John Ogbu Case Study

1386 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Struggles of minority children in education

John Ogbu’s Theory of the Academic Achievement and School Performance of Minorities Current research and scholarly literature continue to examine various aspects of learning in today’s society (Farkas, Lleras, & Maczuga, 2002). Particular attention is given to research in the educational system, especially with regards to minority students (Fisher, 2005). Considering the on-going social discussions on racial/ethnic disparities, many researchers now seek to explore the relationships and themes that exist in, and influence the academic achievement and school performance of minority students (Farkas et al., 2002; Roscigno & Ainsworth-Darnell, 1999). While this research area may seem fairly new to some due to its increased and continued …show more content…

Ecology refers to the environment or world in which minorities live, while culture references how minorities live and behave which is essentially their way of life (Ogbu, 1990). This theory examines the interplay between societal factors, school factors and underlying factors within the minority communities (Ogbu, 2003). The theory consists of two major parts which are a system and community forces. A system is a structural environment barrier in minority education. It refers to the mistreatment of minorities in education, specifically in regards to societal educational policies and practice, and societal rewards for educational accomplishments which he believed did not favor minorities (Gilbert, 2009; Roscigno et al., …show more content…

Community forces comprises of four factors which include symbolic beliefs about schooling (e.g., whether the cultural and language identity of minorities will be threatened by learning), minority school comparison frame, relational interpretations of schooling (e.g., level of trust and confidence in the educational system), and instrumental value of schooling (e.g., whether or not school credentials are necessary for getting ahead in life) (Ogbu, 1978; Ogbu & Simmons, 1998). These forces are products of sociocultural adaptations within the minority communities. Over the years, in more current literature, cultural barriers have been adapted to also include community and social barriers such as behavioral characteristics, attitudinal factors and socioeconomic status which are significant predictors of school performance in minority students (Ainsworth-Darnell & Downey, 1998; Fordham, Signithia, & Ogbu, 1986; McLoyd, 1998). Duncan and Magnuson (2005) found that socioeconomic status accounts for more than half of the initial academic achievement gap that exists between minority and majority populations. Poverty and culture conflicts significantly contribute to why minorities achieve poorly in school performances (Smith, Brooks-Gunn, & Klebanov, 1997). Ogbu and Simmons (1998) suggest that cultural and language differences can also cause learning

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Keepin It Real: School Success Beyond Black And White

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cater, the author of the book Keepin’ It Real: School Success Beyond Black And White, became interested as of why minority students were faced with white society challenges in school systems? In her book, Keepin’ It Real: School Success Beyond Black And White, she offers an insightful look at the educational attainment in low-income urban communities. Carter suggest that these students are embraced the dominant opportunity ideology, they acknowledge the dominant cultural to obtain status and goods. However, they use their own cultural to gain status in their own communities. She conducted a research to study the importance of cultural authenticity for minority, such as African American and Latino, students. She examines how cultural authenticity influences minority students’ relationship with the values they believe are privileged in schools. Cultural authenticity reflects on the beliefs and values of everyday society. Carter questioned, why do so many African American and Latino students perform worse than their Asians and White peers in class and on exams? And why might African Americans and Latino students are less engaged in

    Read More

  • Yosso's Critical Race Theory

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    Unequal funding and lack of opportunities offering are restricted minority students to compete to white students. The school system is not independently separated from race and racism as people think. Race and racism are social illness that immediately need action in order to bring the best atmosphere and energy for educational system because schools are places for teaching and learning. Schools should not allow race and racism affect their spaces’ neutralization. Withstanding race and racism in education is a long and difficult task, but it is a worthy effort because in the future, all children will able to receive a better and equal

    Read More

  • Cultural Code-Switching: Straddling The Achievement Gap By Jennifer Morton

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    The article I chose to research is entitled Cultural Code-Switching: Straddling the Achievement Gap by Jennifer Morton. It was published in September 2014 and placed in the journal of political philosophy, with regards to education as well. The goal of the article was to point out the inequality that comes with the educational achievement gap and how to begin to fix the issue that has arisen. Morton explains that political, institutional, and structural factors lead to the segregation of poverty in minority communities because of their lack of access to educational and health service, reliable public transportation, and job (Morton 275).

    Read More

  • Identifying Strategies to Improve African American College Student Retention and Graduation Rates

    1677 Words  | 4 Pages

    Minorities are a growing segment of the population. However, this group continues to be underrepresented in the area of post secondary education. Obtaining an advanced degree remains a likely predictor of future career success. The problem facing the minority student is that barriers persist which continue to hinder enrollment, retention, and graduation rates in institutions of higher education. These barriers must be identified and examined and solutions offered if college completion rates are to be increased for this population.

