Curley's wife

Education Exam questions

1 mark questions
These will ask you to find information from a source called in ‘Item’. These are easy as long as you read the question and look at the Item carefully!

2 mark questions
How marks are given: One mark for each of two identifications of an appropriate reason.

Example
Question: Identify two ways in which peer group pressure may affect a pupil’s performance.
Answer: One way in which peer group pressure may affect a pupil’s performance is by bullying hard working boys as ‘feminine’. Another way is by creating anti-school subcultures in which is it the norm to break school rules and misbehave.

Here are some practice questions:
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of the publication of school league tables.
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of Ofsted inspections.
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of testing students.
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of having a National Curriculum.
Identify two reasons why parents may or may not wish to send their children to a particular school.
Identify two ways in which schools prepare students for the world of work.
Identify two ways in which peer group pressure may affect a pupil’s performance.
Identify two ways in which labelling may affect a pupil’s performance.
Identify two ways in which parental attitudes may affect a pupil’s performance.
Identify two ways in which students’ home backgrounds may affect a pupil’s performance.

4 mark questions
Example – See the ‘basic concepts’ topic for how to answer ‘Explain what sociologists mean by…’ questions and an example.
Here are some practice questions:
Explain what sociologists mean by labelling in schools.
Explain what sociologists mean by the hidden curriculum.
Explain what sociologists mean by vocationalism in education.

5 mark questions
Example – see the ‘Families topic for how to answer 5 mark questions and an example.

Here are some practice questions:
Describe one way in which schools attempt to encourage a sense of what it means to be British and explain how this may help to improve social cohesion. (5 marks)
Describe one way in which schools prepare students for the world of work and explain how successful schools are in preparing students for the world of work.
Describe one government policy of the last 20 years which has attempted to widen the range of young people participating in post-16 education. Explain how this policy may or may not have increased educational opportunities. (5 marks)
Describe one way in which parents can assist their children to achieve well at school and explain how this would help. (5 marks)
Describe one way in which governments have attempted to check what happens in schools and explain what effect such monitoring may have on a school. (5 marks)
Describe one way in which a school can try to raise pupil performance and explain how this may lead to an improvement in educational achievement. (5 marks)
Describe one government educational reform of the last 25 years and explain how this may have increased or decreased educational opportunities. (5 marks)

12 mark questions
Example– see the ‘Families topic for how to answer 12 mark questions and an example.
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that a student’s ethnic background is the main reason for differences in educational achievement. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that a student’s gender is the main reason for differences in educational achievement. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the type of school a child attends is the main reason for differences in educational achievement. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that factors in school are the main reason for differences in educational achievement rather than factors in students’ homes. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the situation in a pupil’s home is a more important cause of educational under-achievement than the type of school he or she attends. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the material deprivation is a more important cause of educational under-achievement than parental attitudes. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that peer-pressure is a more important cause of educational under-achievement than teacher labelling. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that peer group pressure has a significant effect on a student’s choice of subjects at school and of courses at college. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that educational reforms over the last 25 years have been successful in raising the achievement of all pupils. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the way in which pupils are grouped within a school has a significant effect on their educational performance. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the main function of schools is to teach children to become part of society. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the main function of schools is to teach children for the world of work. (12 marks)
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that the main function of schools is to teach children British culture. (12 marks)