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Students need to understand that only some have the same financial opportunities as them. Teaching students at the elementary level about poverty will aid in lessening biases they may consider in the future. This article goes over how to recognize implicit bias over poverty in schools and how to address it with students. It also teaches educators what some people may say about students and how to recognize it as implicit bias.

Citation:

Gibson, E., & Barr, R. (2017). Exploring implicit biases against poverty. National Youth at Risk Journal. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1275655.pdf

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In different cultures, the amount and type of education provided to the other genders can be well ingrained and is still practiced today. However, as educators, we must ensure that students realize everyone deserves an equal learning opportunity. This article offers ways to introduce students to some stereotypes they may recognize and how to avoid them. This can be taught at the elementary level and be easy for students to understand. They provide specific suggestions, like asking students what they believe those of another gender face as challenges.

Citations:

Shafer, L. (2018, November). Preventing gender bias. Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/18/11/preventing-gender-bias#:~:text=Make%20it%20clear%20to%20girls,and%20collaborate%20with%20diverse%20groups.

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Despite gains in gender equality, ingrained biases about males and females still exist - and can have grave consequences. Stubborn beliefs cultivated from an early age such as "girls are bad at math," "girls are better at cooking," or "boys don't cry," pave the way to sobering statistics about the number of female leaders in business and politics, and disturbing truths about the frequency of sexual harassment.

By talking about gender biases early, parents can blaze a trail toward equity long before girls and boys are engaging in romantic relationships, choosing college majors, or entering the workforce. Here, we provide tips for parents to deconstruct gender stereotypes and prevent bias. These strategies come from developmental psychologist Richard Weissbourd and Leaning Out: Teen Girls and Leadership Biases, a report from Making Caring Common at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

To Create a Bias-Free Home

Check your own biases. Be mindful of the language you use, the way you treat people of different genders, and even the perspectives you hold on your own abilities and traits.

Have open discussions at home about the way chores are divided up. Set expectations that both kids and adults are expected to have a turn at everything: cooking, cleaning, yardwork, and taking out the trash.

Ask children for their feedback about these family practices. Do they think boys and girls are being held to the same expectations? Are parents dividing work up equally - and if not, do kids understand why?

Provide children of both genders with books and movies that feature nontraditional gender roles. Talk about female politicians, athletes, and scientists, and male teachers, dancers, and homemakers.

Encourage kids to try all types of extracurricular activities, and talk about why they might feel more comfortable in some pastimes than in others. Help them distinguish whether they enjoy an activity because they're surrounded by people like them, or because of the activity itself.

To Teach Kids about Gender Bias

Show children how biases and gender expectations have changed over time. Share times when you felt you were treated unfairly. Invite them to interview a grandparent or older person of a different generation. Ask kids to think: Has our country changed its expectations of men and women? What challenges do women still face today?

Talk to kids about the stereotypes they encounter at school, on television, or while shopping. When you both see or hear something degrading, ask kids to interpret it. Do they find it harmful? Unsurprising? Explain to kids how stereotypes can be so ingrained in our society that we don't always notice them.

Explain the importance of listening to and appreciating both genders as matter of basic decency. Ask kids to think about what might be challenging about being a person of another gender, or a person who is transgender. Work on developing empathy. "Perhaps nothing more commonly erodes children's capacity to care and to lead efforts to promote equality and justice than the biases they hold and confront in others," write the authors of Leaning Out.

Tips for Boys, Specifically

Intervene immediately when you hear boys making demeaning comments about girls. Explain why some common words and phrases used to describe girls are offensive.

Help boys understand that it is their responsibility to stand up for girls and counteract stereotypes, and brainstorm strategies for them to use when they hear a friend make a degrading comment.

Encourage boys to talk about their feelings and worries, and praise them for expressing empathy and care.

Tips for Girls, Specifically

Make it clear to girls that they can and should be leaders - in the classroom, in clubs and sports, and in their careers. Offer opportunities for them to practice public speaking, give and receive feedback, make decisions for themselves, and collaborate with diverse groups.

Talk to girls about what worries or scares them about being a leader, and discuss strategies for dealing with disapproval or criticism.

Familiarize girls with female leaders in politics, business, and STEM fields.

