Page 48 - EdViewptsSpring2020

Does Implicit Classroom Bias

Really Exist?

By Steven E. Gregor, Ed.D., Director of Secondary Education, Washington

Township Public Schools

Implicit biases are defined respectively. Social scientists believe Nicholas (2015) found that nonblack
by the Kirwan Institute that implicit biases are learned as teachers of black students had sig-
young as age 3 and may be fueled by
nificantly lower expectations than
(2019) as attitudes or stereotypes perpetrated in the media, do black teachers. Black teachers’
stereotypes that “affect or beliefs passed along by parents, expectations for black students were
30 to 40% higher than nonblack teach-
peers, and other community members
our understanding, (Butler, 2019). ers’ expectations. These effects were
actions, and decisions in Teachers’ classroom practices provide even more pronounced for black male
students and their math teachers. The
an unconscious manner” a wealth of information on traditionally study highlighted the role of limited
disadvantaged or marginalized stu-
(para. 1) and are activated uncon- dents. However, little research exists information in perpetuating educa-
sciously and involuntarily. They are not on how teachers form expectations tional attainment gaps. This study
the same as biases that people might and whether they are systematically used a student-fixed effects strategy
try to hide because they are unpopu- biased. In an investigation of whether that elicited expectations data from
lar or politically incorrect. In addition, a student-teacher demographic mis- two teachers per student and suggests
these biases include both favorable match affected high school teachers’ more research is needed to determine
and unfavorable assessments of ad- expectations for students’ educational the impact of a student-teacher racial
vantaged and disadvantaged students, achievement, Gershenon, Holt and match. Clearly, implicit bias plays a

Educational Viewpoints -46- Spring 2020