Educational Context and Practice

Class, gender & race and its impact on educational

attainment

Today’s objectives

1) Discuss limitations on educational achievement in terms of class, gender and race

2) Research and explain information on one researcher on class, gender or race

3) Analyse case studies and apply info on class, gender & race

4) Analyse own teaching context and apply sociological issues

Class & Educational attainment

• What aspects of class might impact on E.A?

• How might different classes bring up their children?

• Douglas (1964)– Parental interest no’1 factor

(parents’ evening)– Begins at primary school

• Bernstein (1971)– Working class language

(restricted)– Educational language

(elaborated)

–Is the working class culturally deprived?

• Bordieu (1964)– Education system places

importance on middle class values

• E.g. Football vs Literature

• Ball, Bowe & Gewirtz (1996)– Middle class parents can play

the system– How?

• Ball (1981)– Labelling/banding

Gender & Educational Attainment

Which gender under performs?

What might be the reasons for this?

• Abraham (1986)– Text book analysis (stereotypes)

• Stanworth (1983)– Limited classroom interaction– Why?

• Spender (1983)– Education is controlled by men

(society)

Switch from female to male underachievementMales do well at the high end of education & prestigious subjects

Recent themes

• Male dominance in science/technology subjects

• Women made inroads into medicine

• Perception of what s men’s work and ‘women’s work influences subject choice

• Colley (1998)– Perception of gender roles– Subject image– The learning environment

• What explanations are there for the turn around in educational achievement?

Ethnicity and Educational achievement

• Are their any patterns in achievement and ethnicity?

• What reasons might their be for this

• Connolly (1998)– Black boys

• Threat to discipline• High value on masculinity

– Black girls• Potentially disruptive

– Asian boys• Immature (protected by supportive

family)• Difficult to compete with other boys

– Asian girls• Obedient and hard working• Low status amongst peers (alien

culture)

• Hernstein & Murray (1994)– Black’s have a lower IQ– Refuted by Pilkington (1997)

• Driver & Ballard (1981)– In some Asian families English is not

the first language• Issue for females• By 16 not an issue

• Drew (1995)– Ethnicity and class are intertwined– Class is a key driver

• The system is inherently racist– Coard (1971)– Wright (1992)