Differential educational Achievement: Ethnicity (internal factors)

Question 1

What are the four main factors for Ethnicity achievement

Answer 1

1. Labelling
2. Pupil Identities
3. Pupil responses and subcultures
4. Institutional racism

Question 2

Labelling

Answer 2

Interactionist/Labelling theory looks at how teachers label pupils from different ethnic groups differently. Particular focus is on how Black and Asian pupils are labelled negatively

Question 3

Labelling Racial expectations

Answer 3

Racial expectations:

• GILBOURN and YOUDELL: Teachers were quick to discipline black pupils than others for similar behaviour.
  As such teachers misinterpret behaviour and see Black pupils as anti-authorities. This creates conflict between teachers and pupils which reinforce stereotypes and leads to further problems.

Question 4

Labelling Asian pupils

Answer 4

Asian pupils:
WRIGHT: Teaches hold ethnocentric views. Which affected who they related to Asian pupils including leaving them out of discussions or using childish language when speaking to them leading to marginalisation

Question 5

Labelling: Discipline

Answer 5

Discipline:

• OSLER: Black students are more likely to be both officially and unofficially excluded. They are also more likely to be in a PRU excluding them from mainstream education.
• GILBORN: Teachers see African Caribbean students as threats which leads to negative labelling and eventual exclusion

Question 6

Labelling setting and Streaming

Answer 6

Setting and Streaming:

• FOSTER: Teachers stereotypes of black students could result in them being put in lower sets and therefore a self fulfilling phrophecy of underachievement

Question 7

Pupil Identities

Answer 7

ARCHER: Teachers often define pupils by stereotypical ethnic identities which often lack the favoured ideal pupil characteristics. This leads to negative labelling

–> When students challenge these stereotypes they are treated more harshly

Ideal pupil identity
- White
- Middle class
- Achieving in the right way through natural ability and talent

Demonised pupil identity
- Black or white
- working class
- Hyper sexualised
- Unintelligent
- Peer led
- Culturally deprived
- Under achiever

Question 8

Pupil response: Rejection of labels
(Could use as an evaluation point against labelling)

Answer 8

Rejection of Labels:
- FULLER–> Studied a group of black girls in year 11 in a london comprehensive school who were in a lower stream yet achieving highly. These girls did not conform to all the value educational success enough to push themselves.

• Mac and Ghail–> discovered similar findings in his study of Black and Asian a-level pupils. Each of these studies show hoe labelling does not always follow the same pattern

Question 9

Boys response to racist stereotypes

Answer 9

SEWELL

• The Rebels: The most influential group but still a minority. These rejected the values of the school and opposed the school by joining a peer group.
• The conformists: The majority of Black pupils accepted the values if the school and were eager to succeed
• The retreatists: A small minority who isolated and disconnected with peer group subculture and the school. These kept a low profile
• The Innovators: Second largest group who were pro-education but anti-school. They distanced themselves from the conformists enough to keep credibility with the ‘Rebels’ whilst valuing education success

Question 10

Institutional Racism

Answer 10

ETHNOCENTRIC CURRICULUM
–> A curriculum which reflects the culture of one ethnic group, usually the dominant culture

• BALL: Little Englandism: National Curriculum ignores black and Asian history
• TROYNA AND BELL: lack of teaching of Asian languages

MARKETISATION & SEGREGATION
–> Covert selection procedures led to Ethnic minority students more likely to be unpopular in schools

• Gillbourn: Marketisation allows more covert selection to take place which can lead to segregation

ASSESSMENT
–> Changing from a written tests to teacher assessment led to black students underachieving

• Gillbourn: system is rigged to validate the domiante culture superiority