Ethnicity & attainmemt (Internal)

Question 1

Internal Factors

Answer 1

-Racism
-Teacher stereotypes
-Ethnocentric curriculum
-Staffing and institutional racism

Question 2

Racism of pupils

Answer 2

Cline et al:
Found racism was common among pupils in schools e.g. name calling and racial exclusion.

Causing ethnic minorities to not feel like part of society within school. This affects attendance, attitude and their self concept.

Question 3

Teacher expectations and stereotyping.

Answer 3

Teachers attitudes may reflect some degree of conscious or unconscious racism.

Archer (2008) found teachers often define students as having stereotypical ethnic identities, ethnic minorities were commonly demonised or pathologised.

This affects their learning and achievement in many ways e.g. setting and streaming and entered into lower level exams based on stereotypes.

Demonised - Unintelligent, culturally deprived and peer-led.

Pathologised - ‘Deserving poor’, achieving through hard work not natural ability.

Question 4

Ethnocentric curriculum

Answer 4

Non white cultures may be absent from the curriculum or trivialised.

The curriculum fits the mainstream, white, middle class culture better.

because it ignores other ethnic cultures it discourages other ethnic minorities within school.

Gillborn 2008, applies the concept of locked-in inequality to education.
He sees ethnic inequality as and inevitable part of the education system.

Examples of the ethnocentric curriculum:

School meals
School holidays
History
Religious Studies

Question 5

Staffing and institutional racism

Answer 5

Critical race theory bold text

Racism is an ingrained feature of society. meaning it involves not just the internal actions of individuals but also institutions (institutional racism).

Hamilton 1967:
Institutional racism is less overt and more subtle. It comes from the operation of established and respected forces within society.

(it is embedded within our society and normalised)

Locked-in inequality bold text

Daria Roithmayr 2003
Institutional racism is a ‘locked in inequality’

discrimination is so large that there no longer needs to be conscious intent to discriminate.
(self-perpetuating)

Staffing bold text

Ethnic minorities are under-represented in the teaching profession especially at the top of organisational hierarchies.

This offers fewer positive role models for pupils within school.

Question 6

Critique of ‘racist labelling’

Answer 6

Mirza 1992 ‘Young, Female,

Fuller 1984

Mac An Ghail

Question 8

Ethnicity & Education: Social policy