SOC 463/663
Social
Psychology of Education
Fall 2002
Instructor: Markus Kemmelmeier, Ph.D.
Office: Mack Social Sciences 304
Phone: (775) 784-1287
Email: markusk@unr.edu
Times: MWF
Location: Edward J. Cain Hall 240K
Office
hours: Mondays
Course description
This course provides a social-psychological approach to education. This field is equally rooted in three academic disciplines: sociology, psychology and education. The readings and theoretical approaches covered in this course equally draw on these three disciplines. The primary focus of this course is on social psychological questions and processes that occur in educational contexts, whether that includes kindergarten, elementary school, secondary school or higher education.
There exists no viable textbook on the social psychology of education; thus, course readings are composed of chapters, articles, and book excerpts from a variety of different sources. To some nontrivial proportion the readings include original empirical research reports, which tend to be more demanding than most textbook fare. The reading load will be roughly 60-80 pages per week with specific papers assigned for specific class sessions.
There will be an original set of readings available to you in the lounge of the Department of Sociology, Mack Social Sciences 300. (Where indicated, the readings can be downloaded via the internet from the UNR library’s e-journals collection.) It is suggested that you divide up the work of copying such that different members of the class copy the materials for a particular session for all other students of the class.
Course Requirement
Exams
There will be three exams: two 50-minute
exams, and one 2-hour final exam. All exams consist of essay questions with the occasional inclusion of short answer questions. The mid term exams are not cumulative; however, the final exam will refer to material from the entire course. The exams mainly test your understanding of and your ability to think critically about the course material, and to apply it to new situations. The exams are based on the readings and the material presented in class, including lectures, discussions, handouts, demonstrations, activities, and audio-visual materials.
You are required to write a final paper on a topic of your choice with the main restriction being that the topic should fall within the preview of the social psychology of education. As such, the paper should incorporate material from the readings as well as include material from other sources. Later in the term you will receive a list of suggested topics. If you decide to choose a different topic, be sure to get approval from your instructor first.
The expected length is 15-20 pages of text, and that’s without cover page and without reference list. Full details of the paper will be announced later in the semester. In order to be accepted, the paper must be
a) typed or word-processed;
b) be double-spaced;
c)
use a standard format for professional papers in
sociology, psychology or education (i.e. ASA style, APA style,
d) use 12-point font and 1¼” or1” margins.
My late policy: For every day that your paper is late, I will deduct one third of a letter grade from your final grade (i.e. an A- will become a B+ etc.).
Draft of term paper. Because feedback is critical for learning, you will have a chance to turn in a first draft or an exposé of your paper before the deadline. This draft/ exposé will not be graded, but you will receive plenty of feedback to help you improve. It is up to you how developed your first draft is, but I require at least 3 pages text (same format rules as for final papers). Remember, the more you give me and the more developed your draft is, the more useful feedback I can provide, and the more you can improve your paper. It’s up to you! However, I will not accept any drafts/ exposé after the deadline listed in the course schedule.
The “two viewpoints assignment”
You are required to select a topic from the course schedule and explore two competing viewpoints on a controversial issue. This requires that you identify literature on these different viewpoints. (The instructor will assist you in this.) In the simplest case you select an article from the class reading list and find one other paper with a competing viewpoint; in other cases you will have two find at least two papers, one representing each view. (Check the Supplemental Course Materials). Your job is to read about these viewpoints, understand them and summarize them for the class. This should happen in two ways:
First, write a 3-4 page paper describing the basic issue, the differing viewpoints, what they criticize about each other, their arguments, their defenses etc. (same format rules as for final papers). Second, you should give a 10 minute in-class presentation about the two viewpoints. The present must be given at the time the topic is discussed in class, i.e. the topic of October 11 should be presented in class on October 11. Turn in your paper at the time of your presentation, and we will make copies of your paper and distribute it to the rest of the class so they can benefit form your work. Your grade will be based on your in-class presentation as well as your brief paper. You must complete this assignment before the second midterm exam.