Support girls' involvement in activities that can build their confidence. Ensure that they have multiple sources of self-worth that don't involve their physical appearance. Remind them that they deserve respect from those around them.

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Strategies for families to prevent gender discrimination and break down barriers.

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This article takes the approach of not just addressing the issue in the classroom. In addressing racial bias, we must consider how educators can support students in becoming culturally aware and mitigating any bias we see in our classroom—creating support systems for the students in things like after-school programs, clubs, and testing. It suggests ways to be inclusive and understanding to black students and ensure a fair and equal-opportunity classroom.

Citation:

Lockett, P. (2020, September 18). Nine ways we can address racial injustice in our schools, today. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/phyllislockett/2020/09/18/nine-ways-we-can-address-racial-injustice-in-our-schools-today/?sh=31b41e21362f

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An eighth-grade student at Chicago's Ashburn Elementary School works out a math problem.
Ryan Moore Photography

Recently, consumed by coverage of the protests and chaos within our cities, I watched a reporter ask a young African American man why he was vandalizing a store. His reply? "This is the only way people will listen."

I understand how he feels. Today, a young boy can't run in the South Side of Chicago, where I grew up, without the fear of violence or police brutality. Through my work, I have met hundreds of Black children who were born into poverty in segregated neighborhoods; sent to underfunded, segregated schools; surrounded by violence and made to believe their lives are expendable. The violence unfolding in the streets is devastating and destructive, but we got to this point-in which rage and sadness have finally boiled over into chaos-by refusing to act.

Education is a powerful antidote to injustice, empowering kids who may have otherwise been written off to claim their place in a community. As I recently shared with a group of Black journalists, when we elevate a student because of their unique strengths-and do not penalize them because of their differences-anything is possible. That's why I find it so egregious that we have consistently failed to bring equity and justice to our schools. Majority-Black schools are as segregated as they were 40 years ago and see $23 billion less in annual funding than majority-white schools. As COVID-19 forced a sudden shift to remote learning, schools serving mostly Black students were far less likely to see students engaging with their online classes.

These inequities begin at the system-level, when we decide how to distribute funding and zone students into different buildings. As former U.S. Secretary of Education John King recently told me, we have 1.6 million kids who go to a school where there's a sworn law enforcement officer in the school building but no school counselor. Inequities persist as Black students are met with low academic expectations and higher rates of school discipline. They persist after Black students leave school, as they deal with a lack of technology to help them keep learning from home.

Severe educational inequality has become so baked into our society that many people talk about it like it's inevitable. But it's not. Solutions aren't just available; they're everywhere. We have tested proven ways to realize the potential of Black students.

A student at Randolph Elementary School.
Ryan Moore Photography

To start, here are nine strategies that have been proven to counter racial injustice-and that should be reflected in every school.

1. Fix the way we fund our public schools: Schools are funded largely based on local property taxes, which means that areas with more expensive houses almost invariably have better schools. Black children face systemic barriers to escaping poverty, and many cities still reflect the redlining policies that cut Black families off from home ownership. We cannot have equitable schools without equitable funding; we cannot have equitable funding that is based on property taxes.

2. Stop ranking and sorting students: When we put students in classes based on their perceived potential, we engrain racial biases. We should be focused on raising expectations for every student.

3. Do away with high-stake tests as the sole determiner of a student's post-high school success: Tests have their value, but when we raise the stakes, we disadvantage students without the resources to prepare. We should be looking for as many ways as possible to recognize students' value through tests, projects, real-world success and more.

4. Teach both Black struggle and Black excellence: Many schools still fail to recognize the enduring impact of slavery, legalized segregation and systemic racism. Those injustices are integral to understanding the modern world. But, schools should also remember that Black history isn't just about struggle; Black communities gave the world transformative art, music, medicine, technology, journalism, books and civil rights protections. The classroom should acknowledge the Black struggle but celebrate Black people's role in building every facet of our society.

5. Build up a diverse, culturally competent teacher workforce: Today, teachers are 80% white, but schools are composed of majority students of color. We need to make sure that every Black student has an image of Black excellence they can look up to, whether in the classroom, in the community, or on the job. And, of course, representation isn't the end game-white teachers can serve Black students, and Black teachers can reflect biases. Teacher training programs should emphasize cultural competence as a core aspect of the job.

