Dealing with Bias in the Classroom

Contributed By: Lacie Newton

This week’s meeting was on the broad topic of classroom bias. Bias is defined as a preference for and/or prejudice against an idea, individual, or group of people compared to another. Biases can come in many forms; however, the most relevant biases present in the classroom include race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. We specifically highlighted unconscious bias, which is a form of bias that we are often unaware of and usually constructed by society’s views on a particular idea or group of people.

            Unconscious bias affects the classroom environment by influencing our teaching strategies and potentially negatively affecting students. A few ways that unconscious bias influences our teaching strategies include the expectations communicated to the students, phrasing on assignments, grading, social networks, and overall classroom climate. For example, a teacher conveying lower expectations for certain students will likely give less feedback and attention, which will discourage the student from putting in the effort needed for doing well in the class. Also, preferential treatment for certain students by providing connections for them in academic networks can put equally-deserving students at a disadvantage.

So, how can we limit our biases in the classroom? First, we need to be aware of our biases and recognize how our biases have affected our teaching strategies. Then, we can correct these to the best of our ability and create a safe classroom environment. A few approaches to creating a safe classroom involve having an explicit grading rubric and/or blind grading process, making clear in the syllabus that each student will treat their peers equally and with respect (i.e. Principles of Community), having students of different backgrounds interact with each other in a positive setting, and evaluating students individually rather than categorizing them. Overall, having awareness of our biases will greatly increase our ability to create an inclusive and productive classroom.