Participation
Your active participation in discussions and activities is critically important for the success of this class. (Naturally, this includes that you have done the reading for the day.) Whether you come to class or not is your personal decision, as there will be no record of your attendance. It is clear, though, that you cannot actively participate when you are not physically present.
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Midterm exam #1 |
15% |
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Midterm exam #2 |
15% |
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Final exam |
25% |
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Two viewpoints assignment |
10% |
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Term paper |
25% |
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In-class participation |
10% |
Total |
100% |
Unless noted otherwise, the grading scale will be 60-70% = D range
70-80% = C range
80-90% = B range
90-100% = A range
Assistance
If you require any particular arrangements, please inform me immediately. It is your responsibility to seek assistance when you are having difficulty understanding the course material. Please ask questions during class if the material is unclear and/or see me during office hours (or set up an appointment) to receive assistance outside of class. If I can help you, I will but you first need to let me know. However, you cannot necessarily expect to receive assistance on the day of the exam or on the due date for the assignment.
In
order to improve your writing assignments, I recommend visit the
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty (e.g., cheating on exams, plagiarism) is a serious offense. All work that you submit in this class must be your own. Each student is responsible for being familiar with UNR's policies on academic dishonesty. Any student engaging in academic dishonesty in this course will receive an F on the exam/assignment. In more severe cases, e.g., extensive plagiarism of other people’s work, the case may be turned over for prosecution by the proper university authorities.
Miscellaneous
· The homepage of this course will provide a list of supplemental readings to help students identify materials for their “two viewpoints” assignment and their term paper.
· An email listserv will be used to disseminate auxiliary information about the course and specific course materials.
Course schedule & Reading List
It is recommended that you read the papers in the order listed in the syllabus.
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August 26 |
Instructor is on jury duty |
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August 28 |
Introduction to the course/Soci(ologic)al theories of education Sadovnik, A. R.
(2001). Theories in the sociology of education (pp. 15-22, 25-27). In J. H.
Ballantine & J. Z. Spade (Eds.), Schools
and society: A sociological approach to education. Mehan, H.
(2001). Understanding inequality in schools. In J. H. Ballantine & J. Z.
Spade (Eds.), Schools and society: A
sociological approach to education (pp. 62-72). Gardner, H.
(2001). Educational constants (pp. 27-35). In The disciplined mind: Beyond facts and standardized tests, the K-12 education
that every child deserves. |
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August 30 |
Social psychological approaches to education House, J. S. (1977). The three faces of social psychology. Sociometry, 40, 161-177. [available via www.library.unr.edu] |
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September 2 |
Labor Day – NO CLASS |
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September 4 |
Stratification and mobility in education Kerckhoff, A. C. (1995). Social stratification and
mobility processes. In K. S. Cook, G. A. Fine, & J. S. House (Eds.), Sociological perspectives on social
psychology (pp. 476-496). |
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September 6 |
Stratification and organizational dynamics Oakes, J., & Guiton, G., (1995). Matchmaking: The dynamics of high school tracking decisions. American Educational Research Journal, 32, 3-33. |
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September 9 |
Beliefs about ability: Implicit theories of ability and effort Hong, Y.-y., Chiu, C.-y., & Dweck, C. S. (1995).
Implicit theories of intelligence: Reconsidering the role of confidence
in achievement motivation. In M. H. Kernis (Ed.), Efficacy, agency, and self-esteem (pp. 197-216).
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September 11 |
Beliefs about ability: The self-concept Schunk, D. H. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26, 207-231. [available via www.library.unr.edu] |
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September 13 |
Achievement: Attribution & motivation Graham, S.
(1986). An attributional perspective on achievement motivation and black children.
In R. S. Feldman (Ed.), The social
psychology of education (pp. 39-46). Forsyth, D. R.
