Teacher Labelling

• Gillbourn and Youdell stated that teachers hold racialised expectations. What does this mean?


  They have different standards for pupils based on their ethnicity
• How do racialised expectations lead to underachievement?

  1. Teachers discipline black pupils quicker, who they label as disruptive.
  2. This upsets black pupils, escalating the conflict.
  3. They get sent out of lessons more often and can't learn.
  4. Underachievement of black pupils.
• Archer argues there are different labels put on pupils depending on their ethnic background. Who is most likely to be placed with each label?

  1. Ideal Pupil: White, middle class who achieve highly in the normal or 'desired' way.
  2. Pathologised Pupil: Tend to be Asian students (Chinese or Indian backgrounds) who achieve highly but not in the way schools desire. Seen as passive conformists by teachers.
  3. Demonised pupil: These are black (or white) working class students who underachieve. They are seen as unintelligent, easily influenced by peers and culturally deprived.
• How can a demonised label cause a pupils underachievement?

  They internalise the self-fulfilling, demonising label and stop trying in school.