INTERNAL FACTORS & ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN ACHIEVEMENT

      1. LABELLING & TEACHER RACISM

INTERACTIONISTS focus on the different labels teachers give to students from different ethnic backgrounds when looking at ethnic differences in achievement

ETHNOCENTRIC CURRICULUM - views based in favour of a specific culture (usually the white culture). Ethnocentric describes an attitude/policy that gives pririty to a culture & perspective of one particular ethnic group while disregarding others.

STEPHEN BALL says that the National Curriculum promotes an attitude of LITTLE ENGLANDISM because it ignores histories & cultures of other ethnic backgrounds.

MARGINALISED being pushed to the edge & not included, as well as preventing pupils to actively take part.

      2. BLACK PUPILS

GILBORN & YOUDELL found that teachers expected black pupils to present more discipline problems & also misinterpreted their behaviours as threatening or as challenging to authority.     When teachers acted on their misinterpretation, pupils responded negatively & this led to further conflict.      Black pupils felt that they were being underestimated & picked on.      GILBORN & YOUDEL concluded that the conflict was due to RACIAL STEREOTYPES teachers hold.

      3. PUPIL RESPONSES & SUBCULTURES

FULLER studied a group of black (untypical) girls in a COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL IN LONDON.   He…