[Maths-Education] Re: Research and teacher practices for 'working class' underachievement in secondary mathematics

[dylanwiliam at mac.com]

While I agree that the link between socioeconomic disadvantage and educational achievement is not a new phenomenon, it is also worth noting that it is not universal. We will probably never stop affluent parents from securing educational advantages for their children, but there are countries that have managed to ensure that socioeconomic disadvantage does not lead to lower achievement. While in the US and the UK, the relationship between the income of parents and children is linear (and steeper in the US than the UK) in some countries, it is not. Notably in some Scandinavian countries, while the richest do best, the poorest do as well as average students. In fact the research on educational quality, whether in child care, primary school, or secondary schools, shows that high-quality education benefits low achievers more than higher achievers. In some studies, this effect has been so strong that the effect of quality teaching has completely overcome socio-economic disadvantage. So it may be that Basil Bernstein was wrong. Education _can_ perhaps compensate for society, provided it is of very high quality. I therefore see the challenge as political—how to get get the best teachers working with the students who need them most...

Dylan Wiliam


On 27 Feb 2011, at 17:59, Alan Rogerson wrote:

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> Dear Phillip,
> 
> The link:
> 
> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/social-class-determines-childs-success-934240.html
> 
> makes depressing reading: eg
> 
> Children's social class is still the most significant factor in determining their exam success in state schools, the Government's head of teacher training acknowledges today. In an interview with The Independent, Graham Holley, the chief executive of the Training and Development Agency, said: "The performance of a school and a child in it is highly linked to social class. If you turn the clock back on pupils in school today 15 years and predict their outcomes from where they were born, you can do it. We need to change that. It's not something this government has done. It's not something the last government has done. It's something that has been there since the Second World War and probably even before that."
> 
> There is no "probably" (Graham was simply restricting his comments to his own experience) the right word is "inevitably".
> 
> As you will recall, I told you of my experiences of working class culture growing up after WW2, and sadly and clearly the problem is still with us, and in no way is it restricted to mathematics! We are speaking here of the strength of exclusive social/cultural world-views derived from primary socialisation,... "give us a child until he is 11"..... etc.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Alan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 18/02/2011 15:08, Phillip Kent wrote:
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>> Dear colleagues,
>> 
>> I'd appreciate some pointers to research and guidance on dealing with
>> the problem of 'working class' underachievement in maths in secondary
>> school. I realise there is a huge literature on this, in terms of
>> statistical analysis on the existence of the problem, sociological-type
>> analysis of classroom behaviours (a la Bernstein, etc), and research on
>> teachers' beliefs about 'ability' and so on.
>> 
>> However, I'm specifically interested in any research/guidance about what
>> is effective for maths teachers to do in practice in classrooms. There
>> is a very familiar type of student who for 'social' reasons comes to
>> construct for him or herself an identity as someone who 'can't do
>> maths', which is not related to his or her actual mathematical
>> potential. Then how should the teacher break through this identity to
>> tap into the actual potential and interest?
>> 
>> Perhaps I am wrong to see this as essentially a problem of 'class'. Any
>> thoughts welcome.
>> 
>> - Phillip
>> 
> 
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