Models Explaining Socioeconomic Advantage in Education - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal Student’s name Institution Conceptualization Socioeconomic advantage refers to the instance of learners having better social and economic conditions relative to others. Socioeconomic advantage as a factor that influences learner achievement is a concept which has been controversial. It has been asserted that socioeconomics play an important role in determining achievement since the advantaged classes offer greater incentives to learners towards achievement as opposed to the socioeconomically disadvantaged learners. This research will seek to analyze the correlation between socioeconomic advantage and academic achievement through an analysis of various aspects such as neighbourhood effects, parental involvement in learner education, access to resources, and school attendance. These aspects when they apply either singly or in together offer different outcomes for academic achievement since they affect education in fundamentally different ways. The research will make use of case study methodology particularly employing an ethnographic study in data collection and analysis. Given the large amount of literature on the subject the case study will collect a lot of information which will be consolidated in providing a strong case for analysis. Literature Review Socioeconomic advantage is a subject which has been studied by variety of scholars. Since the 60s there has been a lot of interest in studying the correlation between socioeconomic advantage and academic achievement. Ready (2010, p.272) in an analysis of the correlation between child cognitive capcity and social class assert that there is a correlation between socioeconomic advantage and academic achievement. He suggests that learners coming from socially disadvantaged backgrounds tend to be poor performers relatively to their advantaged counterparts. South and Crowder (2011, p.87-90) in a study of education at elementary and kindergarten levels established that the neighbourhood from which learners are brought up determines their life perspectives and also their objectives in life. Ready analyzed the links between school absences, academic achievement as correlated to academic achievement using a positivist paradigm. It was established that learners from socially disadvantaged homes are exposed to environments which are less rich and as such will tend to have relatively worse academic performances to their peers (Ready 2010, p.272). Greenman et al (2011, p. 1436-37) also established that social aspects such as neighbourhood characteristics were a significant influence on academic achievement. It was found that learners from advantaged neighbourhoods tended to be exposed to a certain lifestyle which promoted hard work and maintenance of a certain class and hence the objectives of such learners are moulded accordingly. Chesters and Watson (2012, p. 201) analyzes the persistence of inequality in the Australian education system. In his study he established that a proportionally higher number of learners attaining higher education were derived from the socioeconomically advantaged communities and groups. Devine (2004, p.3-7) offers an interesting argument in asserting that neighbourhood and social characteristics are related to the economic and social conditions of a learner. Quoting Grusky and Weeden (2006) she emphasises that the micro processes through which inequalities are transmitted through generations are not only confined to the world of work and employment but also the home. Learners who come from the higher classes that are economically well off will tend to perform better since parents will tend to discuss their jobs at the dinner table and during general family times. This serves to encourage learners to develop a taste for such careers or lifestyle which makes them work hard to attain good grades in order to maintain the status. Using the relative risk aversion theory (Chesters and Watson 2012, p. 201) posited that persons from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds tend to be more concerned with avoidance of downward mobility as opposed to upward mobility. Learners from the less affluent backgrounds have lesser objectives since they are set on ensuring they are better than their parents who are lower on the scale as compared to their counterparts. Crowder and South (2011) also analyzed the effects of neighbourhood on high school, graduation. The epidemic/contagion model of socioeconomic advantage or disadvantage; they assert that the influence of non parental adults is important in the determination of academic achievement. Peers and other collective socialization models play a significant role in pointing out what is desirable in any given society. Non parental adults with whom the learner is in constant interaction with determine the academic achievements since such persons will impart their values upon the leaner. Learners living in criminal neighbourhoods in which most of their friends do not have higher education will tend to achieve less academically due to having a low sense of the value of academic achievement Crane 1991 in (Crowder and South 2011, p.90). Using the Temporal paradigm Leigh and Ryan (2006) asserted that while teachers aptitudes have been falling all over Australia they are even lower in the socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Crowder & South, (2011, p.90) established that poor neighbourhoods which are surrounded by relatively affluent neighbourhoods will be subjected to the constant siphoning of resources which will make them even more disadvantaged over the long run. Leigh and Ryan (2006) assert that teachers will always seek to attain better salaries and resources and will as such always opt for the schools in the socioeconomically advantaged districts where their practice is easier. Kirby and Dipaola (2011, p. 543) asserted that success is derived from a combination of three aspects; optimism, desire and talent. In an analysis of the correlation between student achievement and academic optimism and community engagement it must be acknowledged that academic achievement is a factor of many aspects not completely unrelated to socioeconomic advantage. Patterson 2005 in (Kirby and DiPaola 2011, p. 543) asserted that optimism takes into account the affective, cognitive and behavioural aspects of learner education. Similar to Leigh and Ryan (2006) Selignan (2006) also asserted that collective efficacy, trust in parents and academic press are the three most important aspects underlying