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Classroom Biases Hinder Students' Learning: Sarah D. Sparks

This article discusses how subtle biases and microaggressions in the classroom can negatively impact students' learning and performance, especially for disadvantaged students. It provides examples of students from minority or low-income backgrounds feeling doubted by their teachers due to assumptions about their abilities or backgrounds. Research discussed shows this can trigger "stereotype threat" and lower performance. The article then discusses strategies schools are using to address this issue, such as providing social-emotional supports for students in advanced classes, focusing on building students' sense of belonging, and empowering students to advocate for themselves.

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123 views

Classroom Biases Hinder Students' Learning: Sarah D. Sparks

This article discusses how subtle biases and microaggressions in the classroom can negatively impact students' learning and performance, especially for disadvantaged students. It provides examples of students from minority or low-income backgrounds feeling doubted by their teachers due to assumptions about their abilities or backgrounds. Research discussed shows this can trigger "stereotype threat" and lower performance. The article then discusses strategies schools are using to address this issue, such as providing social-emotional supports for students in advanced classes, focusing on building students' sense of belonging, and empowering students to advocate for themselves.

Uploaded by

api-277057088
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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10/31/2015

Classroom Biases Hinder Students' Learning - Education Week

Published Online: October 27, 2015


Published in Print: October 28, 2015, as Fighting Subtle Bias

ClassroomBiasesHinderStudents'Learning
BySarahD.Sparks

"Areyousureyoubelonghere?"
Thereisperhapsnomorecriticalquestionfora
disadvantagedstudententeringanadvancedclass,
nonemorelikelytorattleinthebackofeventhe
mostgiftedstudent'sbrain.
Andwhencomingfromateacherorstudent,it'salso
justoneexampleofa"microaggression,"anincident
ofeverydaydiscriminationthatstudentsencounter
thatmaycontributetolowerperformanceand
disengagement.Buteducatorsandresearchersare
fightingback,witheffortstobothcurb
microaggressionsandbufferstudentsagainstthem
andhelpthemcope.
Gabrielle"Ellie"Bennettmovedtothemostlywhite
St.LouissuburbofRockwood,Mo.,in2ndgrade,
afterbeinginagiftedprograminBuffalo,N.Y.When
hermother,DebbyBennett,whoiswhite,askedto
enrollherbiracialdaughterinthegiftedprogram,
Ellie'steacherwaffled."SheaskedifIwasingifted
[education]inapredominantlyblackschoolbefore,"
Elliesaid."SheassumedIcouldn'treadandwouldn't
knowthedifferencebetweenatriangleandasquare.
SheassumedIwasn'tuptoherstandard."
Elliepersisted,gettingseparatelytestedtoproveher
IQ,butsaidsheknowsotherbrightstudentswho
disengage."Youdealwiththeseassumptionsand
racismevenwhenyouare7,"shesaid."Ifpeople
alreadyhaveexpectationsofyoufromwhenyouare
alittlekidandkidsareawareofwhatteachers
expectbythetimeyougetthroughallthoseyears
ofschoolwiththoseassumptionspilingup,it'slike,
what'sthepointoftakinganhonorsclass?"
WhileEllie,nowajunioratEurekaHighSchool,takesseveralAdvancedPlacementcourses,she
saidshestill"isalittlejadedwhenitcomestonewteachers.Wheneverthereisasubstitute,
evenifotherkidsaretalking,I'malwaysnottalkinganddoingmyworkbecauseIdon'twant
tofeedintoanymisconceptionsaboutme."

Tracking'Microaggressions'
Classroominteractionsthatteachersintendtobeinclusivecaninsteadmakestudentsfeel
vulnerableiftheyaresingledoutbasedonrace,disability,orincomelevel.
Forexample,ina2010study,GeorgiaSouthernUniversityresearcherMaryAnneMeeks
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/10/28/classroom-biases-hinder-students-learning.html?r=1251679849&tkn=TMWFNxwXAa+7zE+RNwjlQ9LTg

