‘I don’t see how that makes me a gori (White girl)’: The multiple and problematic identities of academically successful Pakistani students

Abstract

This paper1reports on research that sought to explore how educational settings influence the educational experiences, identity development and academic attainment of students of Pakistani2heritage, as they progress to higher education (HE). Research has highlighted the continued attainment gap that exists between White and minority ethnic students in Britain (Strand, 2014). Locally, in a West Midlands authority3, public examination and National Curriculum assessment data in 2012, demonstrated, despite improvements, gaps in achievement for Pakistani students, who were identified as a group at risk of underachieving. The study focused on students at a Russell Group4university, as much research showed that very few British Pakistani students managed to gain entry into more prestigious, pre-1992 universities (Bhatti, 2011; Gillborn, 2008). The research took a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of five Pakistani students, through semi-structured interviews. Five superordinate themes were abstracted from interview data and one of these themes, ‘multiple identities’, is presented and discussed here and illuminates the complex and multiple ways in which educational institutions influence the educational experiences of Pakistani students.