To what extent does ethnicity impact upon educational attainment PDF

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To what extent does ethnicity impact upon educational attainment?

Social class- minority ethnic children are more likely to be from a low-income household. Douglas highlighted material factors such as no working space.
Language- for some children English is not their mother tongue...

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5/9/2016

Learning to Labour? Education and Society

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Book review

 So what were the best bits/chapters, what did you learn from it, did you like the style. A review is not a place to be negative unconstructively, but to recognise strengths and sometimes a weakness, constructively.

Does the book give a "full-length" picture of the

 subject?          

What phases of the subject's life receive greatest treatment and is this treatment justified? What is the point of view of the author? How is the subject matter organized: chronologically, retrospectively, etc.? Is the treatment superficial or does the author show extensive study into the subject's life? What source materials were used in the preparation of the biography? Is the work documented? Does the author attempt to get at the subject's hidden motives? What important new facts about the subject's life are revealed in the book? What is the relationship of the subject's career to contemporary history? How does the biography compare with others about the same person? How does it compare with other works by the same

author? . What is the central question or issue that the book is addressing? . What is the book’s argument or thesis? How is the book organized to support this thesis? How are the chapters ordered? Chronologically? Thematically?

This book review will be based on the Malala book the girl who got shot for standing up for her right to education. She was shot by the Taliban on Tuesday 9 October 2012 on her way to khushal school, the school in which her father built before she was born. Her advocacy for education for girls and anti-Taliban had meant that she became a target for them. Thus, the narrative for the book is to discuss her life before and after the incident.

current life in Birmingham and how she has moved on from being shot. Her fears for the future and missing home. However, her education is still a vital part of her story and she discusses how she now has to work harder to compete with the children at her school. The change and difference between her life now and then is touched upon lightly. Thus, leading to the next subheading in the book that discusses the moment which she was shot. Malala clearly outlines what took place just before she got shot with the discussion of her daily routine to take the school bus which was only 5 minutes and was easier than walking. However, it is mentioned that this danger was imminent as her mother had expressed her fear of her walking alone due to the threads they were receiving. Her book is well supported with anecdotes cramped with 20 girls, a young man stopped the bus and asked if this was the school bus, he asked for Malala as she had been campaigning with her father recently about education for girls, 3 shots were fired, the first hit her left eye socket, the other 2 hit 2 girls behind her. The narrative then jumps to her life before the incident, where she had lived a simple life with her family in a small house. She 2 younger brothers whose births had been celebrated but because she was a girl her birth wouldn’t be celebrated but her father thought that was wrong and that it should, her father encouraged her to educate herself so she did. Slowly the Taliban’s culture had infected her town as they wanted to eradicate anything that was relate to females, cinemas and shopping centres were stripped of posters that women on them, mannequins were removed from shop windows, boys and girls could no longer study together, she was 10 when the Taliban came to her village, the leader initially introduced himself as a devoted Muslim, he convinced people that they should stop littering to music, dancing and watching movies because all of these things has caused the earthquake, he misinterpreted the Qur’an but many people were illiterate and therefore didn’t argue against him

Last but not least, the book ends with what happened during the incident when she was shot she was taken straight to the hospital and put into ICU. the Taliban issued a

statement taking responsible for the attack, arguing they were proud of it and that if anybody disagreed with it they would be next. Luckily for her two doctors from Birmingham were currently in Pakistan at the time and came to help her. Thus, she was sent to Birmingham Queen Elizabeth hospital after a doctor named Fiona had helped her recover. Subsequently, leading to the end of her story

Autobiographical reflection I was born in Holland therefore started my early education in the Dutch education system. The system was one that i was proud of; teachers made sure every day that i understood everything that i learned that day but most importantly there was always a time set in the day to read. I loved reading, reading taught me things i wouldn't have experienced otherwise and built my vocabulary. My range of vocabulary became greater every day with each book that i read. I enjoyed going to school as it didn't feel like a burden, education was fun to me.

When i was 10 my mother decided that we were going to move to England which had meant that i would be starting a new school and a new education system. I watched a lot of English tv at the time and therefore already had prior knowledge of the language but once i started a new primary school in London i was put in a special help group. The group was always isolated from the rest of the class and we had to always been taken out during the day to a different room and re-appeared back in our classes later on in the day. This had meant that students and teachers were both aware that there was a language difficulty involved despite the fact that i was a very fast learner and had already grasped the language. Thus, feeling less intelligent than everybody else and having to try harder when it came to school work. This assumption of my intelligence meant that, every school i went to i was put in the lowest set for everything, i slowly always made my way back to the top sets after teachers noticed that i understood the materials given to me and got correct answers. The assumption of my intelligence in regards to my nationality meant that i stopped trying when it came to GCSE, just when my peers where trying harder i stopped trying. I no longer wanted to prove myself as i believed that i was stuck in a cycle and therefore didn't care anymore. The last school i joined was a low performing school were the students didn't really care about their education and

being constantly surrounded by it meant that i had adopted that attitude i was satisfied with just getting by and not trying as hard. I had been to 4 primary schools and 3 different secondary schools and saw how each one was different. In my second secondary school, I dealt with a lot racism where students would yell vile things about my religion and skin colour which ended with me having to leave the school after an incident with a teacher. The incident involved a student writing a note to me which contained a disheartening message which i immediately took to the teacher. The teacher took one look at it, told me i was over-reacting and put in their desk and continued with the lesson. My mother immediately took me out of that school and enrolled me into another. I haven't had the greatest relationship when it comes to the education system in the UK but it got better when i entered higher education. To what extent does ethnicity impact upon educational attainment?

