EDU009 - Cultural explanations of class differences

Evaluate language and parental-knowledge explanations without deficit assumptions.

Connect & Check

Define three concepts and explain why a pattern is not automatically a cause.

Explicit teaching

Culture is not a simple cause

Family practices can influence school navigation, but they are interpreted through school expectations and power.

Bernstein is often oversimplified

Restricted code is not inferior everyday speech. The issue is whether schools reward one code more strongly.

Deficit thinking blames families

A deficit claim turns difference into failure and ignores how institutions define success.

Ask what evidence would test the claim

A strong sociological explanation shows a mechanism and considers competing material or school-based explanations.

Choose your route

Access route

Highlight the key concepts and write one correct definition.

Scaffold route

Complete the chain: factor -> mechanism -> outcome -> limitation.

Core route

Write one developed explanation without sentence starters.

Stretch route

Compare two explanations and reach a qualified judgement.

Exam practice

Evaluate the view that cultural factors are the main reason for class differences in educational achievement. [20 marks]