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White British boys from the poorest backgrounds are the worst-performing students in English schools. There is a rich vein of sociological research which describes how these students perceive academic education as incompatible with notions of ‘working-class’ identity and masculinity; however, there is little research on how to counter these attitudes. 

One approach is to use university students as role models to inspire young people to invest in their schooling. However, despite the extensive use of so-called ‘student ambassadors’, there is limited evidence on their efficacy. 

This presentation provides an overview of a project designed to examine the effect of exposure to role models who embody academic post-school pathways (university students) and those who embody more vocational options (apprentices) on attitudes to education for white British boys from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Specifically, a randomised controlled trial was used to test the impact of exposing pupils to role models via light-touch video interventions. The results suggest a positive effect of exposure to academic role models but no effect of exposure to vocational role models. The results are discussed in light of accompanying qualitative research.  

Links

• Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities
• Department of Learning and Leadership

Image: Taylor Wilcox via Unsplash