Students’ Perception of Anti-Academic Norms in Flanders: The Role of Ethnicity, Peer Discrimination and Ethnic Belonging

Anti-academic norms have proven to affect the educational strategies of adolescents. The determinants related to the experience of anti-academic norms and especially its link to ethnic inequality within the educational system have not received sufficient attention in European educational research. Hence, this study examines which students perceive anti-academic norms by investigating the role of students’ ethnic group categorization, their experiences with (non-) ethnic discrimination, and the role of ethnic belonging. A quantitative analysis of 2,728 students from 45 secondary schools in Flanders showed that majority students perceive more anti-academic norms than students who are descendants from labor migrants. Both ethnic and non-ethnically discriminated students experience more anti-academic norms compared to non-discriminated students. Overall, students’ ethnic identity belonging is a promotive factor and thus associated with lower anti-academic norms. Furthermore, the results also indicate that students from both high and low status ability groups (tracks) are more at risk of perceiving anti-academic norms.