Page 49 - EdViewptsSpring2020

role in explaining the differences in sors to complete anonymous surveys
expectations. assessing the types of bias they Although biases are to
Stanford University professor Jennifer perceived in their classroom, their re- some extent a product
Eberhardt (2019) asserts that bias sponses to the bias, and the perceived of the mental process
affects us all and has little connec- success of their responses. The
tion with bigotry. She also expands results showed that 38% of the profes- of categorization, the
the causes of implicit bias to include sors surveyed perceived an incident brain is malleable and
neuroscience as well as societal of bias in the classroom in previous negative associations
disparities. Eberhardt describes the last year, and that they perceived overt
mental process of categorization, i.e., (i.e., explicit) and subtle (i.e., implicit) can be gradually
grouping like things together, as a bias with similar frequency. The pro- reversed.
mental model we all use to organize fessors believed their responses to
the barrage of stimuli that constantly bias were successful on average, but Staats (2009) and her colleagues
bombards us (p. 26). Eberhardt and a many could not assess success. Bias, argue that educators’ implicit biases
team of Stanford University neurosci- in all its forms, still exists in college can be combatted with some simple
entists recruited dozens of white and classrooms, and more discussion and strategies. First, teachers may assume
black volunteers and exposed them to research about its management is that certain students know how to
functional magnetic resonance imag- necessary (Boysen & Vogel, 2009). seek help when they struggle to learn.
ing (fMRI) scans. After being shown Unfortunately, implicit bias can ex- On the contrary, students at higher risk
a series of faces of black and white tend beyond the classroom, following tend to seek help less frequently than
strangers, the volunteers’ neural activ- students for the rest of their lives. In their higher achieving peers. Second,
ity corresponded with the same-race a 2012 study, researchers found that teachers should refrain from associ-
advantage in the facial recognition pro- pediatricians demonstrated bias in ating certain levels of achievement
cess. In other words, white volunteers their treatment of four identical cases with certain backgrounds or social
had more brain activity when they of common pediatric conditions (Sabin groups. This includes combatting the
were asked to distinguish white faces. & Greenwald, 2012). Using data col- belief that students from a certain
The decreased neural activity in the lected from an online survey (n=86), background will be satisfied with a
brains of white volunteers who were the association between unconscious lower performance level. Third, teach-
shown a series of black faces demon- bias and patients’ race was statistically ers should also expect students with
strated the mental process of catego- significant. The results showed that accents to be good writers, avoiding
rization, meaning the brain had to pay as the pediatricians’ self-reported bias the tendency to equate the ability to
less attention as if it was exposed in favor of white families increased, pronounce English with limited English
to the same stimulus. While placing they were more likely to prescribe proficiency. Fourth, students should
plants, animals, food, and everything pain medication for white families as not be treated differently because of
else into categories helps humans rely opposed to black families. This form of their identity group, not be expected
on patterns that seem predictable, implicit bias has lifelong implications to have expert knowledge based on
applying this mental process to other for health care for black youth and membership in the group, nor presume
humans may be detrimental. When we pain management in particular. certain classroom participation styles
classify people into social groups, our Kirwan (2019) identifies a few key based on that identity. Last, educators
beliefs about these groups become characteristics of implicit bias. Implicit should not correlate physical disabili-
“stereotypes” and the attitudes we de- bias tends to be pervasive; everyone ties with intellectual disabilities.
velop about them become “prejudice” has them, including those who have
(p. 31). committed to a code of impartiality, Educators need to be committed to
The Kirwan Institute (2019) of Ohio such as law enforcement officers and creating an equitable and inclusive
society where opportunity gaps are
State University asserts that “implicit judges. Implicit beliefs we hold do not minimized and ideally erased. As
biases are fascinating because they necessarily align with peoples’ value more evidence of classroom bias
produce behavior that diverges from systems, as they are unconsciously surfaces, principles of equity must
someone’s endorsed principles and espoused. While people generally be implemented to combat the
beliefs (p. 11).” It is this lack of aware- subscribe to biases that favor their detrimental effects of stereotyping.
ness of certain attitudes and practices own social group, it is possible to hold By heightening educators’ and
that surprises educators as they are implicit biases that do not. Finally, leaders’ awareness of the causes
usually unintentional and unperceived. biases are mutable. Although biases of unintentional bias, barriers to
These biases are observed in higher are to some extent a product of the education, health, and social justice
education as well as the K-12 arena mental process of categorization, will begin to crumble.
(Boysen & Vogel, 2009). In an attempt the brain is malleable and negative
to close the gap in research, Boysen associations can be gradually reversed.
and Vogel (2017) asked 333 profes-

Educational Viewpoints -47- Spring 2020