Internal factors and ethnic differences in achievement

Internal factors and ethnic differences in achievement

1. Labelling and teacher racism

   • Gilbourn and Youdell - teachers expect black students to be a problem
   • Wright - teachers labelled Asians, discluded them for discussion
     • Doesn't explain why they perform best

2. Pupil responses and subcultures

   • Fuller studied black girls who succeeded in terms of school work but did not conform, accept their labels etc
   • Sewel found a variety of male responses
     • Rebels - small minority of blacks
     • Conformists - largest group
     • Retreatists - minority
     • Innovators - second largest
       • Pro-education, anit-school
   • Labels not always accepted
   • Ignores wider racism

3. Ethnocentric curriculum

   • David - NC 'specifically British'
   • Troyna and Williams - gives priority to English culture
   • Schools teach other languages, literature, history, art etc
   • Doesn't explain how Indians and Chinese do best

4. Institutional racism

   • Ethnocentric curriculum example
   • Racism in educational structure
   • Governors do little about cases of racism

5. Selection and segregation

   • Moore and Davenport - US schools favoured white MC students
   • Racist bias in interviews for school places
   • Schools want the best students and grades, regardless of ethnicity