Understanding Minority Ethnic Achievement

Race, Gender, Class and 'Success'

Providing fresh insights and understandings about educationally ‘successful’ minority ethnic pupils, this book examines the views, identities and educational experiences of those pupils who are undoubtedly ‘achieving’, but who tend to remain ignored within popular concerns about under-achievement.

Combining a broad analysis of minority ethnic pupils’ achievement together with a novel, detailed case study of an educationally ‘successful’ group, the British-Chinese, this book examines a fascinating angle on debates about the reproduction of social inequalities.

In this thought-provoking and highly accessible book, the authors:

• review the theoretical and policy context to issues of ‘race’, gender, social class and achievement
• discuss the role of teachers and schools
• explore Chinese parents’ views of their children’s education and explain how these families ‘produce’ and support achievement
• investigate British-Chinese pupils’ views on their approaches to learning and their educational identities
• examine the relationship between aspirations and educational achievement
• consider the complexity and subtlety of racisms experienced by ‘successful’ minority ethnic pupils.

This timely and authoritative book contributes to the ongoing debates about levels of achievement among minority ethnic pupils and is an essential book for all researchers, students, education professionals and policy-makers.