Internal Factors (1) Labelling, Identities and responses Flashcards
Gilborn and mirza (2000)
According to the, in one local education authority, black children were the highest achievers on entry to primary school (20% points above the local average), yet by the time it came to GCSE, they had the worst results of any ethnic group - 21 points below the average.
Labelling and teacher racism
When looking at ethnic differences in achievement, interactionists focus on the different labels teachers give to children from diff ethnic backgrounds. Their study’s show that teachers often see black and Asian pupils as being far from the ‘ideal pupil’. E.g, black pupils are often seen as disruptive and Asians as passive. Negative labels may lead teachers to treat ethnic minority pupils differently. This disadvantages the, and may result in their failure.
Black pupils and discipline- Gilborn and Youdell (2000)
- found that teachers were quicker to discipline black pupils than others of the same behaviour. This is a result of ‘racialised expectations’
- they found that teachers expected black pupils to present more discipline problems and misinterpreted their behaviour as threatening or as a challenge to authority. When teachers acted on this misconception, the pupils responses negatively and further conflicted resulted. In turn, black pupils felt teachers underestimated their ability and picked on them.
Black pupils and exclusions
Jenny bourne (1994) - found, schools tend to see blacks boys as a threat and to label them negatively, leading eventually to exclusions. Exclusions affect achievement: only one in five excluded pupils achieves five gcses
Black pupils and internal exclusions
According to Osler (2001) in addition to higher rates of official exclusions, black pupils appear more likely to suffer from unrecorded exclusions and from ‘internal exclusion’ where they are sent out of class. They are also more likely to be placed into pupil refers units that exclude them from access to the mainstream curriculum
Black pupils and streaming
The negative stereotypes about black pupils ability that some teachers hold means they are more likely to be placed in lower sets or streams.
Similarly Peter foster (1990) found that teachers stereotypes of black pupils as badly behaved could result in them being placed in lower sets than other pupils of similar ability
Asian pupils - Cecile wrights study
A multi ethnic primary school shows that Asian pupils can also be the victims of teachers labelling. She found that despite the schools apparent commitment to equal opportunities, teachers held ethnocentric views: that is, they took for granted that British culture and standard English were superior
How did the way teachers related to Asian pupils effect them
- teachers assumed they would have a poor grasp of English and left them out of class discussions or used simplistic, childish language when speaking to them
Asian pupils in class
They often felt isolated when teachers expressed disapproval of their customs or mispronounced their names. In general teachers saw them not as a threat unlike black pupils, but as a problem they could ignore. The effect was that Asian pupils, especially the girls, were marginalised - pushed to the edges and prevented from participating fully.
Pupil identities
Teachers often defined pupils as having stereotypical identities. According to Louise archer (2008), teachers dominant discourse (way of seeing something) defines ethnic minority pupils identities as lacking the favours identity of the ideal pupil. Archer describes how the; dominate discourse constructs three different pupil identities
The ideal pupil identity
A white, middle class, masculinised identity, with a normal sexuality. This pupil is seen as achieving in the ‘right’ way, through natural ability and initiative
The pastgologised pupil identity
And asian, ‘deserving poor’, feminised identity, either asexual or with an oppressed sexuality. This pupil is seen as a plodding, conformist and culture bound ‘over achiever’, a slogger who succeeds through hard work rather than natural ability
The demonised pupil identity
A black or white working class, hyper sexualised identity. This pupil is seen as unintelligent, peer led, culturally deprived underachiever
Asian girls
In a further study archer, found that teachers stereotyped Asian girls as quite, passive or docile.
Chinese pupils
Archers argues that even those minority pupils who perform successfully can be pathologised (seen as abnormal). E.g Chinese students were simultaneously praised and viewed negatively by their teachers.