academic optimism. As such instances of socioeconomic disadvantage are likely to result in lesser collective efficacy, lesser trust in student’s cognitive ability and cooperation from parents which results in lower learner and teacher optimism relative to socioeconomically advantaged communities. Communities which are socioeconomically disadvantaged will tend to have less unity and collectivism of purpose. Lack of proper community engagement in such communities tends to affect the academic performance of socioeconomically disadvantaged learners since their communities including the parents are less involved in their education (Chesters and Watson 2012, p. 201). Learners from communities of low economic and social status will also have lesser optimism in their cognitive capacities due to the effects of their society as set out in the contagion model. Models Explaining Socioeconomic Advantage in Education The epidemic/contagion model is one of the models that may be used in explaining socioeconomic advantage effects on academic achievement. The model asserts that learners who grow up in a poor neighbourhood have lesser academic achievement since their peers and friends value education relatively less than those from the affluent neighbourhoods (Crowder & South, 2011, p. 87). These friends and peers pass on their values and attitudes regarding education to the learners with whom they are in constant interaction resulting in poor academic achievement. The institutional model suggests that the behaviours and attitudes of the adults in the local in which the institution is situated have a significant effect on educational outcomes. The model posits that children in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods will perform relatively worse than their counterparts due to the instance of lesser resources to meet leaner needs, parents are lesser involved in learner education, teachers are lesser motivated and trained due to siphoning from the affluent neighbourhoods, and lastly low collective school attachment and educational expectations (Crowder & South, 2011, p. 87). The contagion and institutional models also explain the influence of socioeconomic advantage through the temporal and spatial perspectives. The temporal perspective asserts that the learner who lives in a certain neighbourhood will tend to be influenced by the persons with whom they are most in contact with. For instance interaction with high achieving neighbours will make the learners better motivated to attain educational objectives. The temporal dimension makes an analysis of the socioeconomic advantage at given points in time. The longer a learner is exposed to a given neighbourhood the more they have the neighbourhood’s culture of achievement ingrained in them (Crowder & South, 2011, p. 87). Institutions can also be analyzed from a point in time for instance at what time the neighbourhood became socioeconomically disadvantaged and how this was reflected in the academic achievement as a result of contagion due to the neighbourhood becoming poor. Ethical Considerations This being a social research case study employing an ethnographic framework, ethical concerns are an inherent part of the process and hence have to be taken into account. Aspects of research ethics to be taken into account will include scientific misconduct and participant issues. The research will take into account research fraud and plagiarism by ensuring that all work from the study that is attained from other sources and studies is properly cited (Neuman, 2006, p.19-20). The research study will also ensure that all data is collected from the participants and that no data is included in the study without checking for veracity. It will be important to maintain a respectful power relationship with the participants in order to ensure no intimidation in order to enhance the reliability of the study. Given that this is an ethnographic research involving human participants aspects of ethics with regard to the participants in the case study will be of utmost importance. Psychological abuse, stress, and loss of self esteem are likely issues since this involves people and academic achievement which may bring up stress esteem and psychological issues. Informed and voluntary consent is an ethical issue to be taken into consideration due to the above mentioned issues which may negatively impact the participants and may even result in legal implications for the researcher if there is any deception (Neuman, 2006, p. 137). Taken into account will be the children who lack the capacity for voluntary and informed consent. Consent will thus be attained from persons in authority such as parents and teachers prior to the study. The research study will also ensure the privacy anonymity and confidentiality of all the participants is respected. All information that is obtained from teachers, students and other participants will not be divulged unless specific permission is attained from the participant (Neuman, 2006, p. 137-140). Strategy for the Research This study will be undertaken from an ethnographic perspective using qualitative methods in trying to establish a correlation between socioeconomic advantage and academic achievement. The research will necessarily have to adopt a positivist paradigm since the subject of study will require study of a large number of learners spread out over a large district (Basit, 2010, p. 14-16). The research will also necessitate the use of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The research will establish a hypothesis regarding the correlation of socioeconomic advantage and academic achievement and seek to analyze the data collected through surveys and questionnaires. The research will also make use of the qualitative methodology since the research will get valuable insights on the opinions and perspectives of learners in different neighbourhoods. Using the mixed methods framework will thus enable the research to not only establish statistical reliability but also get valuable insights on the social aspects of the hypothesis being studied. The effects of aspects of academic achievement such as optimism, and attitudes which are to be studied cannot be quantified and hence ethnographic research will be the most appropriate method to describe the correlation particularly in qualitative research (Walter, 2010). Methodology The qualitative research will consist of two aspects of data collection; in-depth open ended interviews and written documents. Interviews will be conducted by the researcher and will involve learners, teachers and parents. They