Reframing Educational Outcomes: Moving beyond Achievement Gaps

The term "achievement gap" has a negative and racialized history, and using the term reinforces a deficit mindset that is ingrained in U.S. educational systems. In this essay, we review the literature that demonstrates why "achievement gap" reflects deficit thinking. We explain w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:CBE - Life Sciences Education 2022-06, Vol.21 (2), p.es2-es2
Main Authors: Shukla, Sarita Y, Theobald, Elli J, Abraham, Joel K, Price, Rebecca M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achievement
Achievement Gap
Biology
Caring
Cultural Capital
Debt (Financial)
Educational Opportunities
Educational Researchers
Ethics
Humans
Language Usage
Outcomes of Education
Race
Science Education
Stereotypes
Students
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Summary:The term "achievement gap" has a negative and racialized history, and using the term reinforces a deficit mindset that is ingrained in U.S. educational systems. In this essay, we review the literature that demonstrates why "achievement gap" reflects deficit thinking. We explain why biology education researchers should avoid using the phrase and also caution that changing vocabulary alone will not suffice. Instead, we suggest that researchers explicitly apply frameworks that are supportive, name racially systemic inequities and embrace student identity. We review four such frameworks--opportunity gaps, educational debt, community cultural wealth, and ethics of care--and reinterpret salient examples from biology education research as an example of each framework. Although not exhaustive, these descriptions form a starting place for biology education researchers to explicitly name systems-level and asset-based frameworks as they work to end educational inequities.
ISSN:1931-7913
1931-7913
DOI:10.1187/cbe.21-05-0130