(1986). An attributional analysis of students’ reactions to success and
failure. In R. S. Feldman (Ed.), The
social psychology of education (pp. 17-38). |
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September 16 |
Achievement: Excuses in the name of self-esteem |
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September 18 |
Race, achievement, and self-esteem Van Laar, C. (2000). The paradox of low academic achievement but high self-esteem in African American students: An attributional account. Educational Psychology Review, 12, 33-61. [available via www.library.unr.edu] |
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September 20 |
Achievement: Social comparison with other students Crocker, J., & Blanton, H. (1999). Social inequality
and self-esteem: The moderating effects of social comparison, legitimacy, and
contingencies of self-worth. In T. Tyler, R. M. Kramer, & O. P. John
(Eds.), The psychology of the social
self (pp. 171-175). Marsh, H. W., & Parker, J. W. (1984). Determinants of student self-concept: Is it better to be a relatively large fish in a small pond even if you don’t learn to swim as well? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 213-231. |
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September 23 |
Teacher-student interaction: Expectancy effects Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1966). Teachers’ expectancies: Determinants of pupils’ IQ gains. Psychological Reports, 19, 115-118. Babab, E. (1998). Preferential affect: The crux of the teacher expectancy issue. Advances in Research on Teaching, 7, 183-214. [available via www.library.unr.edu] |
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September 25 |
Teacher-student interaction: Academic feedback Graham, S. (1990).
Communicating low ability in the classroom: Bad things good teachers
sometimes do. In S. Graham & V. S. Folkes (Eds.), Attribution theory: Applications to achievement, mental health, and
interpersonal conflict (pp. 17-36). |
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September 27 |
Classroom composition, grouping and achievement Hoxby, C. M. (2002). The power of peers: How does the makeup of a classroom influence achievement? Education Next, Summer, 56-63. Hallinan, M.
(1984). Summary and implications. In P. L. Peterson, L. C. Wilkinson, M.
Hallinan (Eds.), The social context of
instruction: Group organization and group process (pp. 229-233). Eggen, P.,
& Kauchak, D. (2001). Educational
psychology: Windows on classrooms (5th ed., pp. 132-134). |
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September 30 |
Achievement: The classroom setting |
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October 2 |
MIDTERM EXAM #1 |
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October 4 |
Ogbu, J. U. (1986).
The consequences of the American Caste system. In U. Neisser (Ed.), The school achievement of minority children: New perspectives (pp.
19-56). Sue, S., & Okakazi, S. (1990). Asian-American educational achievements: A phenomenon in search of an explanation. American Psychologist, 45, 913-920.
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October 7 |
Wolfe, C. T., & Spencer, S. J. (1996). Stereotypes and prejudice: Their overt and subtle influences in the classroom. American Behavioral Scientist, 40, 176-185. [available via www.library.unr.edu] Taylor, M. C.
(1993). Expectancies and the perpetuation of racial inequity. In P. D. Blanck
(Ed.), Interpersonal expectations:
Theory, research, and applications (pp. 88-102, 114-124). |
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October 9 |
Harber, K. D. (1998). Feedback to minorities: Evidence of a positive bias. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 622-628. Major, B.,
& Crocker, J. (1993). Social stigma: The consequences of attributional
ambiguity. In D. M. Mackie, & D. L. Hamilton (Eds.), Affect, cognition, and stereotyping: Interactive processes in group
perception (pp. 345-370). |
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October 11 |
Fordham, S., & Ogbu, J.
U. (1986). Black students’ school success: Coping with the “burden of ‘acting
white’”. The Urban Review, 18,
176-206. |
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October 14 |
Stigmatized identities & stereotype threat Steele, C. M. (1997). A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape
intellectual identity and performance. American Psychologist, 52, 613-629. Shih, M., Pittinsky, T. L., & Ambady, N. (1999). Stereotype susceptibility: Identity salience and shifts in quantitative performance. Psychological Science, 10, 80-83. [available via www.library.unr.edu] |
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October 16 |
Affirmative Action I Crosby, F. J. (1994). Understanding
affirmative action. Basic and Applied
Social Psychology, 15, 13-41. Heilman, M. E. (1996).
