Disparities in Student Attainment:

Dr Debra CuretonRuth Fairclough

Overview

• Context• General findings• Institutional data• DiSA and Contribution to the literature

DISA: Disparities in Student Attainment

Funded by

General Findings

Academe*

Cultural and Social Capital*

Relationship

Psychological Processes

What does this mean?

Where do our students live?• Medians compared as data not normally

distributed – WLV White median IMD 18.1– WLV BME median IMD 37.9– Coventry White median IMD 14.0– Coventry BME median IMD 29.3

• BME students come from areas with all levels of deprivation

• White students come from areas with relatively low levels of deprivation

• The population of high deprivation areas in the West Midlands are ~ 70% White (ONS, 2011)

Wolverhampton: Majority of White students from areas with IMD < 25Majority of BME students from areas with IMD > 35

Coventry: Majority of White students from areas with IMD < 25BME students distributed quite evenly across areas – more evenly distributed than any other group

If students were recruited based on the diversity within the local population (ONS 2011), the red line should always be well above the black line for both institutions in all areas, regardless of IMD

Impact of IMD on classification of degrees

Wolverhampton: The higher the classification, the lower the IMD of home postcode, for both groups of students except third and failsANOVA completed – statistically significant differencesThis implies Social Capital is a significant driver for ‘good’ honours at Wolverhampton

Coventry: Higher IMD for 2.2 classifications – less deprived areas in general, IMD seems to have less of an effect on ‘good’ honours at this institution.Pattern still evident to some extent for BME studentsNote Coventry have VERY FEW white students from areas with high IMD

General Findings

Academe*

Cultural and Social Capital*

Relationship

Psychological Processes

We

Newbies

Us

Them University

LecturesResources

Systems

Social, Cultural and Intellectual Capital

Threat: University Environment

Skills

Pedagogy of care

Challenge

Attainment Knowledge

Aspiration Raising

Quality of Lecture and Student Relationship

-VE: Stereotyping leads to the generation of the Pygmalion Effect & Folk Pedagogies

+VE: students seen as individual Lecturers are Interlocutors through what they say, do and how they are.

Becoming

Making the group boundaries permeable

DISA Interventions

Can mediate threat

DiSA: Student and Lecturer Relationship Process

Class size, assignment type,

personal interaction with students

Clarity

Partnership & Exchange

Student vs 2:2 StudentPrevious

Experiences

Neurology

Towards State

Away State• Perceived threat• Natural state • Activates the amygdala• Negative neurotransmitters• Causes ‘close down

• Perceived threat• Natural state • Activates the amygdala• Negative neurotransmitters• Causes ‘close down

• Everyone is a foe• Disengaged• Disinterested• Tunnel vision• Lack of creativity

• Everyone is a foe• Disengaged• Disinterested• Tunnel vision• Lack of creativity

• Human default setting• Lasts longer• More likely to happen• Fast acting • Harder to change state

• Human default setting• Lasts longer• More likely to happen• Fast acting • Harder to change state

Towards state is activated by:•perceived equality in status•Feelings of autonomy •perceived fairness•good relationships

Towards state is activated by:•perceived equality in status•Feelings of autonomy •perceived fairness•good relationships

Away state is activated by:•perceived lower status•lack of autonomy •perceived unfairness•distance in relationships

Away state is activated by:•perceived lower status•lack of autonomy •perceived unfairness•distance in relationships

Positive experiences *•Encourages attention•Greater enjoyment•Greater learning potential

Positive experiences *•Encourages attention•Greater enjoyment•Greater learning potential

Negative experiences•In the brain social pain = physical pain•More likely to remember –ve things•1 x –ve requires 3 x +ves to balance

Negative experiences•In the brain social pain = physical pain•More likely to remember –ve things•1 x –ve requires 3 x +ves to balance

DiSA’s Contribution to the Knowledge

Facilitating the ‘Good Degree Student’Challenge stereotypical thinking

Re-engage the disengaged

Open up those who have been closed down

Raise aspirations

Be an interlocutor

Foster good relationship with all

See students as individual

Show that you want to teach

Encourage interactive relationship

Be a good communicator

One small change can make a big difference