Topic 3- ethnic differences in achievement

• What are linguistic skills?

  Some pupils speak a different language and some pupils speak an informal version of English. Bereiter and Engelmann state that the black Caribbean language is ungrammatical and disjointed, which means they cannot convey abstract ideas
• What is family structure?

  There are higher rates of lone parent families in black ethnicities. Moynihan found that many black families are headed by a lone mother, leading to lower achievement of black boys due to how they don't have a male role model
• What are attitudes and values?

  Some sociologists argue that some black pupils have a fatalistic outlook on life, meaning that they want immediate gratification and have limited motivation to achieve in the long term
• What is material deprivation?

  Many minority ethnic groups are victims to racism in wider society, subsequently they face direct or indirect discrimination at work or in the housing market, and in turn, they may be in low paid jobs or unemployed. This impacts upon the children's educational opportunities
• What did Gillborn and Youdell find out about labelling and black pupils?

  Gillborn and Youdell found that some teachers had racialised expectations of black pupils and expected more discipline problems and saw their behaviour as threatening. Black pupils were more likely than others to be punished for the same behaviour as white pupils
• What did Fuller find out about labelling and black pupils?

  Fuller found that high achieving black girls maintained a positive self-image by rejecting teachers' stereotypes. They did not seek teacher approval, but valued education
• What did Mirza find out about labelling and black pupils?

  Mirza found that black girls' strategies for dealing with teacher racism still disadvantaged them. For instance, they would not ask for help
• What did Wright find out about Asian pupils and labelling?

  Wright found that Asian primary school pupils were stereotyped and treated differently. Teachers used simple language because they assumed they would speak poor English and became frustrated when pupils pronounced their names incorrectly
• What responses did Sewell find to racist labelling?

  • Conformists: keen to succeed, accepted the school's goals.
  • Innovators: pro-education, but anti-school. Valued success, but not teacher’s approval.
  • Retreatists: disconnected from the school and black subcultures outside of it.
  • Rebels: rejected the school's goals, and conformed to the stereotype of the ‘black macho lad’.
• What is the ethnocentric curriculum?

  Troyna and Williams state that the British curriculum prioritises white culture and the English language, for example through holidays in line with the christian calendar, and focus on white leaders in history