Ethnicity and Educational Acheivement

Question 1

YCS (Youth Cohort Study)

Answer 1

A longitudal study used to monitor the behaviour and of people from 16 yrs old onwards (as they either transition into further education or join the labour market)

Question 2

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (Clarke and Drinkwater)

Answer 2

Proved that ethnic minorities are discriminated against in terms of job promotions

Question 3

The Wanless Report (2007)

Answer 3

Shows that the success of Indian students reflects their middle class heritage ; like Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean boys often descent from working class and achieve accordingly

Question 4

Gilborn and Mirza (2000)

Answer 4

Point out that while social class is the main factor, it does not completely override ethnicity, people people from the same ethnic class but different nationalities achieve different grades

Question 5

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (Cassandra and Kingdon 2007)

Answer 5

Found that not having English as your first language was more of a ‘short lived handicap’ that most pupils overcome by the time they attend secondary school

Also found by the Swann Report (1985)
& DfES (2005)

Question 6

Bereiter & Engelman 1966

Answer 6

Suggested that the use of non standard English may be contribute to the underachievement of ethnic minorities

Question 7

Strand (2007)

Family support

Answer 7

Found that Black Caribbean parents were likely to have very positive attitudes towards education and aspirations for higher education

Question 8

Byrne (2014)

Family Support

Answer 8

Found that migrant parents in Manchester invested considerable emotional and practical time into attempting to get the best education for their children

Question 9

Lupton (2004)

Family Support

Answer 9

Showed that lower working class white British parents had a negative and dismissive view on education and low aspirations for their children

Question 10

Bhatti (1999)

Family Support

Answer 10

Found that Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian parents were often seen to be supportive and show a lot of interest in their children’s schooling, though their knowledge of the school system is limited, so therefor didn’t know how to approach teachers and avoided doing so unless deemed necessary

Question 11

Vincent et al (2011)

Family Support

Answer 11

Found that black middle class parents were particularly interested and went to great lengths to make sure they were involved and acknowledge but were also seen to de disregarded by teachers, who would teach white parents with the same qualification with much more respect

Question 12

Wright, Standen and Patel (2010)

Family Support

Answer 12

Found high levels of support in black communities towards education; enforcing equal rights and providing positive racial and cultural identities

Question 13

Modood (2006)

Family Support

Answer 13

Showed that parental support, aspiration and encouragement was an important factor in explaining why ethnic minorities are more likely to go to university that white young people

Question 14

David Gilborn (1990)
Racism

Answer 14

Argued that racism in the classroom was the main cause of underachievement in black minorities in Britain

Question 15

Troyna & Hatcher

Racism

Answer 15

Name calling has a negative effect upon to self esteem from ethnic minorities

Question 16

Cecile Wright (1992)
Teacher expectations and labelling

Answer 16

Concluded that the relationship between teachers and black Caribbean students was one of conflict and confrontation. She saw they were the most likely to be told off, blamed and picked on, rather than white or Asian pupils

Question 17

Gilborn (1990)

Teacher labelling and expectations

Answer 17

Found that they were mostly punished for ‘arrogant behaviour’ rather than actually breaking any school rules

Question 18

Swann (1985)

Teacher labelling and expectations

Answer 18

Noted how black pupils were often stereotyped as good at music or dancing and pushed towards those subjects rather than mainstream academics

Question 19

Foster at al.

Answer 19

Argued that some black Caribbean students are badly behaved because of influences outside school life, such as racism and poor future prospect

Question 20

Mary Fuller (1984)

Answer 20

Found that although black girls experienced racism at school, they reacted by challenging the stereotype and being educationally successful. They acknowledged that the only person they needed to impress was the examiner.

Question 21

The Swann Report (1985)
Mac an Ghaill
Ethnocentric curriculum

Answer 21

Schools carry out white middle class attitudes and values, Mac an Ghaill agreed with this stating it made those from ethnic minorities feel like outsiders

Question 22

Tikley et al. (2006)

Answer 22

Found that black youths resented the white based history and the fact their own was reduced to slavery

Question 23

David Gilborn & Deborah Youdell (2001)

Answer 23

Found that black children due to being graded in a discriminatory manner, were the lowest achievers when leaving GCSE’s despite being the highest at the start

Question 24

Heidi Mirza

Answer 24

Describes schools as ‘borderlands’ as many people come from different backgrounds and collide with the same teaching skills and content

Question 25

Marxist View on Ehtnic Minority Underachievement

Answer 25

The threefold positive function for a capitalist society:
1 Ensures the existence of an emergency army of labour (those willing to work whenever for low cost)
2 Can be used therefor as a threat to white workers who aren’t pulling their weight
3 The threat functions to divide the working class into Black and White as the White resent the Blacks