4.6 Theorists Flashcards
Ethnicity and Educational Attainment
Mirza
Sees the development of Saturday Schools as evidence of a general lack of satidfaction among black parents and children, with white institutions and teachers that often fail them.
Kohli and Pizzaro
minority teachers are likely to have a heightened awareness of educational injustice and racism
Ross
pointed out that they are better at challenging racism; given they might have been its victim, they are more likely to understand some of its subtleties and nuances.
estimated that in the UK only 5% of teachers are drawn from ethnic minorities while around 15% of UK school students have an ethnic minority background.
Howard
supported the concept of ‘inclusive diversity’, where it is not so much important for, say, Pakistani students to be taught directly by Pakistani or Muslim teachers but more an indirect benefit; by having them on the staff, to see them around the school and have occasional contact with them. Teachers are said to do much more than teach content; they also personify content (Howard, 2010). They provide a model of what it is like to be an educated person; something for the young people to aspire to
Stewart et al
supported the ‘role model’ argument. “Black teachers can have a special impact on Black students simply by being in the classroom. A Black teacher serves as a role model for Black students, thereby exposing Black students to other Black individuals who have been successful”
Steele and Aronson
the presence of same-race teachers may reduce “stereotype threats” and boost minority students’ confidence, esteem, and enthusiasm. Such a threat is said to occur when a student perceives that s/he could be viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype and lowers academic engagement and performance as a result.
The Runnymede Trust
claimed that a range of hidden processes occur within schools that deny equal oppurtunities and negatively affect the educational performance of ethnic minority students. These processes include high levels of control and criticism from teachers as well as stereotypes of cultural differences, communities and speech that reveal negative and patronising attitudes.
Hinsliff
Has argued that teachers do not always challenge disruptive behaviour, leading to a serious situation which results in Black Boys being excluded from school. Black Carribean boys are more frequently excluded than any other ethnic group.
Figueroa
suggested that teachers requently limit ethnic minority opportunities through the use of culturally biased forms of assessment, such as how students are expected to speak and write, and by committing students to lower bands and sets on the basis of teacher assessment. Teachers also have lower opinions of the abilities of some ethnic minority groups, which results in a self fulfilling prophecy or vicious circle of underachievement.
Gillborn
argues that schools are institutionally racist, especially in terms of curriculum developments ‘based on approaches known to disadvantage black pupils’:
* selection by setting– black students are routinely assigned to lower sets
* schemes for ‘gifted and talented’ students where white students are over-represented
* vocational schemes for ‘non academic’ students where black students are overrepresented.
Gillborn
claims that teachers generally underrate the abilities of black youngsters based on dated racial stereotypes about ability, intelligence and effort. This leads to them being assigned to low ability groups, a restricted curriculum and entry for lower level exams.
Gillborn and Youdell
Marketisation has driven an A-C economy, creating a rationing of education.
Teachers focus on those who are close to getting Cs, neglecting “no hopers” and “high achievers”.
Black pupils are often labelled as no hopers.
Sewell
summarises this general argument when he suggests that black children’s educational performance is weakened by:
* poor parenting
* anti school peer group pressure
* a lack of ability to take responsibility for their own anti school behaviour.
Chua
suggests that the higher achievements of Chnese students can be partly explained by ‘tiger mothers’, who push their children constantly to educational success.
Saunders
New Right
Argues that underclass life, both black and white is characterised by dependency cultures involving a passive acceptance of low status. This creates a cycle of deprivation that carries from parents to children in the form of low educational and work expectations.
