ABSTRACT

This paper critically analyzes gap discourses in student learning, starting from the achievement gap, education debt, and opportunity gaps, applying the lens of coloniality, racial-capitalism, and modernity (CRCM). Gap discourses are the prevalent rationale behind educational policies and school reforms globally. Specifically in the United States, achievement gap discourses contribute substantially to the educational framework that minoritized students (students of color) are inherently – intellectually and academically – behind White students. This paper will show the pervasive power of achievement gap discourses and their influence on school policy, practices, and norms. Additionally, we highlight how some of the most formidable achievement gap critiques fail to grasp the power of gap discourses. In some cases, these critiques end up reifying White supremacy ideologies. We propose a decoloniality framework or a layered and multi-disciplinary response to help re-think the entire gap discourses informed by White supremacy.

摘要

本文从成就差距、教育债务和机会差距出发，运用殖民性、种族资本主义和现代性（CRCM）的视角，批判性地分析了学生学习中的差距话语。差距话语是全球教育政策和学校改革背后的普遍理由。特别是在美国，成就差距话语对教育框架做出了重大贡献，即少数族裔学生（有色人种学生）在智力和学术上本质上落后于白人学生。本文将展示成就差距话语的普遍力量及其对学校政策、实践和规范的影响。此外，我们还强调了一些最令人畏惧的成就差距批评如何未能抓住差距话语的力量。在某些情况下，这些批评最终具体化了白人至上意识形态。我们提出一个非殖民性框架或分层和多学科的应对措施，以帮助重新思考白人至上主义所影响的整个差距话语。