    Read More

  • Black Male Success in Higher Education

    2278 Words  | 5 Pages

    African- American males have been underrepresented among college students and degree earners for years, however the reason for this is often misconstrued. The percentages of white high school graduates “In 1998-2000 had jumped to 46. However, only 40 percent of African-Americans and 34 percent of Hispanics in the same age group were attending college” (McGlynn, Angela Proviteira). The question then to pose, is why minority students are not succeeding in college compared to Caucasian students, “Only 47% of Black male students graduated on time

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Race On Retention (Pat)

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 2001 statistics reported by the United States Department of Education indicated that during 1997-1998 African American students received 8.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Concurrently, Hispanic students as well as Asian or Pacific Islander students received 6.0%, while American Indian/Alaskan Native students only accounted for .7%. Although statistics from agencies who report differ, clearly on a national level, minority students

    Read More

  • Disproportionality In Special Education Essay

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    Among the predominant explanations offered for the existence of disproportionate ethnic representation in special education is the influence of poverty or socioeconomic disadvantage on the academic readiness of minority students. The National Research Council (NRC) reported on research that was conducted and concluded with a “definitive yes” that there are “biological and social/contextual contributors to early development that differ by race and that leave students differentially prepared to meet the cognitive and behavioral demands of schooling” (Skiba, et al. 131). The NRC suggested that the effects of a number of biological and social factors could be included under the broader heading of poverty. The relationship between disproportionality and poverty

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography on Racial Diversity

    1936 Words  | 4 Pages

    Those efforts improve students' learning and experiences by cultivating key behaviors and knowledge and by providing a unique educational context. Published in the American Educational Research Journal, this paper gives insight into how racial diversity stretches beyond educational engagement and social composition. The significant difference made by diversity-related efforts, such as hybridized racial interactions and policies, is fully explored. The findings of the study presented can be generalized to the argument of institutional racism, as this piece presents rationale against it. The limitations of this paper are the insufficient detail regarding educational context needed to illustrate the steps institutions can take to apply diversity.

    Read More

  • Closing the Achievement Gap

    2009 Words  | 5 Pages

    In conclusion, the Academic Achievement has been fueled by society's presets, minority students' lack of effort, and the failures of the schooling system in America. There has been some challenging setbacks, but the Gap can be fixed to create a common ground for all prospective members of America's society to excel on equally. By realizing that change can be achieved, there are little to no limits for minority students to create a better mindset towards education. Students, parents, and teachers have to be willing to work together, as well as tackle obstacles upheld by society, and the economic deficiencies that effect schools across America. This will, in turn, take America one step closer to closing the Academic Achievement Gap in America.

    Read More

  • ' Does Segregation Still Matter?

    775 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although there is much more current evidence about socioeconomic segregation today, the information presented in this study is relevant for a number of reasons including the history and patterns of the dilemma. As a member of a predominantly Hispanic culture, the assessments provided to students seem to be geared towards students living in Northern America. It may be a perception that I have but knowing what goes on in the classrooms at my school district (previously employed), students in this culture struggle with many of the examples that are provided in the assessment, or the STAAR, because our children do not experience the same opportunities including those of weather, seasonal, activities, etc. The fact that the parents work to make ends meet because they have little or no education also makes it difficult for the students to be successful; thus, socioeconomic segregation. “The results suggest that schools serving mostly lower-income students tend to be organized and operated differently than those serving more-affluent students, transcending other school-level differences such as public or private, large or small” (Rumberger & Palardy, 2005, p. 1999). This is completely unacceptable and should be a wake up call to the global system of education. Where a child, no matter the age, goes to school, the quality, rigor, balance, and opportunity to be of equal importance for all.

    Read More

  • United States at Risk Because of the College Freshman Dropout Rate

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    Academic and Health Outcomes of Minority Students”. Science. Science AAAS. (2011): n.pag. Web. 2 April 2014.

    Read More

  • Affirmative Action and Capital Punishment

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    A minority student is generally classified as belonging to a lower-income family than the average white American, who is classified by earning a higher income. A student belonging to a low-income family will not have the same opportunities as a student from a high-income background. A student from a high-income family will be able to afford more study aids and supplies. A student from a low-income family, generally a minority, does not have access to these resources. Because they frequently cannot afford the same materials as their white counterparts, they generally do not perform as strongly on standardized tests. Wealthy families are generally very well educated. They have greater knowledge of how to guide their children in the right direction for academic success. Some can afford a private school with better teachers and a more comfortable learning environment. Paying for college is easier, and academics often take greater priority in these well-to-do households. Usually, poorer families have a harder time paying for college and supporting their children. Schools in low-income areas tend to lack funding for good teachers and supplies because of their financial situation. More often than not, the main goal of these families is to have their children get through high school so that they can begin ea...

    Read More

  • Segregation And Segregation

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today, the United States is still a racially segregated society. Getting into college is the first step in a student’s postsecondary educational journey, an academically strong start in college is the second because grades can either expand or limit opportunities for successfully completing a college degree . College students face many obstacles throughout their pursuit of higher education. Racial Segregation can affect college academic performance in a variety of ways. Segregation represents a major structural feature influencing success in college. Segregation experienced in childhood can influence later academic performance through a rage of channels. Segregation has other, more contemporaneous influences on academic performance. Massey

    Read More

  • A Significant Issue in Education: Teacher BIAS

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2004) reported that Black students continue to trail White students with respect to educational access, achievement and attainment. Research on the effectiveness of teachers of Black students emphasizes that the teachers’ belief about the Black students’ potential greatly impacts their learning. Teachers tend to teach black students from a deficit perspective (King, 1994; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Mitchell, 1998). White teachers often aim at compensating for what they assume is missing from a Black student’s background (Foorman, Francis & Fletcher, 1998). The deficit model of instruction attempts to force students into the existing system of teaching and learning and doesn’t build on strengths of cultural characteristics or preferences in learning (Lewis, Hancock...

    Read More

  • How Wealth Affects Education

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    Palardy, G., and R. Rumberger. Does Desegregation Matter?: The of Social Composition on Academic Achievement in Southern High Schools. N.p.: University of North Carolina, 2005. Print.

    Read More

More about John Ogbu Case Study

Open Document