Outline and assess the view that what happens in schools is the most influential factor in students' educational attainment

Labelling is another major identifying characteristic of a person. This can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Whereby, if a student is labelled a troublemaker, this will not only affect them in a negative way but may also result in the student living unto this label and behaving badly. This also may have a negative effect with teachers, as it is then likely that all that students actions will be interpreted in terms of this label so even if they behave well on occasions, this will be judged as unusual for their character.

David Hargreaves examined how teachers and pupils negotiate a 'working consensus' in the classroom. He found that teachers use a range of tactics to 'get their own way.' For example, making excessive demands followed by a compromise e.g. setting a lengthy project, then reducing the workload in response to their pupil's groans. They also offered rewards e.g. 'if you work hard now, then I wont set any homework later.' Teachers have formal authority over pupils, which are backed up by sanctions. However, pupils have a way of influencing he teachers such as using one teacher against another e.g. 'Mr.... Let us do this.' Order in classrooms is a negotiated order based on a consensus worked out between teachers and pupils.

This approach has been criticised for its direct focus on interaction situations. It is accused of being too narrow and only focusing on classroom interaction in isolation from the rest of society. The distribution of power in society as a whole can affect interaction situations and influence the outcome of negotiations.

Rosenthal and Jacobson studied the effects of teacher's expectation on pupil's behaviour. They identified a number of pupils - 'the spurters' - as likely to make rapid progress. Unknown to teachers, these pupils were selected at random. Yet form the results of intelligence tests, the spurters made greater progress than their classmates over the next year. They concluded that this was due to the way they were defined. Teachers expected more of them so when this message was conveyed to their pupils, the pupils acted accordingly.

Rosenthal and Jacobson came up with the idea of the self-fulfilling prophecy. If people are defined in a certain way, this definition includes a prediction or prophecy of their future behaviour.

Attempts to replicate this stuffy have produced mixed results and even suggesting that labelling was of little or no significance. However, other researchers have found that this self-fulfilling prophecy has made a real difference in helping to explain difference in educational attainment.