The attitude–achievement paradox in Belgium

Abstract

In Belgium, students of Turkish and North African descent express optimistic attitudes toward education. However, these attitudes conflict with their achievement results, as many underachieve compared to their peers of Belgian descent. Mickelson’s work discusses this attitude–achievement paradox in the United States. In the current study, we use Mickelson’s framework to investigate the attitude–achievement paradox in Belgium. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, we find that students of Turkish, North African and Belgian descent believe in the importance of education to get ahead in society, holding optimistic abstract attitudes. Students of Turkish and North African descent hold more optimistic attitudes than students of Belgian descent. However, these abstract attitudes toward education do not translate into ethnic minority students’ concrete attitudes toward education, which depend mainly on the socioeconomic background of the student. Students with a low socioeconomic background are much more pessimistic than students with a high socioeconomic background. Concrete attitudes influence the achievement of students of Belgian descent; this is not the case for students of Turkish and North African descent. Qualitative research shows that to understand the interpretation of concrete school attitudes and its relationship with achievement results, we need to consider students’ definitions of success, frames of reference and perceived constraints and opportunities.

First-Generation College Students’ Motives to Start University Education: An Investment in Self- Development, One’s Economic Prospects or to Become a Role Model?

“…Our findings strongly suggest that in order to capture social inequality in higher education, the explanatory power of the FGCS term is limited when researchers do not account for the heterogeneity within this population. The finding that students with a migration background are more inclined to opt for more economically rewarding fields of study may be linked with findings among students with a migration background in compulsory education, indicating that many of these students are primarily engaged to achieve in education to counteract prevailing negative stereotypes about their particular immigrant group (D’hondt et al, 2016). As explained earlier, it is well known that most ethnic minority students believe in the instrumental value of education to achieve success in society.…”

“…As explained earlier, it is well known that most ethnic minority students believe in the instrumental value of education to achieve success in society. At the same time, however, research also indicates that the actual definitions of success in education among minority students are reflected by the expectation of racism and ethnic discrimination in school, in the labour market or throughout daily lives (D’hondt et al, 2016; Van Praag et al, 2015). As explained earlier, calculations based on Belgian social security data show that graduates of the more economically rewarding fields of study have more job security and higher wages.…”

The mediating and moderating role of neighbourhoods and regions on second‐generation immigrant youths' school‐to‐work transitions in the Netherlands

“…Drawing on the specific situation of young adults from non-Western immigrant descent (see Table 1), we find they have higher chances of experiencing unemployment compared with natives. However, as suggested in the literature on the immigrants' aspiration (attitude)achievement paradox ' (D'hondt, Van Praag, Van Houtte, & Stevens, 2016;Salikutluk, 2016), they also have higher chances of participating in further training or HE or training. This finding is in line with our third hypothesis.…”

“…Although immigrants face lower employment chances, they express high(er) educational or occupational goals or aspirations. This is referred to as the immigrants' aspiration (attitude)-achievement paradox' and is observed particularly among non-Western minorities (D'hondt, Van Praag, Van Houtte, & Stevens, 2016;Salikutluk, 2016). This paradox is based on the theoretical argument that immigrants are strongly motivated to become successful in the host country because they represent a positive selection of their home country's population (Kao & Tienda, 2005).…”

“…This impression of anticipated labour market disadvantages could even be reinforced by a greater likelihood of interacting with other immigrants in the neighbourhood with similar experiences. Third, second-generation immigrant youths could just as well be more motivated and therefore more likely to obtain further training or HE, as stated in the literature(D'hondt et al, 2016;Salikutluk, 2016). If so, a high share of immigrants in the neighbourhood could reinforce not only the anticipation of poor labour market prospects but also high aspirations.…”