6. Restore, don't punish: Traditional disciplinary systems often punish students for exhibiting symptoms of stress, trauma, or alienation in a way that only deepens the wounds. Today, Black students are 3.8 times more likely to receive at least one out-of-school suspension than white students. We should be working with students to identify and address challenges.

7. Ensure all schools have a standards-based curriculum: While every child's learning pathway may look different, everyone needs to know a set of core skills. Students learning in every school should have access to rigorous instruction. We need to counter the pervasive misperception that Black students cannot achieve at the same level as their white peers-study after study has shown that when teachers set high expectations, students rise to the challenge.

8. Bridge the digital divide: Technology is the key to empowering students to keep learning from home, leverage resources throughout the community and progress at their own pace. Technology has the power to bridge gaps in access to social networks and the kind of experiential learning that affluent schools treat as a standard part of education. But the digital divide means that these advances are often denied to students who need them the most. Today, a quality education for every student means access to some technological resources.

9. Do away with one-size fits all education: One-size-fits-all education pushes away students who don't fit the archetype; in a system designed by and for white learners, this means students of color are pushed out. We have to equip teachers to understand differences as strengths, and serve the needs and interests of every student.

In the education system, racial injustice doesn't appear as a single, fatal blow. It's little signals, every day, telling students of color that they do not fit the mold of academic brilliance. On top of the work of learning how to read and write and do math, they have to do constant mental work to deflect each signal. Eventually, for many, it all becomes too much.

This means that our efforts to create equitable, just schools cannot stop at just zoning or funding or curriculum. Racial inequities run through every element of our schools. Solutions are within our reach, but we must be willing to tackle the whole system.

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Nine Ways We Can Address Racial Injustice In Our Schools, Today

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Severe educational inequality has become so baked into our society that many people talk about it like it's inevitable. But it's not. Solutions aren't just available; they're everywhere. We have tested proven ways to realize the potential of Black students.

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This piece explains why race is considered a “taboo” topic and how to understand implicit bias. Some statistics can be used to support high school students in understanding the life skills needed to identify their implicit bias and how to overcome it. Tatum uses her research to aid teachers in creating a classroom that is accepting and open to all students.

Citation:

Tatum, B. (1992). Talking about race, learning about racism. UCLA. https://equity.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Tatum-Talking-About-Race.pdf

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I chose an article that can give students specific examples of how to face prejudice and what they can do to support their peers. This article can be an excellent tool for middle and high school students to learn to be leaders in these scenarios and recognize when someone discriminates against a peer based on race. It gives suggestions for workplace, school, home, and more situations.

Citation:

Speak up. Speak Up. (2022). https://equity.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Speak-Up.pdf

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This passage can be used to help younger students understand why teachers do certain things to make rooms more accessible to students with disabilities, how we can help our peers who need extra support, and how to be kind people to others regardless of their capabilities. We want to teach students how to engage their disabled peers in classwork and make them feel welcome. It can also aid students in understanding how students with disabilities may think if they are left out or treated differently because of their disability.

Citation:

Wester, D. (2022). How students with disabilities are affected by implicit bias. Accessibility.com: Empowering digital accessibility for businesses. https://www.accessibility.com/blog/in-the-classroom-how-students-with-disabilities-are-affected-by-implicit-bias

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Implicit biases are unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that influence an individual's perception of the world and the people in it, affecting their behavior, decisions, and treatment of others. Due to the unconscious nature of implicit bias-also called unconscious or unintended bias-these attitudes are held without the individual being aware of them and may run counter to a person's conscious beliefs.

When implicit bias affects how an individual treats others, it's referred to as a microaggression. Many adults of non-majority social groups are so experienced with microaggressions that they are adept at recognizing and navigating them.

But for children who lack the life experience and vocabulary to recognize and address microaggressions, these interactions can have deleterious effects that alter the course of their lives. For that reason, it's crucial to become aware of implicit bias in the classroom, including why it persists, how to recognize it, and how it can affect students who are victims of it.

Why implicit bias persists in the classroom

While explicit bias has waned considerably due to the social progress our culture has made in the last 50 years, implicit bias persists in schools and our culture at large. Why has implicit bias persisted, particularly after the previous decade of warp-speed social change? That is likely because implicit bias is unconscious, and it's tough to treat a malady that you don't know is there.

