Raising Aspirations and Intellectual Capability

DiSA Briefing Paper 11

Raising Aspirations and Intellectual Capability Dr Gurnam Singh, Coventry University Dr Stephen Cowden, Coventry University

Overview A subjective sense of intellectuality is crucial to the learning process, particularly at HE level where students are expected to perform as independent learners much more than at primary or tertiary stages. The basic premise of this project was that given that evidence exists suggesting a correlation between self-perception of academic ability and attainment, one way of closing the attainment gap is to raise students’ identity as thinkers or intellectually minded and capable people.

The overall aim of this intervention was to improve student attainment levels by raising all students awareness of the importance of developing an academic identity and then to develop this through working at the both the subjective and objective levels. As well as developing a sense of being ‘capable’ of intellectual work, it involves developing and nurturing behaviours and dispositions associated with academic achievement such as reading, intellectual curiosity, engaging in discussion and debate, experiencing and exposing oneself to ‘high culture’ and so on. This idea is inspired by Bourdieu’s concept of ‘cultural capital’, which he has argued is a crucial component of determining educational outcomes (Bourdieu and Passeron, 1990).

Abstract: The intervention was built into a second year module on the BA Social Work course entitled Philosophy and Ethics of Social Work and in essence involved three stages:

Stage 1: Students were given a brief outline of the aims of the project and were then asked to complete an ‘intellectual identity self evaluation tool’ (Singh and Cowden, 2012). This involved respondents being asked to rate their behaviours and abilities out of 100 and this tool was completed by students at the beginning of the module. The tool also enabled respondents to record their subjective thoughts about the exercise. Completed questionnaires were collected for analysis.

Stage 2: This involved students participating in a workshop which exposed them to the ideas and literature on the importance of nurturing an intellectual identity for social workers (Singh and Cowden 2009) as well as highlighting some of the evidence associated with self-identification, ‘stereotype threat’ (Steel, 1997) and academic confidence and academic performance. Subsequent sessions sought to reinforce this message through adopting a method of teaching based on the idea of practical reasoning through engaging in Socratic Dialogue (Pullen-Sansfacon, 2010) which seeks to enable students to engage in critical dialogue and nurture their critical thinking abilities and self confidence. Stage 3: At the end of the module, students were one again asked to complete the, self-evaluation tool, which was again collected for analysis. In this subsequent stage students were also asked to think about how their subjective self-perceptions changed and what they thought this meant for them.

Rationale: All the major studies on the sociology of educational attainment (Bowles and Gintis, 1976; Bourdieu and Passeron, 1990; Bernstein, 1990; Willis, 1977), as well as, the theoretical work of educationalists like Freire (1970) and Rosenthal and Jacobson (1992) have argued that the experience of schooling and university only valorises this experience for students of the most privileged backgrounds - white, male and middle/upper class. Reinforcement takes place through the non-valorisation of their subjective experience as producers of knowledge and exclusion from the mechanisms and levers, which enable people to gain an advantage and develop confidence in enabling access academically. One of the things that can impact a students performance, particularly in the context of ‘race’, gender and class is what Claude Steel termed as ‘stereotype threat’ or ‘the experience of anxiety or concern in a situation where a person has the potential to confirm a negative stereotype about their social group’ (Steel, 1997). This idea has become widely accepted as being an important factor in reducing the performance of individuals who identify with negatively stereotyped groups.

Generation of Evidence: The methodology used was a self evaluation tool containing a mixture of closed and open questions capable of generating both qualitative and quantitative data.

Research findings/ New Evidence: The quantitative data recorded that out of 40 respondents 36 recoded an increase in their self-perception in relation to intellectuality. The degree of increase varies from a few points to over 40 points. Of the 4 that recorded a negative change, these ranged from 10 points to 2 points.

In terms of ethnicity and class breakdown, there was no conclusive data to suggest that changes were significantly more pronounced amongst any specific group. Moreover, given the small sample and uneven distribution of ethnic groups, it would not be safe to draw any conclusions from this cohort. All students reported that completing the self perception tool certainly had a positive impact on their understanding of the importance of developing an intellectual identify. Some of the more pronounced feedback came from ‘non- traditional’ students, as the following examples highlight:

Black African student Pre Questionnaire: It has made me question myself more about my work and quality of work. Post Questionnaire: I have noticed a change in the way I address myself towards problems I may be facing. I now tend to look at both sides before I make a conclusion to any decision I may make.

Black African student Pre Questionnaire: I feel really challenged about the exercise because it only shows me how much I take part in my studies, how I come across as an individual towards my learning and it also challenges me to read more and execute more work. Post Questionnaire: I feel really motivated in my studies and my thirst to question more is heightening each day. I am confident about taking challenges in my work and in helping others.

White British student Pre Questionnaire: I often feel intimidated by peers and staff. I am quite outspoken but suppose I do see myself as ‘less than’ I know I lack confidence but at the same time I definitely feel less intelligent than a lot of my peers and I am slightly self- conscious of my background in comparison to that of my peers. Post Questionnaire: I feel I am growing in confidence as the course progresses and feel more knowledgeable, though still feel self conscious in admitting it! Useful exercise on self reflection – need more confidence!

Outcomes/implications for policy and practice: Based on both qualitative and quantitative data there is a powerful vindication both of the pedagogical approach adopted (Critical pedagogy and Socratic Dialogue) and the self-perception of intellectuality tool. Given the degree of subjectivity in the self- rating exercise, the absolute scores recoded by respondents are less important than the changes for each individual. In this regard, the exercise has demonstrated that, despite the wider cultural and material determining factors, it is possible for educators to alter students’ perceptions of and behavior towards intellectual pursuits.

What the project was unable to determine was if and to what degree changes in self- perception of intellectuality might be transferred into performance. This was due to the low sample and, because of ethical limitations, lack of a comparison/control group.

Further research with a larger sample and control groups would be useful in exploring any correlations between intellectuality, pedagogical strategy and performance. Such research could show if lower performing students are more likely to benefit most from having their intellectual capability, both in terms of self perception and behavior, than high performing students who already possess relatively high levels of self belief in such traits.

References Bernstein, B (1990) Class, codes and control, vol. 4: the structuring of pedagogic discourse. London, Routledge. Bourdieu, P & Passeron, J.C (1990) Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture, London: Sage Bowles, S & Herbert, G (1976) Schooling in Capitalist America: Education Reform and the Contradictions of Economic Life. New York: Basic Books Inc Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum. Singh, G & Cowden, S (2009) The social worker as intellectual. European Journal of Social Work, 12(4) pp.479-493 Singh, G and Cowden, S (2012) Intellectuality self evaluation tool, available at: http://www.academia.edu/2009469/Intellectuality_Self_Evaluation_Tool Pullen-Sansfacon, A (2010) Virtue Ethics for Social Work: A New Pedagogy for Practical Reasoning. Social Work Education, Vol. 29, No. 4, June 2010, pp. 402–415 http://moodle.unitec.ac.nz/pluginfile.php/181569/mod_resource/content/0/Pullen- Sansfacon_2010.pdf Rosenthal, R & Jacobson, L (1992). Pygmalion in the classroom (2nd ed.). New York: Irvington. Steele, C. M (1997) A Threat in the Air: How Stereotypes Shape Intellectual Identity and Performance. American Psychologist, American Psychological Association, Inc. June 1997 Vol. 52, No. 6, 613-629 Willis, p (1977) Learning to Labor: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs