Links Between Disadvantage and Educational Achievement in a Low-income Urban Setting in Bangalore, India

Year 2021, Volume: 8 Issue: 4, 223 - 236, 31.10.2021

Arshia Chatterjee Stephanie Burns

Abstract

This study focused on the experiences that contributed to the academic achievement of students in disadvantaged settings in India. In India, young people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods are at higher risk of underachievement and dropping out of school. However, some of them achieve highly despite their adverse circumstances and experience. Through interviews with 12 high achievers and their school principal, this study explored the perceived factors that contributed to their academic achievement. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, and findings indicate a combination of protective factors at different levels – individual, family, school, and community – that contribute to resilience and achievement. The supportive relationships that these adolescents have at the different levels contribute to their achievement directly and indirectly. The findings are discussed in relation to theory with future considerations for Indian-centred research that can inform interventions in disadvantaged and low-income urban communities.

Keywords

Disadvantage, academic achievement, adverse childhood experiences, resilience, Disadvantage, academic achievement, adverse childhood experiences, resilience

References

• Amato, P. (1988). Family processes and the competence of adolescents and primary school children. Journal Of Youth And Adolescence, 18(1), 39-53. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02139245
• Annual Status of Education Report (ASER). (2016). Annual status of education report. Delhi: ASER Centre. http://www.asercentre.org//p/289.html
• Batley, R., & Rose, P. (2010). Collaboration in delivering education: Relations between governments and NGOs in South Asia. Development in Practice, 20(4/5), 579-585. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614521003763137
• Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2007). The bioecological model of human development. In W. Damon, R. M. Lerner, & N. Eisenberg (Eds.) Handbook of child psychology (pp. 793–828). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470147658.chpsy0114
• Browning, C., & Burrington, L. (2006). Racial differences in sexual and fertility attitudes in an urban setting. Journal Of Marriage And Family, 68(1), 236-251. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2006.00244.x
• Burdick-Will, J. (2016). Neighbourhood violent crime and academic growth in Chicago: lasting effects of early exposure. Social Forces, 95(1), 133-158. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sow041
• Campbell, S., Shaw, D., & Gilliom, M. (2000). Early externalizing behavior problems: toddlers and preschoolers at risk for later maladjustment. Development And Psychopathology, 12(3), 467-488. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579400003114
• Cavazos, J., Johnson, M., Fielding, C., Cavazos, A., Castro, V., & Vela, L. (2010). A qualitative study of resilient Latina/o college students. Journal of Latinos And Education, 9(3), 172-188. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431003761166
• Chatterjee, C., Ahmedabad, I., Hanushek, E., & Mahendiran, S. (2020). Can greater access to education be ınequitable? New evidence from ındia’s right to education act. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w27377
• Coburn, J., & Nelson, S. (1989). Teachers do make a difference: What Indian graduates say about their school experience (Report No. RC-017-103). Office of Educational Research and Improvement. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED306071
• Cripps, K., & Zyromski, B. (2009). Adolescents’ psychological well-being and perceived parental ınvolvement: Implications for parental ınvolvement in middle schools. RMLE Online, 33(4), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404476.2009.11462067
• Feinstein, L., & Bynner, J. (2004). The importance of cognitive development in middle childhood for adulthood socioeconomic status, mental health, and problem behavior. Child Development, 75(5), 1329-1339. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00743.x
• Filmer, D., & Pritchett, L. (2001). Estimating wealth effects without expenditure data-or tears: An application to educational enrollments in states of India. Demography, 38(1), 115. https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2001.0003
• Flowers, L., Milner, H., & Moore, J. (2003). Effects of locus control on African American high school seniors' educational aspirations: Implications for preservice and inservice high school teachers and counselors. The High School Journal, 87(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00743.x
• Floyd, C. (1996). Achieving despite the odds: A study of resilience among a group of African American high school seniors. The Journal Of Negro Education, 65(2), 181-189. https://doi.org/10.2307/2967312
• Grant, L. (2009). Children’s role in home-school relationships and the role of digital technologies: A Literature Review (pp. 4-10). National Foundation for Educational Research. https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/FUTL14/FUTL14.pdf
• Garmezy, N. (1991). Resilience and vulnerability to adverse developmental outcomes associated with poverty. American Behavioral Scientist, 34(4), 416–430. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764291034004003
• Geary, P. A. (1988). "Defying theoOdds?": Academic success among at-risk minority teenagers in an urban high school. National Center on Effective Secondary Schools, Madison, WI. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED296055
• Gilman, R., Meyers, J., & Perez, L. (2003). Structured extracurricular activities among adolescents: Findings and implications for school psychologists. Psychology In The Schools, 41(1), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10136
• Hanafin, J., & Lynch, A. (2002). Peripheral voices: Parental ınvolvement, social class, and educational disadvantage. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 23(1), 35–49. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1393096
• Harding, D. (2010). Living the drama: Community, conflict and culture among inner-city boys. University of Chicago Press. DOI:10.7208/chicago/9780226316666.001.0001
• Hicks, A., Handcock, M., Sastry, N., & Pebley, A. (2017). Sequential neighbourhood effects: The effect of long-term exposure to concentrated disadvantage on children’s reading and math test scores. Demography, 55(1), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-017-0636-5
• Hill, N., Castellino, D., Lansford, J., Nowlin, P., Dodge, K., Bates, J., & Pettit, G. (2004). Parent academic involvement as related to school behavior, achievement, and aspirations: Demographic variations across adolescence. Child Development, 75(5), 1491-1509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2004.00753.x
