DEFINITION AND FORMULATED QUESTIONS ON THE THEORIES OF SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION

1. Symbolic interaction

Definition: This theory focuses on social interaction in the classroom, on the playground, and in
other school venues. Specific research finds that social interaction in schools affects the
development of gender roles and that teachers’ expectations of pupils’ intellectual abilities affect
how much pupils learn. Certain educational problems have their basis in social interaction and
expectations.

Questions:
1. If parents are involved in their children’s schooling, are children more successful in school?
2. How effective are different teaching techniques, styles of learning, classroom organizations,
and school and classroom size in teaching students of various types and abilities?

2. Rational choice theory

Definition: Rational choice theory explains social phenomena as outcomes of individual choices
that can be construed as rational. Choices are “rational” if they meet some consistency criterion
as defined by a decision theory and are suitable to achieve specific goals, given the constraints of
the situation. Rational choice theory comes in many varieties, depending on the assumptions
that are made concerning preferences, beliefs, and constraints which are the key elements of all
rational choice explanations.

Questions:
1. What are the factors/reasons that students consider when they decide to drop out?
2. What are the factors/reasons that teachers consider when they decide to leave their
profession?

3. Functionalist theories

Definition: Functionalists view education as one of the more important social institutions in a
society. They contend that education contributes two kinds of functions: manifest (or primary)
functions, which are the intended and visible functions of education; and latent (or secondary)
functions, which are the hidden and unintended functions.
Questions:
1. Aside from the intended functions that are filled by schools, what are some unseen latent
functions that education provides?
2. What are the school activities that functionalists see as part of the selection process prevalent
in competitive societies?

4.Code Theory

Definition: Bernstein's 'code theory' in the sociology of education has undergone considerable
development since the early 1970s and now enjoys a growing influence in both education and
linguistics. He argued that different positions within society, understood in terms of their degree
of specialization, have different language use patterns that influence the ability of these groups
to succeed in schools. These social positions create, as he later put it, ‘different modalities of
communication differentially valued by the school, and differentially effective in it, because of
the school’s values, modes of practice and relations with its different communities’ (1996: 91).
The notion was codified first in terms of "classification" and "framing", where classification
conceptualizes relations of power that regulate relations between contexts or categories, and
framing conceptualizes relations of control within these contexts or categories (1975). These
concepts have been widely used to analyze educational contexts and practices and their relations
to the dispositions (or coding orientation) brought to education by different social groups.

Questions:
1. How does the use of different codes in school affect the social class reproduction?
2. How do the curriculum and teaching methods in the public and private schools differ using the
lens of code theory?

DISCUSSION OF THE TWO CHOSEN THEORIES

5. Conflict theories

Definition: Conflict theory sees the purpose of education as maintaining social inequality and
preserving the power of those who dominate society. Conflict theorists examine the same
functions of education as functionalists. Conflict theorists see the educational system as
perpetuating the status quo by dulling the lower classes into being obedient workers.
Topic of Inquiry: Conflict between teachers and students

Question:
1. What are the sources of conflict between students and teachers, how they are managed, and
their effect on students?

Hypothesis or Assumptions: The reasons for the conflict between teachers and their students
are the existence of poor and insufficient communication between the parties involved, and
teacher dominance in such interactions.

Approach to test the Assumptions: Participatory observation technique and semi-structured

interviews may be used to test the hypothesis.

Relevance to Education: It is absolutely necessary to manage the teacher student conflict

correctly in order to create a positive school climate and to conduct the education process
effectively.

6. Social and Cultural Capital

Definition: Cultural Capital Theory is a Marxist theory of differential educational achievement. In

contrast to cultural deprivation theory, cultural capital theory does not see working class culture
as inferior, or lacking in any way, it just sees it as different to middle class culture. Instead of
blaming working class underachievement on flawed working-class culture, cultural capital theory
focuses on the dominance of middle class culture in society and social institutions.

Topic of Inquiry: institutional choice of students

Questions:
1.What is the association between the students’ cultural capital and their school achievement?
2. What is the predictive power of the cultural capital theory in the context of educational
decisions in the transition to tertiary education?

Hypothesis or Assumptions: The students with greater possessions of cultural capital are less
likely intend to continue to tertiary education at polytechnic schools than students with lower
levels of cultural capital do.

Approach to test the Assumptions: Identify the dependent and independent variable of the study
and using sequential multiple regression for the analysis of school achievement.
Relevance to Education: Deeper understanding of cultural reproduction and inequalities through
education.