will be important in getting the perspectives and opinions of the three groups of people which will offer better perspectives on the instance of socioeconomic advantage (Babbie, 2010). Observation will be used in comparing and contrasting the behaviour of learners in the socioeconomically advantaged neighbourhoods and those from the affluent neighbourhoods. The differences or similarities will serve to either negate or confirm the hypothesis. These observations will be aimed at offering detailed descriptions of the learner’s activities in measuring aspects such as attitudes or transmission of values in neighbourhoods. The research will also make use of document analysis which in the main will be an analysis of past research studies and statistics of academic achievement between neighbourhoods with different socioeconomic advantage. Such documentation will be useful in the establishment of patterns, veracity, validity and reliability of data collected (Neuman, 2006). Observation will be employed in both the qualitative and quantitative research in this study. It will be used in qualitative research in seeking to offer a detailed perspective of behaviours and contexts in the different neighbourhoods under study. It will also be used in quantitative researching in seeking to determine the instance of the recurrence of poor academic achievement in low socioeconomic neighbourhoods. Observations will generally be of the setting in which the learners live, their social interactions, non verbal and verbal communication between peers and friends of the learner and also interaction with adults and how these result in certain academic behaviour and ultimately academic achievement. The researcher will take notes about aspects of interaction and how these portray attitudes between and among social groups observed. The research will make use of interviews in finding the perspectives of the parents and teachers involved in the case. Given the large number of participants in the study, there will be interviewers engaged for the purpose (Walters, 2010). The interviewers will be educated on how to approach and conduct interviews since poor approach may result in potential participants rejecting the interviewer’s advances. The interview questionnaires will be structured in a manner that is open ended in order to allow for greater leeway for the respondent and also allow the interviewer to come up with follow up questions. The data collection for the interview will be done through tape recording if the respondent consents to the method. In the instance of the interviewer not giving consent the interviewer will write notes immediately after the interview in order to fully capture emotions and perspectives more accurately (Mason, 2002). The document analysis will include a range of materials from government reports on academic achievement in socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds to previous studies on the subject. Theoretical models will also come into consideration in trying to find explanation for emerging patterns in statistical analysis. Theoretical perspectives such as the institutional and epidemic/contagion model will be analyzed and variations on theory reflected upon and explained. They will then be applied to the current case study in order to find similarities or differences between the literature and the current study (Basit, 2010). Documents that will also be important in this research will include government policy statements among other documents such as government curriculum and how they relate to objectives of socioeconomic disadvantage. Data Analysis The data from the different sources will be organized since different sources offer different perspectives and hence deserve particular consideration. As such the research strategy used in the data collection will be a fundamental part of the classification of the data. The interview data will be classified according to the individual respondents or group of respondents such as learners, parents or teachers. Similarities and differences in settings, attitudes, opinions and values will also be taken into consideration in organizing the data collected (Basit, 2010). The data will then be described according to aspects of setting such as physical and temporal impacts of neighbourhood on academic achievement. The data will then be interpreted through explanation of findings and answering of why questions which will include deviations from expected findings and also the explanation of emerging patterns. Internal validity will be analyzed and established through triangulation. As such it will be important that the data attained from the research study is verified through achievement of agreement with other sources (Walter, 2010). Data analysis will also be accomplished through statistical analysis methods such as regression analysis in testing the validity of answers from the questionnaires and the interviews. References Babbie, E. (2010) The Practice of Social Research 11th ed, Belmont: Wadsworth. Basit, T.N. 2010, Conducting Research in Educational Contexts London: Continuum. Chesters, J, & Watson, L, 2012, Understanding the persistence of inequality in higher education: Evidence from Australia, Journal of Education Policy, DOI: 10.1080/02680939.2012.694481. Crowder, K, and South, S.J, 2011, Spatial and temporal dimensions of neighbourhood effects on high school graduation, Social Science Research 40:87-106. De Vaus, D. (2002) Surveys in Social Research. 5th ed. Crow’s Nest: Allen and Unwin. Devine, F. 2008, `Class Reproduction and Social Networks in the USA’ in L. Weis (ed.) The Way Class Works, London: Routledge Greenman, E. Bodovski, K., & Reed, K. 2011, Neighborhood characteristics, parental practices and children’s math achievement in elementary school, Social Science Research 40 (2011) 1434-1444. Kirby, M.M. and DiPaola, M.F. 2011, Academic optimism and community engagement in urban schools, Journal of Educational Administration 49(5): 542-562. Leigh, A. and Ryan. C. 2006, How and why has teacher quality changed in Australia? CEPR Discussion Paper No. 534. September: ANU. Mason, J. (2002). Qualitative Researching. 2nd ed. London: Sage. Neuman, W.L. (2006) Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches 6th ed Boston: Pearson Education. Ready, D.D, 2010, Socio-economic disadvantage, school attendance, and early cognitive development: The differential effects of school exposure, Sociology of Education 83(4): 271-284. Walter, M. (Ed.) 2010, Social Research Methods 2nd ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Read More