Ethnicity Flashcards
Ethnicity & Achievement in Education
Q: How do ethnic differences impact educational achievement?
A: Ethnic differences in achievement are influenced by both internal and external factors.
• External factors: Cultural attitudes, family structure, material resources, and experiences of racism outside of school.
• Internal factors: Teacher expectations, the curriculum, and labeling within schools.
External Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: What role does cultural deprivation play in ethnic minority achievement?
A:
• Cultural deprivation refers to the lack of cultural resources (e.g., language, values, attitudes) in some ethnic minority households, which can affect children’s educational success.
• Bernstein argued that working-class and some ethnic minority children may have restricted speech codes that impact academic performance.
External Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: How does language affect educational achievement for ethnic minorities?
A:
• Language difficulties can affect comprehension and communication skills.
• Children from ethnic minority backgrounds may speak English as a second language, which can be a barrier in early stages of schooling.
• However, studies suggest that bilingualism can also have cognitive benefits if it is nurtured effectively.
External Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: How does family structure affect ethnic minority educational achievement?
A:
• Some ethnic groups (e.g., Black Caribbean families) are more likely to have single-parent households, which can affect the child’s academic outcomes due to limited parental support and resources.
• Other groups (e.g., Indian and Chinese families) often have strong familial support for education, leading to higher achievement.
External Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: What is the impact of racism in wider society on ethnic minority achievement?
A:
• Ethnic minorities may face discrimination in housing, employment, and other areas of life, which can negatively affect educational performance.
• Racism can cause lower self-esteem and aspirations, leading to disengagement from school and reduced achievement
Internal Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: How do teacher expectations impact ethnic minority students’ achievement?
A:
• Teachers may have lower expectations of ethnic minority students, which can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where students underachieve as a result of these lowered expectations.
• Gillborn argues that ethnocentric curricula and negative stereotypes can lead teachers to misinterpret or underestimate students’ abilities.
Internal Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: What is the role of labelling in ethnic minority achievement?
A:
• Teachers may label ethnic minority students based on racial or cultural stereotypes, which can impact their behavior and academic success.
• Becker’s labelling theory suggests that labels can lead to students conforming to the expectations placed upon them, either negatively or positively.
Internal Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: What is the concept of ethnocentric curriculum?
A:
• The ethnocentric curriculum refers to a curriculum that reflects the values, history, and culture of the dominant ethnic group, often white British culture, while neglecting or marginalizing the experiences of ethnic minority groups.
• This can lead to ethnic minority students feeling excluded and undervalued, negatively affecting their engagement and achievement.
Internal Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: How does streaming affect ethnic minority achievement?
A:
• Streaming can lead to ethnic minorities being placed in lower sets or streams based on assumptions about their abilities.
• Ball found that Black students were more likely to be placed in lower streams, which limited their educational opportunities and achievement.
Internal Factors Affecting Ethnic Minority Achievement
Q: How does institutional racism affect educational achievement?
A:
• Institutional racism refers to the systemic practices within schools that disproportionately disadvantage ethnic minority students.
• Schools may have policies, attitudes, and practices that lead to discriminatory treatment, even if they are not overtly racist.
Ethnicity and Educational Achievement: Ethnic Groups’ Performance
Q: What is the achievement pattern of White British students?
A:
• White British students’ achievement has generally been in the middle, with working-class white British students often underperforming, while middle-class white British students tend to perform well.
• Bourdieu attributes this to the concept of cultural capital, where middle-class families have access to resources that enhance educational achievement.
Ethnicity and Educational Achievement: Ethnic Groups’ Performance
Q: What is the achievement pattern of Black Caribbean students?
A:
• Black Caribbean students, especially boys, often experience underachievement, which is sometimes linked to negative teacher perceptions and racism.
• Sewell found that Black boys are often stereotyped as troublemakers, which can lead to lower expectations and disengagement from school.
Ethnicity and Educational Achievement: Ethnic Groups’ Performance
Q: How do Indian and Chinese students perform in education?
A:
• Indian and Chinese students generally outperform their peers in terms of educational achievement.
• These groups often have strong family support, high educational aspirations, and a culture that values education highly.
• Sewell notes that strong cultural values within these communities emphasize hard work and respect for authority, which contribute to academic success.
Ethnicity and Educational Achievement: Ethnic Groups’ Performance
Q: How do Pakistani and Bangladeshi students perform in education?
A:
• Pakistani and Bangladeshi students generally have lower levels of educational achievement, which is often linked to social class and economic deprivation rather than ethnicity.
• However, these groups have seen improvements in recent years, with girls in these communities, in particular, outperforming boys.
Ethnicity and Educational Achievement: Ethnic Groups’ Performance
Q: What factors contribute to the higher achievement of Indian and Chinese students?
A:
• Cultural factors: High expectations and a strong value placed on education.
• Family involvement: Parents often emphasize the importance of education and provide support, both materially and emotionally.
• Social capital: These communities often have greater access to educational resources and networks.
Theories on Ethnicity and Achievement
Q: What is Gilborn’s theory on ethnicity and education?
A:
• Gilborn argues that institutional racism and racial discrimination are embedded within the education system, leading to unequal treatment of ethnic minority students.
• He believes that assessment practices are biased towards white British students and that policies often fail to address ethnic inequalities.
Theories on Ethnicity and Achievement
Q: How does Sewell explain the underachievement of Black boys?
A:
• Sewell suggests that the underachievement of Black boys is linked to a variety of factors, including peer pressure, the influence of gangs, and a lack of male role models.
• He also argues that the negative labeling of Black boys by teachers leads to disengagement from education and poorer academic performance.
Theories on Ethnicity and Achievement
Q: What does Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital say about ethnicity and achievement?
A:
• Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital refers to the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that are valued by the education system.
• Ethnic minorities, particularly working-class ethnic minority students, may lack the cultural capital needed to succeed in an education system that favors middle-class cultural values.
