Paper 1: Education with theory and methods

Outline two ways in which cultural capital may help middle-class pupils to achieve in education.

Outline three effects of marketisation policies on schools.

Read Item A (item written for this paper). Item A: Girls now outperform boys at almost every level of education, from early reading to degree results. Some sociologists argue that this reflects changes outside school, such as the women's movement and changes in the labour market. Others focus on factors within school, such as coursework and changes in teaching. Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons for girls' higher achievement compared with boys.

Read Item B (item written for this paper). Item B: Achievement varies between ethnic groups. Pupils of Chinese and Indian heritage achieve above the national average, while some groups, such as Black Caribbean boys and Gypsy/Roma pupils, achieve well below it. Some explanations focus on home background, while others emphasise the role of schools, including labelling and institutional racism. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that ethnic differences in achievement are mainly the result of factors within school.

Read Item C (item written for this paper). Item C: Investigating pupil subcultures Some pupils form subcultures that reject the values of the school, while others conform. Subcultures can be hidden from teachers and researchers, and pupils may be reluctant to speak openly in front of adults. However, observing pupils in classrooms and corridors can provide insight into how subcultures operate day to day. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using participant observation to investigate pupil subcultures.

Outline and explain two problems of using official statistics in sociological research.