Ethnicity and achievement

Question 1

Internal: Labelling and teacher racism

Answer 1

Attach a stereotype to a student
Swann report found that only a small minority of teachers were consciously racist but evidence of unintentional racism which affects progress
Different labels given to different ethnic backgrounds are based on stereotypes
Often see black pupils as disruptive
Gillbourn and Youdell: leads to racialised expectations and sometimes black pupils are placed in lower sets
May explain the higher exclusion rate of these pupils x3 more likely to be excluded
Teachers underestimate their abilities

Question 2

Labelling A03

Answer 2

Danger of seeing these stereotypes as simply the product of individual teacher prejudices rather than of racism in the way the education system operates as a whole

Question 3

External: Material deprivation

Answer 3

See higher likelihood of failure amongst some ethnic groups due to poor housing and low income
Pakistani, Bangladeshi and African Caribbean are more likely to be in lower class positions such as routine occupations
Causes poverty
Inequalities are reflected in proportion of children eligible for FSM
28% of Pakistani students eligible and this may explain why they perform worse

Question 4

Material deprivation A03:

Answer 4

Bangladeshi pupils have highest rates of FSM but are still performing above average 
Material deprivation and social class doesn't completely override influence of ethnicity

Question 5

Internal: Pupil responses and subcultures

Answer 5

Evidence of teacher racism and negative labelling in schools
Research shows pupils can respond differently
Sewell focuses on the absence of fathers and influence of peer groups to explain underachievement of black boys
Notes that responses to schooling can affect their achievement
Rebels: Visible group, small minority, often excluded, anti-authority
Conformists: largest group, keen to succeed, anxious to avoid being stereotyped

Question 6

Pupil responses A03:

Answer 6

Negative labelling doesn’t always lead to failure
Mary Fuller studied a group of high achieving black girls
rejected teacher stereotypes and didn’t seek approval

Question 7

External factors: Ethnicity and cultural deprivation EAL

Answer 7

Language skills can be a barrier for some children from immigrant families
around 13% of students in secondary schools don’t have English as their first language and can be argued this puts them at a disadvantage
Family unable to speak English may also be a barrier as students will be unable to get help for homework
Also language differences cause difficulties in communication with teachers and m/c white teachers have lower expectations

Question 8

EAL A03:

Answer 8

Evidence from DfE showed pupils who speak an additional language at home outperformed in the EBacc compared to their English classmates

Question 9

Internal: Way schools are organised

Answer 9

Ethnocentric curriculum
Attitudes or policies are often to given to one ethnic group and others are disregarded
Here curriculum favours white British knowledge
Argued that this makes ethnic minority pupils feel isolated and ignored
Dress requirements conflict with other religions as well as the school calendar

Question 10

Ethnocentric A03:

Answer 10

schools ignore cultures of Chinese and Indian pupils but their achievement is above national average