Undoubtedly, every educator in the country would agree that all children are entitled to a comprehensive and equitable education. Yet often, the education provided to children of non-majority social groups is not fair or complete. This is not because educators maliciously deprive students of this, but because they are humans who, just like the rest of us, are affected by implicit bias and unaware of how it can affect the way they treat their students.

In other words, implicit bias in education exists because teachers are human and fallible, but it persists because it is unconscious. Invisible and ephemeral, implicit bias is difficult to rein in without a broad awareness of it and the shapes it takes within the classroom.

Disability and implicit bias in the classroom

Without them being aware that they are treating children with disabilities any differently, implicit biases can cause educators to:

Assume that a student with a disability lacks certain skills and cannot complete specific tasks, all without knowing about their disability or its limitations.

Assume that a student with a physical disability must also have cognitive issues, causing them to teach below the student's level and leaving the student unchallenged.

Assume that a student with a disability has lower ambitions and standards for themselves, thus putting a ceiling on their development and achievement.

Offer unsolicited help to a student with a disability because of an assumption that they will not perform well, reducing their confidence in their abilities and diminishing their self-efficacy.

Avoid including students with disabilities in class discussions because the teacher is uncomfortable or worried it will make the student uncomfortable, both serving to block the student from full and equitable participation that would build confidence and self-efficacy.

Assume that all students will seek help if they are struggling, not taking into account that it's often the most vulnerable students who may not feel comfortable asking for support precisely for the reasons listed above.

Ask a student with a disability to take on a low-stakes role during group work because the educator has a limited view about the student's capabilities, pigeonholing them into roles with less responsibility instead of challenging them and building new skill sets.

Assume that students who have difficulty with written or oral communication/public speaking are intellectually challenged somehow, not taking into account that communication skills vary from person to person and are not an indication of intelligence or achievement potential.

The effects on students with disabilities

A reading of this list makes two things very clear about implicit bias in the classroom:

1. It causes educators to generally count students with disabilities out before they've even had a chance to begin, creating lowered performance expectations for children with disabilities.

2. Lowered expectations leads to students putting unnatural limitations on themselves. Suppose a trusted adult authority figure believes they are incapable of something. In that case, a young person is likely to internalize that belief, which damages confidence and their ability to achieve higher.

In other words, implicit bias leads to lowered expectations which leads to performing at levels lower than natural ability, making implicit bias a perfect circle of self-fulfilling prophecy. If an educator (unconsciously) believes a student will only achieve up to a certain level and then does not support development past that point, the student will likely peak in just the spot that the educator's implicit bias predicted.

In this way, implicit bias presupposes the failure or mediocrity of some students right from the start. Deprived of encouragement and instruction that would challenge them, implicit bias robs students with disabilities of confidence and self-efficacy in the short-term and an equitable education that would set them up for success in adulthood in the long term.

Moving forward

It's essential to qualify this discussion of implicit bias by acknowledging that #NotAllEducators are driven by implicit bias. Nonetheless, it's likely that all educators could benefit from some self-reflection and self-analysis. Improved self-awareness allows for deepening awareness of how one's actions affect others. This, combined with acknowledging the existence of implicit bias, is the first crucial step in eliminating it.

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How Students with Disabilities Are Affected by Implicit Bias

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Implicit biases are unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that influence an individual's perception of the world and the people in it, affecting their behavior, decisions, and treatment of others.

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This passage goes into great detail to explain to students that some people function differently and need different classroom support levels. This could be used at various grade levels, such as middle or high school, to give students a deeper insight into the struggles that those with disabilities face. I often find students at that age need a better understanding of how to support those with disabilities, and they can be the harshest toward them. Lessons such as this can spark empathy in those students and teach them to be less cruel toward those differently abled.

Citation:

How does unintended or unconscious bias affect students with disabilities?. How does unintended or unconscious bias affect students with disabilities? | DO-IT. (n.d.). https://www.washington.edu/doit/how-does-unintended-or-unconscious-bias-affect-students-disabilities

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Unintended bias or unconscious bias refers to stereotypes or beliefs that affect our actions in a discriminatory manner. Most bias related to students with disabilities groups is unintentional. Stress, distraction, and other factors can make someone more likely to be biased in a given situation.