Affirmative action’s contradictory consequences. Journal of Social Issues, 52, 105-109. Steele,
S. (1990). Affirmative action: The price of preference. In The content of our character: A new vision
of race in
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October 18 |
Bowen, W. G., & Bok, D. (1998). Informing the
debate. In The shape of the river:
Long-term consequences of considering race in college and university
admissions (pp. 256-274). Steele, C. M. (2000). Expert testimony in defense of affirmative action. In F. J. Crosby, & C. VanDeVeer (Eds.), Sex, race, and merit: Debating affirmative action in education and employment (124-133). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. |
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October 21 |
Intergroup relations and cooperative learning Longshore, D., & Prager,
J. (1985). The impact of school desegregation: A situational analysis.
Annual Review of Sociology, 11, 75-91. Slavin, R. E. (1985). Cooperative
learning: Applying contact theory in desegregated schools. Journal
of Social Issues, 41, 45-62. |
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October 23 |
Gender and education I Levine, |
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October 25 |
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October 28 |
Eccles, J. S.,
Barber, B., & Jozefowicz, D. (1999). Linking gender to educational,
occupational, and recreational choices: Applying the Eccles et al. model of
achievement-related choices. In W. B. Swann, J. H. Langlois, & L. A.
Gilbert (Eds.), Sexism and stereotypes
in modern society: The gender science of Janet Taylor Spence (pp.
153-192). |
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October 30 |
Socialization I: Being a student Gracey, H. (2001). Learning the student role:
Kindergarten as academic boot camp. In J. H. Ballantine & J. Z. Spade
(Eds.), Schools and society: A
sociological approach to education (pp. 95-100). Fine, M., & Rosenberg, P. (1983). Dropping out of high school: The ideology of school and work. Journal of Education, 165, 257-272. |
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November 1 |
Levine, Newcomb, T. M. (1958). Attitude development as a
function of reference groups: The Bennington study. In E. E. Maccoby, T. M.
Newcomb, & E. L. Hartley (Eds.), |
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November 4 |
Socialization III: Ideology and Education Guimond, S., Begin, G., Palmer, D. L. (1989). Education and causal attributions: The development of “person-blame” and “system-blame” ideology. Social Psychology Quarterly, 52, 126-140. [available via www.library.unr.edu] Guimond, S., & Palmer, D. L. (1996). Liberal reformers or militant radicals: What are the effects of education in the social sciences? Social Psychology of Education, 1, 95-115. |
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November 6 |
Socialization IV: Ideology and Education van Laar, C., Sidanius,
J., Rabinowitz, J. L., & Sinclair, S. (1999). The three Rs of academic
achievement: |
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November 8 |
MIDTERM EXAM #2 |
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November 11 |
No class – Veterans Day |
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November 13 |
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November 15 |
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224-253. |
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November 18 |
Stevenson, H. W., & Stigler, J. W. (1992). The learning gap: Why our schools are failing and what we can learn from Japanese and Chinese education (pp. 113-129). New York: Summit Books. Lewis, C. C. (1995). Educating hearts and minds: Rethinking the roots of Japanese educational achievement (pp. 124-148). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Deadline for draft/exposé of term
paper
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November 20 |
Cultures in the classroom: The multicultural challenge
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November 22 |
The culture of college
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November 25 |
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November 27 |
Whitely, B. E. Jr. (1998). Factors associated with cheating among college students: A review. Research in Higher Education, 39, 235-274. [available via www.library.unr.edu]
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November 29 |
Thanksgiving & Family Day – NO CLASS |
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December 2 |
Best, J. (2002). Monster hype. Education Next, Summer, 51-55.
Deadline for term paper
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December 4 |
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December 6 |
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December 9 |
Review session & Course evaluations |
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December 13 |
FINAL EXAM |