Education Differences in educational achievement by ethno-racial background

Question 1

How can the curriculum impact the achievement of some students?

Answer 1

→ Coard (1971)

• The lack of Black history, culture and success on the curriculum has led to lower self esteem among some students.
• A disconnect between a cultural experience outside of school and inside school can lead to alienation.
• The National Curriculum has continued to remain ethnocentric
• A hidden curriculum exists of very few Black teachers. This could be because of a lack of black history and cultural literacy in schools which put off students from certain backgrounds going into the profession: a vicious cycle is therefore created.

Question 2

What did Gillborn (2002) assert regarding institutional racism in schools?

Answer 2

• Teachers interpret policy in a way that disadvantages Black students. For example, the way students are deemed to be gifted and talented or written off as “no hopers”.
• Following on from this, in 2008, Gillborn argued that racism affects some minorities more than others. “Model minorities” who are seen to have a positive attitude are treated differently to those that present a “gruff” exterior.

Question 3

What did Sewell (1997) argue the impact of a high proportion of lone-parent households was on Black African pupils?

Answer 3

• Lack of success within the sub-group of Black males could be linked to a higher proportion of single parent households. Less discipline and structure at home and lack of a male role model can subsequently impact on performance in school.

Question 4

What has been asserted as a reason for more detentions / exclusions for some students in schools?

Answer 4

• Teachers misinterpret dress or speech or language choice as a severe challenge to authority.

Question 5

What have O’Donnell and Sharpe concluded regarding teacher labels, racism and poor economic prospects?

Answer 5

→ Sewell (2007)

• Being a “street hood” becomes a way to gain validation among peers. Educational failure becomes a badge to wear with pride as educational success is closely linked to femininity. Clear here that there is a link between class and race as a reason for alienation. The question is, which is more important?

Question 6

What is the A-C economy that Gillborn and Youdell asserted existed in schools in the 1990s/2000s?

Answer 6

• As schools were judged on how many students could get a C or above, some students were written off as “no hopers”. Black males were disproportionately written off.

Question 7

Why could it be argued that some minorities experience less racism in schools than others?

Answer 7

• They present in a way that is seen as a “model” to the education system
• Some minorities have their behaviour interpreted differently.

→ Connolly (1998)

• Research found that teachers tended to see South Asian boys as immature as opposed to deviant.

Question 8

How has it been argued by O’Donnell that some students respond differently to racism in school than others?

Answer 8

• Some students use a perceived barrier or injustice as motivation to do well regardless. This was particularly witnessed in the attitudes of Black girls.

Question 9

What have researchers asserted about home life, race and educational achievement?

Answer 9

→ (Platt 2011)

• Given the relative incomes of families, you would expect students from Black families to perform better than students from Chinese and Bangladeshi families if only material factors impact on achievement.
• Regardless of ethnicity, one pattern is consistent: the poorer you are, the less well you are likely to do.

→ Gillborn and Mirza (2000)

• There is a strong relationship between social class and achievement in all ethnic groups, however students from a middle-class background did better than students from a working class background. African-Carribean boys did less well than their peers even when class was taken into account.

→ Modood (2004)

• The relative success of pupils from some ethnic minorities might be explained through cultural capital.
• Many ethnic-minority parents have more cultural capital than is typical for their income or class position.

→ Archer and Francis (2007)

• Research found Chinese parents do place an exceptionally high value on education.

→ Basit (2013)

• Research found even the relatively poor Asian communities she studied in the West Midlands had found a way to provide space and structure for children to do schoolwork at home.
• There was a communal sense of wanting the next generation to do better than the previous one.