Assuming students with disabilities are less able to be successful in their education or careers is a common bias. Examples of situations resulting from such bias include:

Assuming that a student with a disability will be unable to complete a lab course or other class activity.

Asking a student with a disability to take on a specific role (e.g., notetaker) during group work because of the assumption that it is the only way the student will be able to contribute.

Offering unrequested adjustments or support to a student with a disability because of an assumption that they will not perform well in a class.

Not engaging a student with a disability in a class discussion in order to avoid calling attention to them.

Not providing accessible bathrooms in a science or engineering building.

With effort, unconscious bias can be reduced. Strategies to do so include:

Becoming more aware of our own biases and changing our own actions. The Implicit Association Test is one way to become more aware of your own biases.

Speaking up when you see actions that imply unintended bias.

Modeling equity in your actions.

For more information about unintended bias, watch Recognizing and Addressing Unintended Bias in Engineering Education or Managing Unconscious Bias.

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How does unintended or unconscious bias affect students with disabilities?

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Unintended bias or unconscious bias refers to stereotypes or beliefs that affect our actions in a discriminatory manner. Most bias related to students with disabilities groups is unintentional. Stress, distraction, and other factors can make someone more likely to be biased in a given situation.

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While no specific religion is not something taught in public education, it is essential to have students acknowledge different faiths, some possible customs, and how to embrace those of other beliefs than our own. This resource provides several means to integrate such lessons to an elementary-level audience. The passage also offers different classes where the subject can be taught to find various ways to keep students engaged.

Citation:

Vasquez, T. (2020, December). Embracing various religious beliefs in the classroom. GCU. https://www.gcu.edu/blog/teaching-school-administration/embracing-various-religious-beliefs-classroom

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Embracing various religious beliefs in the classroom requires intentional thought and planning. This can be an opportunity for students to not only take pride in their beliefs and identities, but also a way to help foster respect for people with different backgrounds, traditions and beliefs. Knowing your students and curriculum can be a springboard to incorporating culturally- inclusive and responsive teaching in each content area.

Teaching About Different Religions in Social Studies

To teach their followers about the tenants of their religion, the prophets would use stories or parables to illustrate a point or to make a concept comprehensible to them. As a classroom teacher, you can easily incorporate the idea of storytelling by having students research their own religion's stories or legends and share them with their classmates. By doing this, you will also be providing opportunities for them to practice their listening and speaking skills.

Teaching About Different Religions in Performing Arts

Exploring music related to different belief systems exposes students to a variety of genres of music. Additionally, they will be able to learn about different traditions associated with religious beliefs. For example, you can collaborate with the school's music teacher when studying different countries. You can have the students examine the lyrics of songs from those countries, research when they were written, and map those to the historical occurrences in those countries. Students could explore the racial stereotypes and equity issues that stemmed from those perspectives.

Teaching About Different Religions in Science

Advances in scientific methods and concepts can be traced to times in history when different religions were revealed to civilizations. For instance, the antiseptic properties of rubbing alcohol are associated with several individuals in history in Egypt, Iran and China. You can challenge your students to investigate when these individuals arrived at their discoveries and to trace them to the time periods associated with one or more religious dispensations.

Another way to examine the influence of religions' practices is to compare the influences of Eastern and Western cultural views on health and wellness. You could challenge the students, to investigate current health trends such as intermittent fasting's benefits and trace these to cultural and religious beliefs associated with fasting.

When you incorporate these ideas into your teaching and learning practice, you are not only teaching the content area standards, but you are also addressing the English language arts standards. When students read different texts such as lyrics from songs or they read a passage from the Quran or the Bible, they are utilizing their critical thinking skills to make meaning and connection to texts.
Want more? Check out all of the articles from Teaching Tuesday and return each week for a new post. Learn more about Grand Canyon University's College of Education and our degree programs and join in our efforts to elevate the education profession.

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Embracing Various Religious Beliefs in the Classroom

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Teaching religious beliefs within the classrooms can create critical thinking and communication. Learn why embracing religious beliefs can help students learn.

