ethnic differences in achievement (internal) Flashcards
labelling in ethnic differences
negative racist labels (black pupils seen as disruptive, Asian pupils seen as passive), may lead to teachers treating ethnic minority pupils differently, disadvantaging them, and brining about a self-fulfilling prophecy that leads to their underachievement.
Gillborn and Mirza
found in one area, black children were the higher achievers on entering primary school (20 points above average), yet by the time they came to GCSEs, they had fallen to 21 points below the average. This suggests that schooling, not background, is to blame.
Gillborn and Youdell
found teachers had ‘radicalised expectations’ about black pupils and expected more discipline problems, seeing their behaviour as threatening. Black pupils were more likely to be punished for the same behaviour, and pupils felt that their teachers underestimated their ability and picked on them.
Gillborn and Youdell link to underachievement
conflict between white teachers and black pupils stems from racist stereotypes than teachers have rather than the pupils’ actual behaviour. This causes underachievement as it leads to:
- higher levels of exclusions of black boys
- black pupils being placed in lower streams
Wright
found that Asian primary school pupils were stereotyped by their teachers and treated differently:
- teachers assumed the children would have a poorer grasp of English and used simplistic language while speaking to them
- teachers mispronounced pupils’ names
- teachers saw Asian pupils as a problem they could ignore.
This led to Asian pupils, specifically girls, being marginalised and prevented from complete participation, affecting their self-esteem
Connolly
found that primary school teachers saw Asian pupils as passive and conformist. Both teachers and pupils saw Asian boys as more feminine, vulnerable, and less able to protect themselves.
Sewell (response to racist labelling)
found black boys adopted a range of responses to teachers’ racist labelling of them as rebellious and anti-school.
- conformists (keen to succeed, accepted school’s goals, had friends from different ethnic groups)
- innovators (pro-education but anti-school, valuing success but not teacher approval)
- retreatists (disconnected from the school and black subcultures outside it)
- rebels (rejects school’s goals and rules, conforming to the stereotypes, despising white boys and conformist black boys, aiming to achieve the status of ‘street hood’)
Teachers tended to see all black boys as rebels, leading to the underachievement of many boys as a result of discrimination from teachers.
Fuller (rejecting negative labels)
study of high-achieving year 11 black girls of a London comprehensive. Girls maintained a positive self-image by rejecting teacher stereotypes of them, as they recognised the value of education, and were determined to succeed. Did not seek teacher approval, and maintained friendships with back girls in lower streams, only conforming in doing schoolwork and working hard.
Mac an Ghaill (rejection of negative labels)
study of black and Asian A-level sixth form- college students found they did not necessarily accept teachers’ negative labels. Some girls felt all-girls school they had previously attended gave them greater academic commitment.
Mirza (rejection of negative labels)
found some black girls strategies for dealing with teachers’ racism e.g. not asking for help, sometimes restricted opportunity. They did not accept the labels, but were still disadvantaged as a result.
what is critical race theory
sees racism as a deep-rooted feature of the education system in several ways.
what is the ethnocentric curriculum
a curriculum which prioritises one culture, while disregarding others.
Troyna and Williams
note that ethnocentric curriculum gives priority to white culture and the English language
David
argues that the National Curriculum is a ‘specifically British’ curriculum that teaches the culture of the ‘host community’
Ball
sees the history curriculum in British schools as recreating a ‘mythical age of empire and past glories’, while at the same time ignoring the history of black and Asian people
what is the result of ethnocentric curriculums
minority ethnic group pupils feel that they and their culture and identity are not valued in education, diminishing their sense of self-esteem, holding a negative effect on their educational achievement
Gillborn (selection and segregation)
argues that, because marketisation gives schools more scope for selection, negative stereotypes can influence decisions about admissions
Moore and Davenport (selection and segregation)
American research shows that selection procedures lead to ethnic segregation
Gillborn (assessment)
argues that assessment is rigged to validate the dominant white culture’s superiority. e.g. baseline tests showing black pupils ahead of white were replaced in 2003by the foundation stage profile, which is based on teachers’ judgements, and thus gives scope for stereotyping. As a result, black pupils appear to be doing worse than whites.
Tikly and Strand (separate research)
found blacks were more likely to be entered for lower tier exams, often due to being placed in lower sets due to teachers; expectations, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
access to opportunities in ethnic differences
whites are over twice as likely as black pupils to be identified as gifted and talented
the new IQism
secondary schools are increasingly using old-style intelligence (IQ) tests to allocate pupils to different streams on entry, based on the false assumption that ‘potential’ is a fixed quality that can be measured. Black pupils are more likely to be placed in lower streams as a result
