One of the major processes that takes place in schools, of course, is that students learn. When they graduate from high school, many can use a computer, write essays with three-part theses, and differentiate equations. In addition to learning specific skills, they also undergo a process of cognitive development wherein their mental skills grow and expand. They learn to think critically, to weigh

Question

evidence, to develop independent judgment. The extent to which this development takes place is related to both school and home environments. An impressive set of studies demonstrates that cognitive development during the school years is enhanced by complex and demanding work without close supervision and by high teacher expectations. Teachers and curricula that furnish this setting produce students who have greater intellectual flexibility and higher achievement test scores. They are also more open to new ideas, less authoritarian, and less prone to blind conformity. Unfortunately, the availability of these ideal learning conditions varies by students' social class. Studies show that teachers are most demanding when they are of the same social class as their students. The greater the difference between their own social class and that of their pupils, the more rigidly they structure their classrooms and the fewer demands they place on their students. As a result, students learn less when they come from a social class lower than that of their teacher. The social class gap tends to be largest when youngsters are the most disadvantaged, and this process helps to keep them disadvantaged Which of the following is pointed out in the passage as a condition which keeps disadvantaged children from climbing the social ladder?

a. absence of a father in the home
b. poor nutrition
c. unfavorable learning conditions in schools
d. lack of student motivation

Answer 1

C