Abstract
In many regions around the world students with certain immigrant backgrounds underachieve in educational settings. This paper provides a review and meta-analysis on one potential source of the immigrant achievement gap: stereotype threat, a situational predicament that may prevent students to perform up to their full abilities. A meta-analysis of 19 experiments suggests an overall mean effect size of 0.63 (random effects model) in support of stereotype threat theory. The results are complemented by moderator analyses with regard to circulation (published or unpublished research), cultural context (US versus Europe), age of immigrants, type of stereotype threat manipulation, dependent measures, and means for identification of immigrant status; evidence on the role of ethnic identity strength is reviewed. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Highlights
In most nations, students with an immigration background score lower in achievement tests than non-immigrant students, and they leave school earlier (OECD, 2010)
Many immigrant groups have been faced with negative achievement related stereotypes
In the 1750s, for example, Benjamin Franklin was known for his skepticism regarding German immigrants in Pennsylvania, the “swarthy” “Palatine Boors” (Franklin in Labaree, 1959) who at that time were widely perceived to be lazy, illiterate, and reluctant to assimilate (Feer, 1952)
Summary
Students with an immigration background score lower in achievement tests than non-immigrant students, and they leave school earlier (OECD, 2010). This status quo is troublesome as the percentage of children and adolescents with an immigrant background is growing in many countries around the world, and immigration will likely be an even more prevalent phenomenon in the future (OECD, 2013). According to stereotype and social identity threat theory and research, salient negative stereotypes can undermine the performance of negatively stereotyped group members due to an extra pressure not to fail (Steele and Aronson, 1995; Steele et al, 2002; Inzlicht and Schmader, 2012). Same as in Schultz et al (unpublished manuscript), Study 1 Verbal ability items Standard Progressive differences between immigrants and non-immigrants or as Matrices (Raven, 1958)
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