This essay will be discussing the correlation between ethnicity and educational attainment. Whether your race affects your life chances or if other factors are involved as well. It will be looking at different ethnic minorities and how well they are doing in school. Although most schools are seen as multicultural, you can see clear differences between ethnic minorities. Statistics show that clearly some ethnicities are doing poorer than others. At the moment Black Caribbean boys are achieving the least amount of GCSE A*-C grades whereas more than 50% of Chinese girls are achieving the most GCSE's. There are many factors as to why some ethnicities do better than others. Ethnicity can have a major affect on your achievement but other things like- social class, gender and location can also play a part in how well you do. When it comes to educational attainment, the role of ethnicity and academic achievement can be argued to be closely linked. This essay will examine the extent to which ethnicity that may influence academic achievement (Vilella, 2011).

Educational attainment Jobbins (2014) looked at university students and found that ethnicity impacted their

educational attainment. There was a disparity in the grades that students are achieving for their degrees as 72% of white students receive a first or upper-second class degree, compared to 56% of Asian students and 53% of black students (Jobbins, 2014). Chinese and Indian students have the highest academic record but are also the most likely to improve from a young age. Cassen and Kingdon (2007) highlighted this finding by showing that by age 16, nine out of ten Indian children who were at the bottom at age 11; managed to improve and move higher in the sets. In comparison to only 59% of black Caribbean boys who were initially at the top in Key Stage 2 but instead of improving remained at that level all the way to Key Stage 4 (Kingdom and Cassen, 2007). Another possible explanation for the low performance of black students, especially black Caribbean, can be the type of schools that they go to. Cassen and Kingdon (2007) argued that school quality has an effect on attainment. The notion that ethnic minority students are more likely to go to disadvantaged schools meant that low performance was a result of their environment (Kingdon and Cassen, 2007). However, despite black Caribbean boys underachieving in secondary school research does also highlight that around half of all low-achieving school leavers are white boys (Kingdon and Cassen, 2007). Strand (2008) furthered this point by arguing that this group made the least progress over the course of secondary school (Strand, 2008). This is true particularly for the white traveler group who were one of the worst performers at secondary school, with one in five (20 per cent) of Key Stage 4 takers achieving no GCSE/GNVQ passes (Cassen and Kingdon, 2007). When it comes to university gender comes into play when it comes to ethnicity as over 60% of black females and 56% of Asian male. Shiner and Modood (2002) discovered that ethnic minority students were punished by certain universities (Tackey, Barnes and Khambhaita, 2011). Gender and ethnicity can often be found to be linked and play a part in the extent to which ethnicity impacts educational attainment. Black boys are regarded as the group with the lowest educational attainment with 44% obtaining five GCSE grades

A*-C, however that is not the case for black girls. Fuller (1980) looked at a group of girls from a west Indian background and found that the girls focused on their academics in order to relieve their frustrations of negative perceptions. Their reaction to discrimination was to work harder and prove perceptions wrong (Covington, 2008). Social class African Caribbean children deal with many factors that play upon educational attainment which can include low social class. This combined with the notion of a society that is predominantly white, can make it difficult to navigate educational institutions (Rhamie, 2012). A reason for the success of Indian children in education can be the fact that a large group of this ethnic group is middle class. In comparison to Bangladeshis and black individuals tend to be from working class background’s and can be argued to underachieve due to the lack of materials factors (Covington, 2008). Material factors such as in housing, employment and wages can affect an individual’s education. Platt (2007) discovered that there was a big disparity to poverty, which was common in ethnic minority groups. Bangladeshi, Pakistani and black communities were more likely to be in poverty then any other group (Covington, 2008). Language Guyll et al argue similarly to the idea that language can come into play when it comes to educational attainment (Guyll et al, 2010). Ethnic minority children often speak more than language, English not being the first. The lack information and training to deal with children such as this can mean that teachers rely on stereotypes in order to gain a better understanding. The reliance on these stereotypes can have a negative affect on the academic abilities of these individuals as teachers may not expect much from them due to their language barrier. Thus, projecting a self-fulfilling prophecy towards the student which can result in lower educational achievement due to the difference in treatment (McDevitt and Ormrod, 2010). Language can play a part in the extent to which ethnicity impacts upon educational attainment. Mac and Ghaill (1988) argued that black students in particular, faced

