of the answer may only be partially developed. Band 3 (7–8) Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding of why tests used to measure intelligence may not be accurate and will be well developed and explained, e.g. ‘Intelligence tests may not be a true test of intelligence because they will contain the cultural biases of those who have written them. They are typically written by the ‘cultural elite’ and so will be biased towards the higher classes. This may well explain why those from higher classes do well on these tests rather than it being that they are more intelligent.’ Sociological terms and concepts will be used accurately, overall. Answers will be well focused on the question and there will be a range of reasons presented. At the top of the band explanations will be clear throughout.
2(e)[15]
To what extent is there equality of opportunity for male and female students in education? [15]
Candidates should show an awareness of the various types of equality of opportunity available to individuals in education – this may include consideration of schools, teachers, curriculum, subjects, policies, expectations and subject choice. Possible answers: For:
The students that do best in education are the ones that work and try the hardest;
a meritocracy (functionalist ideas), nothing to do with gender;
National curriculum ensures that all students, no matter what gender, have the options to study the same subjects;
Anti-discrimination policies and legislation;
Feminist movement – has raised the aspirations and rights of females, thus giving them equal opportunities in education;
Teachers are both male and female, offering potential role models to both genders;
Single sex schools exist for both male and female students;
Teachers treat all students equally or else will face sanctions;
Positive discrimination and educational policies have been introduced to ensure equality of opportunity for male and female students;
Other reasonable response. Against:
Girls do better than boys now in many systems of education;
Teachers still have different expectations of girls and boys;
Extra resources in deprived areas, i.e. educational action zones, rebuilding projects
Girls and boys may study different subjects, i.e. boys dominate maths, engineering and science and girls in communication, caring and creative subjects which leads to inequalities in later life (perceived as higher prestige subjects, etc.)
Girls and boys may not get the same opportunities when it comes to sports;
Despite doing better in education, in employment girls are still typically not as successful as boys – patriarchy, vertical/horizontal segregation, glass ceiling, etc.
Boys are more likely to be seen in schools as problems – higher exclusion rates, etc. – meaning negative teacher labelling is more likely and a self-fulfilling prophecy possible;
In some cultures boys still have more status than girls;
Teaching is a female dominated profession in many countries yet within schools position of – power and high status are still dominated by males. This affects the role modelling process;
Teachers do not always challenge the physical domination of space often seen by boys in classrooms;
Laddish culture/culture of masculinity may hold male pupils back academically;
Boys are more likely to form anti-school subcultures than girls;
Boys and girls may be sanctioned differently within schools;
Girls don’t always get the same opportunity to go to school
Other reasonable response. Band 0 No creditworthy response. Band 1 (1–4) Answers in this band may be vague and largely based on common sense showing limited knowledge of whether there is equality of opportunity for male and female students in education. Use of sociological terms or concepts is very unlikely. Responses may be short, undeveloped and one-sided, e.g. ‘Boys are treated more harshly than girls’. Lower in the band (1–2 marks), expect one or two weak points. Higher in the band (3–4 marks) candidates may offer more than two points or provide a weak definition of key terms, e.g. ‘equality means treating everyone the same’, in the question. Band 2 (5–8) In this band candidates will show some basic knowledge of whether there is equality of opportunity for male and female students in education. Alternatively, they may offer an answer which is list-like in nature but there will be no real attempt to assess the issues raised by the question. Answers may list factors of equality of opportunity for male and female students. There may be limited use of sociological terms or concepts. Responses may be underdeveloped and lack range. Answers may be simplistic and two-sided responses are unlikely. Lower in the band, the response will be rather narrow in the points covered and there will be little development. Higher in the band, more points will be covered and there will be limited development of some points. Alternatively, a list-like answer with little development covering both sides of the argument may score up to 8 marks. A one-sided answer cannot score higher than 8 marks. Band 3 (9–12) Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding of whether there is equality of opportunity for male and female students in education. Sociological terms and concepts will be used with greater accuracy and/or frequency. For the most part, answers will be well developed, focused on the question and there will be a range of points presented. There will be a two-sided response but this may be unbalanced. At the bottom of the band, candidates may provide a narrower range of well-developed points. At the top of the band, expect a wider range of points and clear focus on the question. Candidates may outline that, e.g. although in general equality laws are now in place for males and females meaning they are treated the same, teachers may still have different expectations of them. Boys may be expected to be more disruptive and so may be negatively labelled and targeted more than the girls, meaning they are not given the same opportunities in the classroom. Band 4 (13–15) Answers in this band will show excellent knowledge and understanding of whether there is equality of opportunity for male and female students in education. There will be a strong grasp of the argument as well as accurate and frequent use of sociological terms and concepts. Answers will be well developed, clearly focused on the question and discuss a wide range of points. Candidates may outline factors of equality of opportunity and other factors which can go against this, e.g. sexism, lack of high status female role models, culture of masculinity and stereotypes, etc. Responses will be two-sided and balanced. At the bottom of the band (13 marks), the answer may lack a specific conclusion. Higher in the band, there will be a clear attempt to offer an assessment of the ‘To what extent…?’ part of the question through a focused conclusion. Section C: Crime, deviance and social control

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