Disparities in Student Attainment:

1. Disparities in Student Attainment: Dr Debra Cureton Ruth Fairclough

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

3. DISA: Disparities in Student Attainment Funded by

4. Academe* Relationship Cultural and Social Capital* General Findings Psychological Processes

5. What does this mean?

6. 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)

7. Wolverhampton: Majority of White students from areas with IMD < 25 Majority of BME students from areas with IMD > 35 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 Coventry: Majority of White students from areas with IMD < 25 BME students distributed quite evenly across areas – more evenly distributed than any other group

8. 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 fails ANOVA completed – statistically significant differences This 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 students Note Coventry have VERY FEW white students from areas with high IMD

9. Academe* Relationship Cultural and Social Capital* General Findings Psychological Processes

10. DiSA: Student and Lecturer Relationship Process Quality of Lecture and Student Relationship Class size, assignment type, personal interaction with students +VE: students seen as individual Lecturers are Interlocutors through what they say, do and how they are. -VE: Stereotyping leads to the generation of the Pygmalion Effect & Folk Pedagogies Partnership & Exchange Skills Pedagogy of care Challenge Them DISA Interventions University Systems Lectures Attainment Knowledge Resources Social, Cultural and Intellectual Capital Aspiration Raising Clarity Can mediate threat Making the group boundaries permeable Becomi ng We Threat: University Environment Newbies Us Student vs 2:2 Student Previous Experiences

11. Perceived threat • Natural state • Activates the amygdala • Negative neurotransmitters • Causes ‘close down • 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 Away State • Away state is activated by: • perceived lower status • lack of autonomy • perceived unfairness • distance in relationships • Negative experiences • In the brain social pain = physical pain • More likely to remember –ve things • 1 x –ve requires 3 x +ves to balance Neurology • Positive experiences * • Encourages attention • Greater enjoyment • Greater learning potential • Towards state is activated by: • perceived equality in status • Feelings of autonomy • perceived fairness • good relationships • Engagement • Interest • Global view • Solution focuses • Creative thinking • No threat • Positive neurotransmitters • Feel good • Self rewarding • Not natural state • Shorter life • Harder to maintain Towards State

12. DiSA’s Contribution to the Knowledge

13. Facilitating the ‘Good Degree Student’ Challenge stereotypical thinking Raise aspirations See students as individual Be an interlocutor Be a good communicator Re-engage the disengaged Foster good relationship with all One small change can make a big difference Open up those who have been closed down Encourage interactive relationship Show that you want to teach