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Journal Analysis of Inequity in Education
Shirley A. Holman
School of Education, Liberty University
Author Note
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Email:
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Inequity in Education
Inequity in education is a prevalent issue that has plagued the American education system
since its conception. It is indicative of the socioeconomic inequity that exists amongst the races
within this country. Research has been conducted concerning this issue with the hope that it can
be remedied. This paper will compare three scholarly articles relating to (in)equity in education
with the goal of furthering the discussion. It will also discuss the perspective, validity, and
significance of the findings in the articles. This paper will also explore (in)equity from a biblical
perspective to give insight as to how Christians should approach (in)equity in education.
Summary
Dr. D. B. Martin researches inequity in math education for African Americans (A.A.). He
published some of his findings in the article Equity, inclusion, and antiblackness in mathematics
education. The article was cited by 146 with 3915 views. He discusses how mathematic
education in this country is biased and designed to maintain racial hierarchies despite the reforms
that have been implemented (Martin, 2019). References are made to his previous works as well
as the work of others to substantiate his claims. Strong terminology is used to stress the effects
that inequity in mathematic education has on A. A.
Dr. M. Destin worked with other scholars to research the effects that students’ mindsets
on their socioeconomic status and possible impact on disparities in academic achievement in the
U.S. They published their findings in an article titled Do Student Mindsets Differ by
Socioeconomic Status and Explain the Disparities in Academic Achievement in the United
States. The article has been referenced by 127 other works. They used a qualitative method to
gather data about the mind set of more than 16,000 students from 40 schools in the country. They
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referred to the works of other scholars in the field to substantiate their findings. They found that
there was a connection between mindset and academic achievement regardless of socioeconomic
backgrounds (Destin et al., 2019).
Lastly, Exploring Student Achievement Gaps in School Districts Across the United States
by Hung et al., explored the factors that impact the achievement gap between White and A. A.
students in the U.S. It argues that the achievement gap is really an opportunity gap due to
structural inequalities (Hung et al., 2019). They used a mixed method approach in which they
conducted literary research and analyzed standardized test scores for five academic years across
six grade levels. Their article was cited by 159 works and substantiated their claims by referring
to the works of other scholars in the field.
Significance
All three articles are significant to understanding the inequity in American education.
Martin’s presents mathematic education as a sociocultural construct in which student
achievement is related to how they think and act which derives from their culture (Guillemette,
2021). Destin’s article coincides with Martin’s pushing that education is a sociocultural
construct. How students view their ability to achieve academically is impacted by their culture
within the American education culture. None of the authors deny that opportunities exist for
minorities, specifically A.A. However, access to the opportunities which yield success are
restricted (Collins, Joseph, & Ford, 2020) by ever changing standards, instructional methods and
reforms that do not rectify the problem (Martin, 2019). The restriction of access to these
opportunities maintains socioeconomic hierarchy that exists within this country.
Discussion
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When studying the cause of inequity and its role in urban education it would be prudent
to explore it from a sociocultural perspective. We have discovered an increasing number of
theoretical perspectives that suggest socioeconomic status, such as parental education and a
family’s financial resources, will influence academic achievement in part through psychological
mechanism (Destin et. al., 2019). Destin et. al. submits that minor studies show significant
effects psychological contributors on academic outcomes making it more important to
understand how greater psychological factors may be impacted by socioeconomic environments
(Destin et. al., 2019). Further study into how the American educational culture interacts with the
cultures that have the highest rates of low academic achievement and what should be done to
completely dismantle the systematic educational design that limits groups of people should be
done.
Biblical Worldview
The Bible is clear on its views concerning equality. Galatians 3:28 establishes that in
Christ we are all one (King James Version, 1957/2011, Galatians 3:28). In Luke 3:11 John the
Baptist teaches “…He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath
meat, let him do likewise.” (King James Version, 1957/2011, Luke 3:11). The idea of some
having and others not having is not God’s will for his people. This can be seen in creation when
he carefully provided all that man would need to survive and live a prosperous life (King James
Version, 1957/2011, Genesis 1). In Acts 4:32-35 the people were unified through the Holy Spirit
and shared with each other according to each one’s need (King James Version, 1957/2011, Acts
4:32-35). Sharing according to each one’s needs goes beyond equality to equity. Having what is
needed to be successful is based on individual need. When addressing inequity in education
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which is a tremendous concern in urban education, attention must be given to meeting the
educational needs of individuals to ensure their success.
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References
Collins, K.H., Joseph, N.M. & Ford, D.Y. (2020). Missing in action gifted black girls in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics. Gifted Child Today, 43(1), 55-63.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1076217519880593
Destin, M. et al. (2019). Do student mindsets differ by socioeconomic status and explain
disparities in academic achievement in the United States, AERA open, 5(3), 1-12.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2332858419857706
Guillemette, D. (2022). The theory of objectification: a Vygotskian perspective of knowing and
becoming in mathematics teaching and learning, Research in Mathematics Education.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14794802.2022.2126384
Hung, M. et al. (2019). Exploring student achievement gaps in school districts across the United
States, Education and Urban Society, 52(2), 175-193.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124519833442
King James Version, (1957/2011).
Martin, D.B. (2019). Equity, inclusion, and antiblackness in mathematics education, Race
Ethnicity and Education, 22(4), 459-478.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1592833
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