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Unlock This CourseLabelling in education refers to the process where teachers and school staff form judgements about students' abilities, behaviour or potential and then categorise or 'label' them accordingly. These labels can significantly impact how students are treated and how they perform in school.
Key Definitions:
Labelling theory comes from sociology and was developed by Howard Becker in the 1960s. He argued that deviance is not inherent in an action but is created when rules and labels are applied to people. In education, this theory helps us understand how students become 'troublemakers' or 'high achievers' through the labels applied to them by teachers and peers.
Schools are busy places where teachers have to manage many students. Labelling can be a shortcut that helps teachers organise their classrooms and decide how to distribute their time and attention. However, these shortcuts can lead to unfair treatment and missed opportunities for some students.
Teachers often form impressions of students quickly, sometimes within the first few weeks of school. These impressions can be based on various factors, not just academic ability.
Teachers may have higher expectations of middle-class students who speak in elaborate codes and share similar cultural values.
Boys and girls may be labelled differently, with boys often seen as more disruptive and girls as more compliant.
Research suggests some teachers may hold stereotyped views about the abilities of students from different ethnic backgrounds.
Other factors that influence teacher labelling include:
One of the most important concepts related to labelling is the self-fulfilling prophecy. This happens when a teacher's expectations about a student lead to behaviour that makes the expectation come true.
In their famous "Pygmalion in the Classroom" study, researchers told teachers that certain randomly selected students were likely to show significant intellectual growth that year (these students were actually chosen at random). When tested later, these students showed greater improvement than their peers. This demonstrated that teacher expectations alone could influence student performance, even though there was no real difference between the students initially.
The process typically follows these steps:
When students are positively labelled as 'bright' or 'talented', teachers may give them more challenging work, more attention and more opportunities to answer questions. This can boost confidence and lead to higher achievement.
Students labelled as 'troublemakers' or 'low ability' may receive less teacher attention, simpler work and fewer chances to demonstrate knowledge. This can damage self-esteem and lead to disengagement from education.
Students don't just passively accept labels. They respond in different ways:
Willis studied a group of working-class boys (the 'lads') who rejected school values and formed an anti-school subculture. They embraced their label as troublemakers and developed behaviours that valued manual labour over academic work. This study shows how labelling can lead to the formation of subcultures that ultimately limit students' opportunities.
Schools often group students by ability through practices like streaming (placing students in different classes for all subjects) or setting (grouping by ability for specific subjects). These practices can reinforce labelling effects.
Research by Keddie (1971) found that once students were placed in lower streams, teachers tended to:
This can create a situation where the initial placement decision (which might be influenced by social factors rather than just ability) determines a student's educational path.
Labelling doesn't affect all students equally. Research suggests that labelling processes can contribute to educational inequalities:
Working-class students are more likely to be negatively labelled and placed in lower sets or streams.
Some ethnic minority students face negative stereotyping that can affect teacher expectations and treatment.
Boys are more likely to be labelled as disruptive, while girls may face lower expectations in certain subjects like maths and science.
While labelling theory helps us understand important processes in education, it has some limitations:
Understanding labelling processes in education is crucial for several reasons:
By being aware of labelling and its effects, teachers and students can work to create more equitable educational environments where all students have the opportunity to succeed.