{"title":"The influence of ethnicity on assessments and academic progression in a midwifery degree","authors":"Shauna Gnanapragasam","doi":"10.12968/bjom.2024.32.2.58","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Midwifery degrees require students to study for 3 years, during which they are assessed both academically and in practice placements. This study's aim was to explore year-by-year associations between assessment grades and students' ethnicity as they progressed through their degree. Retrospective data collected at a single university in the UK were analysed using descriptive statistics. The cohort and variables were stratified by student ethnicity, year of study and assessment grades given for academic work and placement practice assessments. While Black, Asian and minority ethnic students started with lower practice assessment grades in year 1, this improved such that there was no difference in attainment by year 3. In contrast, university academic grades were consistently lower for Black, Asian and minority ethnic versus White students, and this pattern did not change throughout the degree programme. The likely factor in lower final degree outcomes among Black, Asian and minority ethnic students is not from practice assessments but academic performance. Targeted interventions that recognise different learning styles and educational experiences in the university environment may address and improve this inequality in attainment.","PeriodicalId":52489,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Midwifery","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"British Journal of Midwifery","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2024.32.2.58","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Nursing","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Midwifery degrees require students to study for 3 years, during which they are assessed both academically and in practice placements. This study's aim was to explore year-by-year associations between assessment grades and students' ethnicity as they progressed through their degree. Retrospective data collected at a single university in the UK were analysed using descriptive statistics. The cohort and variables were stratified by student ethnicity, year of study and assessment grades given for academic work and placement practice assessments. While Black, Asian and minority ethnic students started with lower practice assessment grades in year 1, this improved such that there was no difference in attainment by year 3. In contrast, university academic grades were consistently lower for Black, Asian and minority ethnic versus White students, and this pattern did not change throughout the degree programme. The likely factor in lower final degree outcomes among Black, Asian and minority ethnic students is not from practice assessments but academic performance. Targeted interventions that recognise different learning styles and educational experiences in the university environment may address and improve this inequality in attainment.
期刊介绍:
British Journal of Midwifery (BJM) is the leading clinical journal for midwives. Published each month, the journal is written by midwives for midwives and peer reviewed by some of the foremost authorities in the profession. BJM is essential reading for all midwives. It contains the best clinical reviews, original research and evidence-based articles available, and ensures that midwives are kept fully up-to-date with the latest developments taking place in clinical practice. In addition, each issue of the journal contains a symposium on a particular theme, providing more in-depth clinical information.