Skip to main content

Search from vocabulary

Content language

Concept information

Preferred term

attitude/achievement paradox  

Definition

  • One of the more puzzling patterns in the sociology of education is the combination of blacks' generally pro-school attitudes, yet poor school performance—what Mickelson called the “attitude/achievement paradox.” This puzzle was evident as far back as the 1966 Coleman Report, where the authors concluded that blacks “give a picture of students who report high interest in academic achievement, but whose reported interest is not translated through effective action into achievement.” More modern scholars, such as George Farkas et al., have noted the paradox in contemporary data. Explanations for the paradox can be roughly divided into two camps. [Source: Sociology of Education: An A-to-Z Guide; Attitude/Achievement Paradox]

Belongs to group

URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/attitude_achievement_paradox

Download this concept: