5.3: Factors that Explain Different Educational Achievements Notes:

Patterns in Educational Achievement

Social class:

Middle‑class students generally achieve higher results.
Working‑class students face barriers (resources, diet, home setup, expectations, etc.).
Ball (2003): class affects school choice and achievement.

Ethnicity:

Some minority groups underachieve due to racism, language barriers.
Others (e.g. some Asian groups) achieve highly due to cultural emphasis on education.

Gender:

Global differences:

Achievement varies by country due to poverty, resources, cultural values, access to education (especially for girls).

Explanations – Social Class

Material factors: poverty, poor housing, lack of digital access.
Cultural/social factors: middle‑class values emphasize education.
Cultural capital (Bourdieu): middle‑class knowledge, skills, and attitudes give advantage.
Home/community factors: parental support, reading, expectations.
Linguistic factors (Bernstein): restricted (short sentences mainly used by working class) vs. elaborated codes (long detailed sentences used in school) affect communication in school.
Compensatory education: programmes like Sure Start (UK) aim to support disadvantaged children.
In‑school factors: pro‑school vs. anti‑school subcultures (Willis, 1977: “Learning to Labour”).
Selective/private education: middle‑class advantage in accessing better schools.
Labelling theory (Becker, 1971): teachers label working‑class negatively → self‑fulfilling prophecy.
Marxist explanations: schools reproduce class inequality (Bowles & Gintis, Althusser).

Explanations – Ethnicity

Institutional racism: discrimination built into school systems.
Ethnocentric curriculum: focus on white/Western culture, ignoring others.
Role models: lack of positive ethnic minority teachers/leaders.
Linguistic factors: language barriers for some groups.
Cultural/material/social factors: poverty, parental expectations, community support.
Home/community factors: cultural attitudes to education.
In‑school factors: ethnic subcultures, peer pressure.
Labelling theory: teachers may stereotype ethnic minority students → lower expectations.
Gillborn (1990): racism in schools affects achievement.

Explanations – Gender

Differential socialization: boys encouraged to be active, girls to be compliant.
Teacher expectations: boys seen as disruptive, girls as hardworking.
Cultural/social factors: changing attitudes → girls prioritise careers.
Access to education: historically restricted for girls in many societies.
In‑school factors: gendered subcultures (boys anti‑school, girls pro‑school).
Labelling theory: teachers may reinforce stereotypes.
Feminist explanations: schools reproduce patriarchy (Oakley, Kelly).
Sharpe (1994): girls’ ambitions shifted to careers.
Francis (2000): boys resist school authority more than girls.

Global Differences

Strengths & Limitations of Explanations

Social Class

Strengths: explains persistent inequalities, backed by evidence (Bourdieu, Bernstein).
Limitations: some working‑class succeed, ignores ethnicity/gender.

Ethnicity