Patterns of Educational Achievement

Ethnicity and Achievement

Educational achievement patterns differ across ethnic groups with Chinese and Indian students typically outperforming all others in GCSE results.
However, Afro-Caribbean and Pakistani students usually underperform compared to the national average, reflecting discrepancies in educational attainment.
Factors causing these disparities include issues like language fluency, family environment, teacher expectations, institutional racism, socio-economic status, and cultural factors.

Gender and Achievement

Over the individuals’ academic life, females tend to outperform males. This trend begins in primary school and continues up to university level.
Factors such as changes in the curriculum, the feminisation of education, and transformation of the labour market have influenced this pattern.
However, in subject-specific achievements, boys do better in areas like Physics and Computing, whereas girls excel in subjects like English and Sociology.
Bernstein and Young’s concept of ‘gender domains’ suggests that societal conditioning influences gendered subject choices.

Socio-Economic Class and Achievement

There’s a clear correlation between socio-economic status and educational achievement; children from lower socio-economic backgrounds tend to underperform compared to those from higher socio-economic backgrounds.
This is often attributed to factors like material deprivation, cultural deprivation, and restricted speech code (as proposed by Bernstein).
Some sociologists also believe that the education system is biased towards the middle classes and their life experiences (drawing from the cultural capital theory of Bourdieu).

Impact of Policies and Initiatives

Government policies and initiatives can significantly impact patterns of achievement. For instance, the introduction of GSCE and vocational qualification options increased achievement rates for lower ability learners.
Interventions such as the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and policies to promote inclusivity and diversity have also had a positive impact on decreasing gaps.
However, the impact of these interventions may not be universal, and some disadvantaged groups may need specific, targeted help to overcome barriers to achievement.

Education and Individual Characteristics

Factors like student attitudes, beliefs and motivation also play a critical role in determining educational achievement.
For example, Carol Dweck’s ‘growth mindset’ theory suggests that student’s attitude towards learning and their belief in their ability to improve significantly affects their academic success.
Issues like labelling, streaming, and self-fulfilling prophecy highlight how teachers’ beliefs about pupils can also impact students’ attainment.