• Jeffrey, A., Auger, R., & Pepperell, J. (2013). “If we're ever in trouble they're always there”. The Elementary School Journal, 114(1), 100-117. https://doi.org/10.1086/671062
• Lagacé‐Séguin, D., & Case, E. (2008). Extracurricular activity and parental involvement predict positive outcomes in elementary school children. Early Child Development And Care, 180(4), 453-462. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430802040948
• Land, A., Mixon, J. R., Butcher, J., & Harris, S. (2014). Stories of six successful African American males high school students: A qualitative study. NASSP Bulletin, 98(2), 142–162. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636514528750
• Leung L. (2015). Validity, reliability, and generalizability in qualitative research. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 4(3), 324–327. https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.161306
• Mahoney, J. L., Cairns, B. D., & Farmer, T. W. (2003). Promoting interpersonal competence and educational success through extracurricular activity participation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 409–418. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.2.409
• Masten, A. S., & Reed, M. J. (2002). Resilience in development. In C.R. Snyder, & S. J. Lopez (Eds.) The Oxford handbook of positive psychology. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195187243.001.0001
• Masten, A. (2013). Global perspectives on resilience in children and youth. Child Development, 85(1), 6-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12205
• McMillan, J., & Reed, D. (1994). At-risk students and resiliency: Factors contributing to academic Success. The Clearing House: A Journal Of Educational Strategies, Issues And Ideas, 67(3), 137-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.1994.9956043
• Novotný, S. (2011). Academic resilience: Academic success as possible compensatory mechanism of experienced adversities and various life disadvantages. The New Educational Review, 23(1), 1732-6729, 91-101.
• O’Connor, E., & McCartney, K. (2007). Examining teacher–child relationships and achievement as part of an ecological model of development. American Educational Research Journal, 44(2), 340-369. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831207302172
• OECD, (2019). Education at a glance 2019: OECD Indicators. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en.
• Patton M. Q. (1999). Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis. Health Services Research, 34(5 Pt 2), 1189–1208. hsresearch00022-0112.pdf (nih.gov)
• Peterson, R., Krivo, L., & Harris, M. (2000). Disadvantage and neighbourhood violent crime: Do local institutions matter?. Journal Of Research In Crime And Delinquency, 37(1), 31-63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427800037001002
• Pianta, R., & Stuhlman, M. (2004). Teacher-child relationships and children's success in the first years of school. School Psychology Review, 33(3), 444-458. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2004.12086261
• Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2012). A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological analysis in qualitative research psychology. Czasopismo Psychologiczne, 18(2), 361-369. doi: 10.14691/CPPJ.20.1.7
• Pluess, M. (2015). Individual differences in environmental sensitivity. Child Development Perspectives, 9(3), 138-143. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12120
• Richards, M., & Wadsworth, M. (2004). Long term effects of early adversity on cognitive function. Archives Of Disease In Childhood, 89(10), 922-927. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/adc.2003.032490
• Sharma, A., & Kiran, R. (2012). Corporate social responsibility initiatives of major companies of India with focus on health, education and environment. African Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 4(3), 95-105. doi: 10.5829/idosi.ajbas.2012.4.3.1593
• Snodgrass, D. M. (1991). The parent connection. Adolescence, 26(101), 83-7. https://search.proquest.com/docview/195933714?accountid=6724
• South, S. J., & Baumer, E. P. (2000). Deciphering community and race effects on adolescent premarital childbearing. Social Forces, 78(4), 1379–1408. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/78.4.1379
• Spera, C. (2005). A Review of the relationship among parenting practices, parenting styles, and adolescent school achievement. Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 125-146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-005-3950-1
• Stewart, E., Stewart, E., & Simons, R. (2007). The effect of neighbourhood context on the college aspirations of African American adolescents. American Educational Research Journal, 44(4), 896-919. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831207308637
• Still, B. (2013). Individual characteristics, protective factors and processes significant in helping low-income African American students achieve academic success and projected upward mobility [unpublished doctoral dissertation]. PCOM Psychology Dissertations. https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/psychology_dissertations/274
• Tilak, J. (2002). Education and poverty. Journal of Human Development, 3(2), 191-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649880220147301
• Tilak, J. (2007). Post-elementary education, poverty and development in India. International Journal Of Educational Development, 27(4), 435-445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2006.09.018
• Tilak, J. (2018). Education poverty in India. In Education and development in India. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0250-3_3
• Ungar, M., & Liebenberg, L. (2011). Assessing resilience across cultures using mixed methods: Construction of the child and youth resilience measure. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 5(2), 126-149. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689811400607
• Werner, E. (2000). Protective factors and individual resilience. In J. Shonkoff & S. Meisels (2nd ed.), Handbook of early childhood ıntervention (pp. 115-130). Cambridge University Press.
• Whitbeck, L., Simons, R., Conger, R., Lorenz, F., Huck, S., & Elder, G. (1991). Family economic hardship, parental support, and adolescent self-esteem. Social Psychology Quarterly, 54(4), 353-363. https://doi.org/10.2307/2786847
• Witherspoon, D., Daniels, L., Mason, A., & Smith, E. (2016). Racial-ethnic identity in context: Examining mediation of neighbourhood factors on children's academic adjustment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 57(1-2), 87-101. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12019
• Wodtke, G., Harding, D., & Elwert, F. (2011). Neighbourhood effects in temporal perspective. American Sociological Review, 76(5), 713-736. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122411420816 6
• Yan, W. (2000). Successful African American students: The role of parental involvement. The Journal of Negro Education, 68(5), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.2307/2668206