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10/31/2015

Classroom Biases Hinder Students' Learning - Education Week

trackedmicroaggressionsexperiencedby342studentsinalarge,diversehighschool
overfouryears.Studentsreportedtheyhadexperiencedamajorityof21typesof
microaggressionsatleastonceduringtheirhighschoolcareers,suchasteachersassuminga
blackstudentwaspoorwithoutasking,oractingsurprisedorgivingoutsizepraiseforbeing
articulate.
Studentsofcolorwerecalledontospeakonbehalfoftheirraceduringclassdiscussions,while
whitestudentsweretheleastlikelytofillthatrole.HispanicandAsianstudentssaidtheywere
askedtoteachwordsintheir"native"language,eveniftheyspokeonlyEnglish.
Interactionslikethesehavebeenshowninhundredsofstudiestotriggerwhat'sknownas
stereotypethreat,thefearthatone'sactionscouldconfirmanegativestereotypeheldabout
hisorhergroup.Ironically,topperformingstudentscanbeparticularlyvulnerableto
performingworseunderstereotypethreat.

LearningUnderThreat
Undernormal,nonthreateningcircumstances,astudentlearningtosolvealinearequationgets
alittlejoltofdopamine,a"goodfeeling"chemical,whenheorsheanswersaproblem
correctly.Ithelpsthenewmethodstickinthebrain.Learnersgenerally"forget"wronganswers
quickly.
Stereotypethreatcanmakethatsystemmisfire,
studieshavefound.Saythatsamestudentisagirlin
amostlymalecalculusclass,andherteacherseems
surprisedwhensheanswersadifficultquestion
correctly.Thestudentfearsthattheteacherorother
studentsbelievewomenarenotgoodatmath,and
anymistakeshemakeswillconfirmthatstereotype.
Thisfeartakesupmentalenergymakingit
hardertothinkonthespotandemotionallycharges
herreactiontoerrors,makingherrememberthe
wronganswerasstronglyasshewouldtheright
answer,founda2014study.Studentsunder
stereotypethreatcanendupbrooding,notreflecting,
onmistakes.

CompleteSeries:BeyondBias

Thisyearlongserieswillexamineeffortsto
recognizeandovercomediscriminationin
schools.Viewthecompleteseries.

Inaschoolwithacademictracking,takinghonorsclassescancometoseemriskyforlow
incomeandminoritystudents,particularlythosewhoalreadyhavetopgradesinstandard
classes,saidAlyciaSato,acounseloratLagunaCreekHighSchoolinElkGrove,Calif."It'sthe
fearfactor,"Satosaid."TheyarescaredoftheB."
TracyOliverGary,a10yearveteranAdvancedPlacementteacherandcurrentcontentspecialist
intheMontgomeryCounty,Md.,district,saidherapproachtoteachingAPchangedaftera
conversationwithoneBlackHistoryclassaboutwhyAPclassesweredisproportionatelywhite.
"Theybegantotalkabout,'Oh,IwasinanotherAPclassandIdroppedit.Iwastheonlyblack
studentandIfeltdumb,'"OliverGarysaid."ThoseconversationsshockedmeIstartedto
reallythinkabout...theroleoftheclassenvironment,whatdoesitfeelliketoknowyou
belongandarenotisolated?"
Educatorsinthenearly1,700studentLagunaCreekHighfoundtheyneededtoboostsocialand
emotional,notjustacademic,supportsforstudentswhentheschoolchangeditsentry
requirementsforhonorsandInternationalBaccalaureateclassestobringinmorestudentsfrom
minorityandlowincomebackgrounds.Theschoolishighlydiversenearlyhalfofitsstudents
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/10/28/classroom-biases-hinder-students-learning.html?r=1251679849&tkn=TMWFNxwXAa+7zE+RNwjlQ9LTg

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Classroom Biases Hinder Students' Learning - Education Week

arelowincome,andwhite,black,andHispanicstudentseachmakeup22percentto23
percentofthepopulation,withtherestcomposedofAsian,PacificIslander,Filipino,and
multiracialstudents.
"Youcan'tjustruntheseprograms,"saidDougCraig,theprincipal."Theseareteensthey
don'tknowhowtocopewithstressyet.Andkidsfrom[disadvantagedbackgrounds]needtobe
toldoverandoverthattheycandoit."
TheschoolnowprovidesafouryearsupportcourseforstudentsenteringhonorsorIBcourses,
accordingtoSato.Inadditiontoacademicissuesliketimemanagementandcollegeplanning,
studentslearntorecognizesignsofstress,speakoutinclass,andadvocateforthemselveswith
teachers,shesaid.
Theschoolistryingtohelpstudentsseethemselvesassuccessfullearners,astrategythat
studiessuggestcanhelpcounterstereotypethreat,particularlyforlowincomestudents.

