階級的不平等，一直為教育社會學所關注。主要諸文獻，若要探討階級的教育作用，文憑意象是一個很好的切入點。是以，本文擇定一個階級分布較符合社會現實的園中泡飯，經由觀察、訪談、文件分析、問卷等方法，瞭解不同階級國中生的文憑意象，藉以釐清階級的教育作用。歷經15個月的經驗研究，本文發現學生或對文憑幾乎沒概念，或看重其工具價值，或著眼其象徵價值。中產階級學生的部分，有人是「沒必要知道，反正我會一直讀下去」，有人是「有了文憑，我至少可以跟爸媽一樣」，或「有了文憑，自己有面子」。非中產階級學生的邏輯，則是「知道也沒用，我大概國中，了不起高中畢業」，或「沒有文憑，我就會跟爸媽一樣」，或「有了文憑，爸媽有面子」。大體而言，中產階級學生看的是「擁有」、「個人」，非中產階級學生看的是「直乏」、「家庭」，本文稱此為不同階級的「認知路徑」（cognitive paths），而因認知路徑不同，學生在校的表現跟著不同，此即階級的教育作用之一。
Class inequalities have been one of the foci in sociology of education. This study explores educational effect of class in terms of junior high students' credeutial images.On the basis of a 15-rnonth research in an seven-grade class, with such methods as observation, interview, document analysis and questionnaire included, we find, first of all, students from middle classes believe 'there is no need to get to know anything about credentials, we have to study anyway;' while students of non middle-class origins say 'whatever, I may end up a senior high, if not a junior high graduate.' Secondly, middle-class students have faith that with credentials, they will be given some decent jobs as their dads; on the contrary their non-middle-class counterparts threaten themselves with the thought that without credentials, they may fail like their old men. Finally, rich students cam credentials to honor themselves whereas poor ones do this in glorification of their parents. Based on all these, we are convinced that there exist class-styled 'cognitive paths', on which classes exert their effects the most.
