Ethnicity and Gender in Degree Attainment extensive research

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Ethnicity and Gender in Degree Attainment
extensive research

• Dr. Susie Jacobs
• Julia Owen,
• Paula Sergeant,
• Prof. John Schostak
• Manchester Metropolitan University

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methodologies

• Questionnaire through HEA contacts
• Questionnaire distributed through web contacts
• Researchers web searches for all English HEIs
  also looked for initiatives
• 22 follow-up interviews, semi-structured

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responses

• 61 questionnaire responses from 54 HEIs
• 40 of the 133 English HEIs completed a
  questionnaire 7 shorter responses 47
• Which institutions? 18 old universities (inc.
  10 Russell Group) number of specialist HEIs
• 16 ex-Polytechnics
• Range of respondents - Registrars, Equality and
  Diversity Officers, lecturers - both
  institutional and individual responses

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Are data concerning degree attainment analysed at
institutional level?

• By ethnicity
• YES 69
• NO 21
• DK 10
• By gender
• YES 78.3
• NO 13.3
• DK 9.3

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Reasons given for differential BME attainment -
questionnaire and interviews

• 84 said differential attainment by ethnicity
  relevant at their HEI
• Main reasons given
• - social class background
• - financial factors need to work
• - prior educational experiences
• - difficulties with written English for some
  groups
• - family pressure to study particular
  subjects, affecting motivation to study

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other reasons marginalisation of ethnic
minority people

• 16 said relevant at their own HEIs but in
  open-ended questions and interviews more
  discussed related factors e.g.
• prior racism may affect students confidence
• lack of visible ethnic minority staff
  representation
• attitudes of some staff or of other students
• feeling of not belonging
• direct experiences of racism and discrimination

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Differential attainment by gender

• 79 said relevant to their HEI
• Main reasons given for womens better attainment
  of good degrees
• - women students greater maturity
• - women work harder, are more diligent
• - have better study skills
• - womens caring responsibilities mentioned
• - naturalisation of working-class male
• underachievement?

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Some relevant initiatives

• Monitoring student progression and achievement at
  departmental/ Faculty/university levels
• Underachieving students given individual support
• Curriculum audits to ensure diversity
• Small group teaching
• Mentoring
• Schemes to support men counselling
• AND view that much caution should be used before
  targetting BME students exclusively could lead
  to stigma

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The general atmosphere or ethos

• NOT (only) mission statements publicity
• Inclusive atmosphere in terms of everyday life
  and practice critical
• Inclusivity intangible? easier accomplish
  with large minorities/majority of BME students
• but evident in e.g. staff profiles extent of
  inter-group interactions profile of equality and
  diversity policies in the HEI effective
  harrassment procedures
• View that initiatives best built on inclusive
  foundation

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Some recommendations

• Focus on outcomes and on attainment
• WP and retention have had higher profiles
• Data collection and analysis important baseline
• focus on attainment likely to imply attention to
  student work to study skills to assessment and
  procedures
• need for student voice/s and views
• various types of qualitative research
  illuminating?
• e.g. HEIs or departments which do not follow
  hierarchy of attainment efficacy of particular
  initiatives experiences of different minorities

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lastly

• support from centre within HEIs likely to be
  important
• possible that no one size fits all solution
  HEIs vary
• development of shared ethos of equity important,
  and
• Resourcing will be needed to put into practice