 Labeling theory is the theory of how the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or

influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. It is associated with the concepts of self-fulfilling

prophecy and stereotyping. (Wikipedia)

 Labeling theory was developed by Howard Becker and is most associated with the sociology of deviance. It is applied to

education in relation to teachers applying labels on their pupils in terms of their ability, potential or behavior. These labels

can be positive or negative and can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Labeling is seen as an internal factor that could explain

differential achievement in schools by class, ethnicity or gender.

LABELING THEORY IN EDUCATION

 Closely related to teacher expectancy is the labeling theory or name calling.

 Labeling happens when teachers attach label to their students as dull, bright, hardworking or lazy, smart or

stupid, and troublesome or disciplined.

 Believers of this theory contend that students define themselves based on how others (teachers and classmates)

look or label them.

 This classification affects the way they perceive themselves and, consequently, behave in accordance to these

labels.

 Once labeled, the label persists, regardless of its truth and accuracy.

 Interestingly, the teacher’s judgments and labels in the school have great effects on the educational success of

the students. Negative labels breed student alienation, school failure, and foster attitudes that lead to mocking,

taunting, and ostracize.

 According to David Hargreaves (1967), one of the most important aspects of the interactionist theory of

education concerns the ways in which teachers make sense and respond to the behavior of the pupils.

 In his landmark research titles Deviance in Classroom, he investigated how teachers classified pupils. He found

out that rather than categorizing pupils in the academic parameters, teachers initially categorized them through

non-academic way of stereotyping, such as categorizing their appearance, ability, and enthusiasm for work,

likeableness, their personality, their relationship with other students, and their conformity to discipline.

 Significantly, he discovered that social class or one’s socio economic standing in the society played a major role in

this classification.

 Furthermore, labeling theory is akin to the looking-glass self of Charles Horton Cooley.

 In the early 1900s, Cooley asserted that it is through the individual’s interaction with others that they learn to

know who they are.

individual’s social interactions with other people (Schaefer 2000). In this concept, he argued that human beings

acquire their sense of self by seeing themselves reflected in the behavior of others and their attitudes toward

them. The way others treat them is like a “mirror” reflecting their personal qualities. They imagine how they

appear to other persons and based on the imagination they judge their appearance.

 The development of identity in the process, according to Cooley (1956), consists of three elements: (1) how

actors imagine their appearance; (2) how actors believe others judge their appearance; and (3) how actors

develop feelings of shame or pride, feelings that become an inner guide to behavior. This process is not a

conscious process, and the stage can occur quickly. The results can either be a positive or negative self-

evaluation.

 One critic against this theory is the possibility of distortion. Because the looking glass comes from one’s

imagination, it can be distorted. The “mirror” may not accurately reflect other’s opinion of oneself.

Unfortunately, regardless of whether or not others are correct or incorrect about their perception, the

consequences are just as real as if they were.

Role of the Schools According to Interactionist Theory

 Interactionists generally focus on micro-level classroom dynamics, such as the teachers’ expectations of their

students and how these affect the students’ actual achievements.

 The role of school, in this paradigm, is to observe and record the social drama in the school, especially inside the

classroom. For instance, schools must record: the life in school from student’s perspective; the stereotyping done

by the teachers and students, particularly children of ethnic minority, children with color, and children of the

poor, the knowledge that counts most for students; and the rewards and punishments given to them.

 Interactionists believe that awareness of these issues creates a high chance of leading the students to greater

equality in the classroom and better interpretations of life and of themselves.

 In their analysis of education, interactionists stress that the best tool to understand education is through the

socialization process. Hence, they believe that it is the duty of the school authorities and teachers to examine

their expectations and social interaction with the students as they are strong forces in the making of their

students’ character and academic success. They should help the learners develop a shared system of meanings

by providing socialization where the students learn how to interpret and take part in the social process.
Possible Meanings Constructed by Students in Their School Interaction

Students construct numerous meanings about life through their lived experiences inside the classroom. The meanings become the
guide to which they behave and relate them with their teachers or fellow students. It also acts as standards to which they define
their success or failure in school. Few example of possible meanings derived inside the school are elucidated as follows:

1. The teacher-dominated classroom atmosphere makes students from their identity as passive receivers of knowledge and empty
receptacles to be filled with lifeless information by the teacher. Moreover, this type of set up conveys that knowledge comes only
from the teacher, and students cannot generate their own knowledge;

2. The strict implementation of disciplinary rules and regulations conveys that to succeed in school, students must become
conformists and obedient. Doing the contrary leads to poor grades and unfavorable experiences with the teacher, principal, security
guards, and prefect of discipline;

3. The emphasis on testing after teaching implies that students have to learn in order to pass the test to obtain good grades. Teaching
is done for testing, not for the enjoyment of seeking knowledge and the sublime purpose of learning. Also, using test to discipline
students can be interpreted as a form of punishment to them and not to measure their learning;

4. The common usage of lecture method by the teacher conveys that lecturing is the only and the best method to teach and learn. In
the lecture method, students are expected to listen patiently to the lecturing teacher, paying attention to every detail he says;

5. The dominant use of paper-and-pencil test to evaluate learning makes the students believe that the only way to measure and
evaluate learning is through written test. It is only through assessment that one’s academic performance, skills, and intelligence are
determined;

6. The everyday conduct of classes inside the classroom makes the students believe that the classroom is the only learning place.
They do not realize that the world is a huge learning place;

7. The teachers’ inability to integrate concepts in different subjects makes students conclude that Math, Science, Filipino, English,
Social Studies, and other subjects are not interconnected but simply isolated bits and pieces of instruction; and

8. The highly regimented and programmed lessons in school make the students think that they are not capable of independent
learning, without the school and the teachers.

Non-Verbal Interaction and Other Symbolic Languages Used in School

 In interactionist perspective, the tool people use to develop and modify meanings is through the use of non-verbal and
symbolic language, which may constitute physical, social, and abstract ideas.
 The stick used by the teachers, for instance, is symbolic of their power and authority. Similarly, dropping the names of the
university president, principal, and school authorities to demand compliance and to persuade other members of the
strength of their power and authority.

 Symbolic languages, such as non-verbal communication (body language) are used during interactions in school. These are
so-called paralanguage, which are used as auxiliary communication devices of interaction by the teachers.

 Gestures, glances, slight changes in tone of voice, facial expression, and postures are examples of paralanguage. These body
languages in the classroom may be direct and explicit.

 For instance, there is a difference between saying “Sit down, be quiet, and finish your work NOW,” as compared to saying,
“Please sit down, be quiet and finish your work.” The first statement is a direct and explicit display of the teacher’s high
regard to personal power in the classroom; the second manifests the teacher’s indirect command and implicit use of his
authority.