barriers because of the difference between the home and the school. For example, the difference in the language they spoke at home not merging well with the English taught at school (Covington, 2008). Research has also been developed regarding the academic challenges faced by students who hear or speak another language in the home. Studies have shown that students from a home in which another language is present may exhibit developmental delays in regards to language acquisition and development (McDevitt, Ormrod, 2010). Students may exhibit these delays as a result of further formation of synaptic structures in the areas of the brain related to language development. Due to prior knowledge and expansion of the native language in addition to acquisition of a new language, comprehension of English academic curriculum may be hindered, which has a direct effect on academic achievements in the classroom ‘(McDevitt, Omrod, 2010). Guyll, Madon, et. all supports the idea that, an inability to communicate due to a language or cultural barrier can often inhibit the gathering of personal information. Their research suggests that this lack of information is what may lead school personnel to rely further on stereotypes as means of expanding their general impressions and this reliance may impose a negative bias on expectations for academic ability (Guyll, Madon et al, 2010). As a result, the school personnel engage in fostering a self-fulfilling prophecy. A stereotype is expanded upon and activated, which then leads to a development of false beliefs. The false belief results in differential treatment, which results in lower achievement (Vilella, 2011). Family culture Parental and institutional expectations can often clash with one another which can affect educational attainment. This can be a culture shock for young people when they enter an environment that is completely different to their home environment. Thus, resulting in what can be perceived as disruptive behaviour. However, it can be argued that when parents put a high emphasis on education it can result in educational achievement. For example, linking back to ethnicity is Davis- Kean and Sexton’s study that discovered Asian American families emphasized on the importance of education in the home. The culture of the home was to make sure all homework was complete and that the child understood everything that was taught to

them, in comparison to the parent being active in school activities (McDevitt, Ormrod, 2010). In most cases characteristics of their culture are not part of the school curriculum, which can lead students to believe they do not belong. This form of marginalization can link to anxiety, depression, which can have a detrimental effect on educational attainment (Vilella, 2011). Institutional racism Racism in schools can be seen in several studies conducted by Crozier (2001), Sewell (1997) and Gillborn and Mirza (2000). Maylor et al (2009) argued that primary school staff still hold negative opinions of Black children. The children argued that they were treated differently to other children because of their skin colour (Rhamie, 2012). Zirkel found that teacher’s expectations of students were hindered with their expectations of ethnic groups. For example, predicting the success of a Caucasian student whilst being uncertain of an ethnic student (Zirkel, 2005). A self-fulfilling prophecy can be defined as an incorrect stereotype or belief, that influences a person’s behaviour towards another individual. This theory is linked to social inequality and impacting educational attainment for ethnic minority students (McDevitt and Ormrod, 2010). Stigma consciousness, refers to individuals that are aware of belonging to a stereotyped group and therefore anticipate being stereotyped themselves (Guyll et al, 2010). Hence, any negative experiences that come from social interactions are immediately thought of as way that they are being discriminated. Those who are “stigma conscious” see this form of discrimination to be associated from they’re disparity to the dominant culture. Thus, arguing that stigma consciousness in ethnic minority students can lead to lower educational attainment and a disinterest to the educational institution (McDevitt and Ormrod, 2010). However, Guyll and Madon, et al argue that stereotyping may not always have a negative influence on students. Jonathan Gayles argues that labelling empowers some ethnic minority students which in turn affects their academic achievements. Despite stereotyping having a negative affect it can also create a sense of

awareness that can be beneficial to wanting to excel academically by proving everyone wrong. The findings of the study showed that participants aimed to prove negative stereotype about their ethnicity wrong by excelling and changing their opinions (Gayles, 2006). Institutional racism is argued to be integrated within the school curriculum and has the effect of having a drawback for ethnic minority students. David Gilbron (2005) highlighted the issue of black students being more likely to be in lower sets, some being allocated to lower sets due to perceived notions of their intelligence. Exclusion is the main form of control that educational institutions can use to deal with students that are seen as difficult. When it comes to exclusion, black students are three times more prone to be excluded from school in comparison to white students (Covington, 2008). Labelling theory, similar to self-fulfilling prophecy, focuses upon on stereotyping from teacher’s and the affects of it on ethnic minority students. For example, Gilborn established that numerous teachers’ thought of black pupils as individuals that defied authority. Teachers were argued to see their appearance and behaviour as a challenge to their authority. A common result of this reaction was that black students were punished, for example by getting detention more often than anybody else (Covington, 2008). Cecile Wright (1986), claimed that there’s stereotyping with white teachers who disregard students from ethnic minority groups. Similarly, Peter Foster (1990) discovered that black students received racism from teachers (Covington, 2008). Ogbu suggested that differences between black and white students was due to “oppositional culture,” which is done by black students rejecting expectations due to a fear of being accused of “acting white” (Ogbu, 1986). The refusal of the dominant culture is a form of keeping their own cultural identity (Vilella, 2011). Zirkel argued that most of the time a key factor in the educational attainment of ethnic minority students was the expectations that the teachers had of them (Vilella, 2011). Howard an African American student, was in class one day when his lecturer began

praising his work in front of the class. However, when his praise ended, the teacher went straight to the only white student in the class and handed Howard’s work to him, presuming that the white student in the class had produced that great work. When it was pointed out that it was in fact a black student who had produced that work, the lecture...