Challenges of working in undervalued technical schools: a continuum between discourses of deficit and trust
Challenges of working in undervalued technical schools: a continuum between discourses of deficit and trust
This paper focuses on the perceptions of technical high school tutors in Mexico about students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in the context of global curriculum reforms and institutional hierarchies. Through two novel concepts in education, culture of poverty and cultural deficiency, the paper explores: (a) how structural constraints shape tutors’ perceptions and practices with students, and (b) how tutors’ perceptions contribute to reconceptualise discourses of deficit and the culture of poverty in a more comprehensive way. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine tutors working in Tijuana, Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez, the main themes of analysis are: tutors’ working conditions, their perceptions of and relationships with students, the quality of education on offer, curricular reforms, and behaviour management. Even if systemic factors contribute to tutors’ perceptions of deficit amongst students, we found valuable experiences of empathy, trust, and encouragement amongst tutors that show both their agency and resilience.
Technical education, culture of poverty, deficit discourses, school belonging, school dropout
927-943
Azaola, Marta Cristina
9ac43b18-a969-4877-a1b8-62bb4541da82
11 May 2023
Azaola, Marta Cristina
9ac43b18-a969-4877-a1b8-62bb4541da82
Azaola, Marta Cristina
(2023)
Challenges of working in undervalued technical schools: a continuum between discourses of deficit and trust.
British Journal of Sociology of Education, 44 (5), .
(doi:10.1080/01425692.2023.2203357).
Abstract
This paper focuses on the perceptions of technical high school tutors in Mexico about students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in the context of global curriculum reforms and institutional hierarchies. Through two novel concepts in education, culture of poverty and cultural deficiency, the paper explores: (a) how structural constraints shape tutors’ perceptions and practices with students, and (b) how tutors’ perceptions contribute to reconceptualise discourses of deficit and the culture of poverty in a more comprehensive way. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine tutors working in Tijuana, Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez, the main themes of analysis are: tutors’ working conditions, their perceptions of and relationships with students, the quality of education on offer, curricular reforms, and behaviour management. Even if systemic factors contribute to tutors’ perceptions of deficit amongst students, we found valuable experiences of empathy, trust, and encouragement amongst tutors that show both their agency and resilience.
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Challenges of working in undervalued technical schools A continuum between discourses of deficit and trust
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Accepted/In Press date: 22 March 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 May 2023
Published date: 11 May 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
CONACyT/SEDESOL 2016-1-276380. Many thanks to Dr Gonzalo Saraví for inviting me to work on his project and giving me the freedom to write this paper. I will never forget your kind support.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Keywords:
Technical education, culture of poverty, deficit discourses, school belonging, school dropout
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 477299
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/477299
ISSN: 0142-5692
PURE UUID: c46157da-658b-4669-8aa7-083dd609418e
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Date deposited: 02 Jun 2023 16:38
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:21
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