Internal Factors (1) Labelling, Identities and responses

Question 1

Gilborn and mirza (2000)

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Labelling and teacher racism

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

Black pupils and discipline- Gilborn and Youdell (2000)

Answer 3

• 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.

Question 4

Black pupils and exclusions

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Black pupils and internal exclusions

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Black pupils and streaming

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Asian pupils - Cecile wrights study

Answer 7

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

Question 8

How did the way teachers related to Asian pupils effect them

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

Asian pupils in class

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Pupil identities

Answer 10

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

Question 11

The ideal pupil identity

Answer 11

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

Question 12

The pastgologised pupil identity

Answer 12

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

Question 13

The demonised pupil identity

Answer 13

A black or white working class, hyper sexualised identity. This pupil is seen as unintelligent, peer led, culturally deprived underachiever

Question 14

Asian girls

Answer 14

In a further study archer, found that teachers stereotyped Asian girls as quite, passive or docile.

Question 15

Chinese pupils

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

Pupil responses and subcultures - accepts labelling

Answer 16

• Heidi Mirza - failed strategies for avoiding racism
• she studied ambitious black girls who faced teacher racism and found that racist teachers discouraged black pupils from being ambitious through the kind of advice they gave them about career options.
• a large amount of teachers in her study held racist views and she identifies 3 main types of teachers
  1. The colour blind teachers - who believe all pupils are equal but allow racism to go unchallenged
  2. The liberal chauvinist teachers - who believe that black pupils are culturally deprived and have low expectations
  3. The overt racists teachers - who believe blacks are inferior and actively discriminate against them.

Question 17

Pupil responses and subcultures - rejects labelling

Answer 17

• an example of pupils rejecting negative label is fillers study of a group of black girls in year 11. The girls were untypical as they were high achievers In a school were most black pupils were put into low streams.
• describes how instead of accepting the negative stereotypes of themselves they challenged their anger about being labelled into the pursuit of educational success however they did not seek the approval of teachers. and they remained a positive self image by relying on their own efforts rather than accepting the teachers negative stereotype on them

Question 18

What does fullers study show about pupil responses

Answer 18

It highlights two important points, firstly pupils may still succeed even when they refuse to conform. Secondly, negative labelling does not always lead to failure. As these girls were able to reject the labels placed on them and there was no self fulling prophecy

Question 19

Pupil responses and subcultures- rejecting labelling- Mac an Ghaill

Answer 19

A study of black and Asian pupils in sixth form. Students who believed teachers had labelled them negatively did not necessarily accept the label. How they responses depended on factors such as their ethnic group and gender and nature of their former schools.
This research shows that a label does not inevitably produce a self filling prophecy

Question 20

Responses to labelling: swell

Answer 20

Swell: the variety of boys responses
Their responses to schooling, including stereotyping by teachers, can affect their achievement. He identifies 4 responses:
1. The rebels - most visible and influential group. Often excluded from school, rejected both the goals and rules of the school.
2. The conformists - the largest group. These boys were keen to succeed, accepted the schools goals
3. The retreatists - a tiny minority of isolated individuals who were disconnected from both school and black subcultures
4. The innovators - the second largest group. They value success but did not seek the approval of teachers

Question 21

Evaluation of labelling and pupil responses

Answer 21

Rather than blaming the child’s home background, as cultural deprivation theory does, labelling theory shows how teachers stereotypes can be a cause of failure.