The School as a Socialization Agent

The School as a Socialization Agent

■ Schools influence many aspects of development.
■ Formal school curricula teach academic knowledge.
■ Schools’ informal curricula teach children skills that
help them to become good citizens.
■ “Effective” schools produce positive outcomes such as
low absenteeism, an enthusiastic attitude about learning,
academic achievement, occupational skills, and socially
desirable patterns of behavior.
■ Research suggests that the following characteristics influence
a school’s “effectiveness”:
■ Monetary support
■ School and class size
■ Students who are highly motivated and intellectually
competent
■ A positive, safe school climate
■ An effective “goodness of fit” between students and
schools
■ A scholastic atmosphere stressing:
■ an academic emphasis;
■ challenging, developmentally appropriate curricula;
■ authoritative classroom management and
discipline;
■ teamwork.
■ Children making the transition between elementary
and secondary schools need special attention to their
changing developmental needs and support from parents
and teachers.