Ethnicity and education

    AQA
    GCSE

    Candidates must analyze the complex relationship between ethnicity and educational achievement in the contemporary UK. The study necessitates a critical evaluation of differential attainment levels, contrasting the high performance of Chinese and Indian pupils against the statistical underperformance of Black Caribbean and White British working-class boys. Analysis must bifurcate into external factors (material and cultural deprivation, family structure, racism in wider society) and internal school processes (labeling, pupil subcultures, the ethnocentric curriculum, and institutional racism). High-level responses will synthesize these factors, assessing the relative significance of ethnicity compared to class and gender.

    0
    Objectives
    4
    Exam Tips
    3
    Pitfalls
    3
    Key Terms
    4
    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Credit explicit use of sociological terminology (e.g., 'self-fulfilling prophecy', 'ethnocentric curriculum') rather than lay descriptions.
    • Award marks for the accurate application of specific studies (e.g., Coard, Sewell, Gillborn) to support theoretical arguments.
    • Responses must evaluate the relative importance of factors, contrasting internal school processes with external home background.
    • In 12-mark questions, candidates must explicitly link points to the provided Item to access top band marks.

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Credit explicit use of sociological terminology (e.g., 'self-fulfilling prophecy', 'ethnocentric curriculum') rather than lay descriptions.
    • Award marks for the accurate application of specific studies (e.g., Coard, Sewell, Gillborn) to support theoretical arguments.
    • Responses must evaluate the relative importance of factors, contrasting internal school processes with external home background.
    • In 12-mark questions, candidates must explicitly link points to the provided Item to access top band marks.

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡For 12-mark questions, ensure a conclusion is included that weighs the strongest factor; this is crucial for AO3 marks.
    • 💡Use the 'PERC' structure (Point, Explain, Refer to Item, Critique) to ensure all Assessment Objectives are met in extended writing.
    • 💡When discussing external factors, explicitly distinguish between material deprivation (money/resources) and cultural deprivation (values/norms).
    • 💡Allocate approximately 12-15 minutes for the 12-mark 'Discuss how far' question to ensure sufficient depth and evaluation.

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Confusing 'ethnicity' with 'race' or treating all ethnic minority groups as a homogenous block with identical achievement levels.
    • Providing anecdotal or common-sense explanations (e.g., 'language barriers') without sociological evidence or theoretical backing.
    • Failing to critique the view presented in the question (e.g., accepting cultural deprivation without considering material factors).

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

    Identify
    Describe
    Explain
    Discuss how far
    Examine
    Evaluate

    Ready to test yourself?

    Practice questions tailored to this topic