Shining a Light: New Review Identifies Methods Perpetuating Inequality

McGuinness, S., & Wellborn, C. P. (2024). Quantitative research and inequality narratives: A systematic review. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2024.2358848

Introduction

In this review, McGuinness and Wellborn (2024) examine 52 quantitative studies from high-impact journals to understand how methodological, theoretical, and rhetorical decisions contribute to the perpetuation of inequality narratives in education. 

They underscore the persistent use of decontextualized race and ethnicity variables, the dominance of whiteness as a reference category, and the application of “color-evasive” frameworks that fail to address structural racism.

Methods

Authors reviewed studies from 2,442 articles from 2012 to 2022, focusing on how researchers quantified racism, the theoretical and methodological tools used, and the narratives constructed through these choices.

Results

• The majority of studies focused on the achievement gap between white students and students of color, residential segregation, and school discipline policies, but the context provided for race/ethnicity variables varied widely.

 

• Two dominant frameworks emerged that either evidenced limited consideration of race and racism or generated crisis narratives around racial inequality.

 

• Importantly several inequality narratives also emerged, including the “proximity to whiteness” narrative. This emphasizes the need for students of color to be exposed to white peers to achieve equitable outcomes, overlooking structural sources of inequality like resource allocation and systemic racism.

Discussion

Given their findings, authors call for a shift towards more critical and equitable quantitative research practices, including:

• Improved Measurement: Incorporating socio-historical context and structural variables into quantitative analyses to better capture the complexities of racial inequity.
• Critical Frameworks: Utilizing theoretical frameworks that explicitly address race and racism, such as intersectionality and racial formation theory.
• Narrative Shift: Moving away from damage and crisis narratives towards desire-based narratives that center the assets and voices of marginalized communities.

The authors argue the importance of these shifts, stating, “the stories crafted in education policy research matter because they either reinforce or disrupt the hegemonic imaginative universe in which Whiteness is centered as desirable and Blackness is positioned as inferior. This systematic review of high-impact quantitative education policy literature finds that key methodological choices can either reify or counter this collective imagination.” 

Implications for Mentors

Mentors would benefit from training that discusses the broader socio-historical and structural factors influencing mentees’ educational experiences.

Mentors and Mentoring programs should consider emphasizing the strengths and potential of mentees, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, rather than focusing solely on deficits or challenges.

Mentors, mentees, and mentoring programs should engage in continuous reflection, working to challenge personal biases and assumptions that may perpetuate inequality narratives.

Read full article here