A place for Basil Bernstein in the field: How applicable is Basil Bernstein’s theory of codes and social groups as a way of understanding educational inequity in upper secondary education in Iceland during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Abstract

In this article, key aspects of Basil Bernstein’s theory of elaborating and restricted codes are analysed within the Icelandic context to determine whether it can be employed when researching socio-economic inequities in upper-secondary education in Iceland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on empirical data, the article applies and tests the work of Bernstein on how understanding of restricted codes related to education controls access to the modalities of pedagogic discourse. According to Bernstein, different social groups have different access to education related to their socio-economic status. The analysis is based on a critical examination of the literature and an experiment where certain parts of Bernstein’s theoretical framework are tested. It is argued that Bernstein’s theory is useful in the chosen setting and exposes issues in parents’ different abilities to understand the information needed to be able to assist their children when studying at home during school closures due to COVID-19.