FocusonEmpowerment
AtNorthwesternUniversity,firstgenerationcollegestudentsbecamemorelikelytoaskforhelp
andmorecomfortablediscussingacademicchallengeswithaprofessoraftercompletingafive
minutewritingassignmentaboutwhotheywouldbeaftercollegeandhowpeoplewouldthink
ofthem.Bycontrast,studentswhowroteaboutwhotheywereandhowtheywereperceived
beforeattendingcollegebecamemoreanxiousandlesscomfortableaskingaprofessorforhelp.
"Theloweryourincome,themoreanxiousyoufeltevengoingtoaprofessor,"saidVidaManzo,
theleadresearcherandasocialpsychologydoctoralstudentatNorthwesternUniversity,who
discussedthestudyoffirstgenerationstudents."Forlow[socioeconomicstatus]students
thinkingabouttheirfutureidentity,theyperformedbetterandweremoreconfidentinahigh
pressuresocialsituation"afterwritingabouttheirvisionsforthemselves.
Tocountertheeffectsofracialorgendermicroaggressions,schoolscanfocusonbuildingthe
socialsupportforstudentscomingintoanadvancedclass."SinceAfricanAmericansdon'tseea
lotofblackfacesinadvancedclasses,theymayhaveinternalfeelingsofinadequacy,"saidEliza
Brooks,aseniorandoneofthreeblackgirlsworkingtowardthetwoyearIBdiplomaatLaguna
Creek."That'swhyIlovetheBlackStudentUnion,becauseIcanusemypositionasablack
girlinadvancedclassesdominatedbywhiteandAsianstudentsasawaytoempowerother
minoritystudents."
InaseriesofstudiesledbyGregoryWaltonofStanfordUniversity,studentsfromdifferent
stereotypedgroupsblackcollegestudentsandwomeninengineeringclasses,amongothers
wentthrougha"socialbelonging"interventionthatidentifiedcommonfeelingsoffrustration
andisolationamongnewstudents."Theworrythat'peoplelikeme'mightnotbelongina
schoolsettingsensitizesstudents"andleadsthemtointerpretinteractionsthroughthatlens,
Waltonconcluded.Studentswhoparticipatedintheintervention,bycontrast,weremorelikely
to"seeadversityasnormalforallstudentsastheyenteranewschoolandaslesseningwith
time."
Forblackcollegestudents,ahalfhoursocialbelonginginterventioninfreshmanyearwas
associatedwithhalvingthegapinGPAsbetweenblackandwhitestudentsoverthreeyears.An
interventionadaptedforsciencemajorsallbuteliminatedgapsbetweenmen'sandwomen's
GPAsinthemaledominatedengineeringmajor.
AtEurekaHigh,EllieBennetthelpsleadEastSquare,anequityclubthatpartnerswithteachers
toaddressbiasissuesoncampus.
Problemscanbesubtle:Oneteacher,afterhearing

RELATED BLOG

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/10/28/classroom-biases-hinder-students-learning.html?r=1251679849&tkn=TMWFNxwXAa+7zE+RNwjlQ9LTg

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10/31/2015

Classroom Biases Hinder Students' Learning - Education Week

aboutafightatlunch,incorrectlyassumedaloudit
hadbeentriggeredbyagroupofmostlyblack
teenagerswhooftenstoodtogetherinthecafeteria.
"Teachersoftendon'tunderstandthatsayingstuff
likethatisracist,becauseitiscomingfromaplace
ofimplicitbias,"Elliesaid."Teachersoftendon't
knowwhatmicroaggressionsare...andtheydon't
knowthatwhentheyarecommittingthem,theyare
makingproblemsworse."

Visit this blog.

Coverageoftheexperiencesoflowincome,highachievingstudentsissupportedinpartbya
grantfromtheJackKentCookeFoundation,atwww.jkcf.org.EducationWeekretainssole
editorialcontroloverthecontentofthiscoverage.
Vol. 35, Issue 10, Pages 1,1315

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/10/28/classroom-biases-hinder-students-learning.html?r=1251679849&tkn=TMWFNxwXAa+7zE+RNwjlQ9LTg

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