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This piece is another way to engage students in considering how they may treat people differently based on their culture. I chose this piece because it makes a good point about getting the students involved with those in the group who are different than them. This would be good to use in early education as children learn the aspects of fairness and how to treat their peers. Additionally, this can teach younger children how to be leaders in their class and take charge when they see bias.

Citation:

Bowman, K. D., West, C., & Toner, M. (2020, August 4). Strategies for countering unconscious bias in the classroom. NAFSA. https://www.nafsa.org/ie-magazine/2020/8/4/strategies-countering-unconscious-bias-classroom

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In June, a mathematics professor from a California community college unwittingly made national headlines after sending an email to a Vietnamese student asking her to "Anglicize" her legal name. He told her that the pronunciation of her given name sounded offensive, like "an insult in English." She refused, telling the professor that his request was discriminatory, but he repeated the request. Once administrators learned of the incident, Laney College put the professor on administrative leave.

While this example may be extreme, it illustrates one way that unconscious bias seeps into university classrooms, creating an uncomfortable environment for international students who already face a host of challenges when adapting to a new culture and an unfamiliar academic system.

Such expectations of conformity and attempts to suppress or alter cultural identity may interfere with international students' sense of belonging on campus, explains Christina Yao, PhD, assistant professor and coordinator of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Program at the University of South Carolina.

"The potential implications [of situations like this] could be feelings of alienation, or feelings of being [viewed as the] 'other,'" Yao says.

Recognizing Unconscious Bias

Unconscious, or implicit, biases are the attitudes, preferences, and assumptions that any person holds toward another individual or group of people. These beliefs-centered around a wide range of characteristics, from race, ethnicity, and gender to religion, speaking accent, physical appearance, and physical abilities-are formed from birth, outside of a person's awareness. However, they play a role in perceptions of and interactions with others.

Issues and perceptions around racism and unconscious bias affect international students studying in the United States, as well as those studying in other parts of the world-including U.S. students studying abroad. In the classroom, these biases can manifest in a number of ways:

A professor calling on certain students most frequently-for example, research shows a tendency by teachers at all levels to call primarily on white, male students

The readings and multimedia materials chosen for any given lesson not representing or reflecting the diversity of the classroom

A presumption that international students have expertise or an interest in issues related to their race, ethnicity, or home country

A tendency to equate lower proficiency in spoken English with poor writing skills

Initiating a discussion on a hot topic, such as racism in the United States, without realizing that international students in the classroom may not understand the historical and cultural circumstances linked to the issue

Faculty members are not the only ones who hold biases; students do as well. Yao points to research showing that non-native English speakers tend to be marginalized when it comes to group work, possibly because they struggle to comprehend or speak in an unfamiliar language or may not grasp the norms of peer collaboration.

Unconscious biases can hinder student recruitment, engagement, and success. In professional settings, it may stifle innovation or hinder efforts to diversify the leadership pipeline.

"If we're really trying to use education as a force for positive change, then we have to be constantly shifting and challenging ourselves to see the things we do that exclude or marginalize or devalue others," says David Wick, EdD, assistant professor with the MA program in international educational management at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. "The only way to do that is to begin dismantling our implicit biases."

Here are a few tips for identifying, acknowledging, and actively working to counter unconscious bias in the classroom.

1. Get real-and embrace discomfort.

Addressing unconscious bias starts with awareness and acknowledgment, says Holly Carter, PhD, associate professor of sociology and interim principal of Harlaxton College, which is part of the University of Evansville.

"First and foremost, we must be aware that these biases exist, [everyone has them], and they don't make you a bad person," she says. "Secondly, [we all] have to be willing to acknowledge the fact that they can have some interplay in our life. And then I think we have to be open to experienc[ing] things that will change that socialization."

By the nature of their profession, international educators likely are interested in learning about different cultures and people. They should take time to reflect on how personal belief systems develop and how a person's worldview impacts their interactions with people and places that are different.

"If we're really trying to use education as a force for positive change, then we have to be constantly shifting and challenging ourselves to see the things we do that exclude or marginalize or devalue others." -David Wick

Malaika Serrano, MA, vice president for diversity and inclusion at WorldStrides, has worked with students to boost self-awareness through a process of naming their "privileged" identities-characteristics that give a person an advantage over others-and "targeted" identities-those that can hold someone back. The exercise sparks open conversation about biases and strategies for change. "We just take a deep breath and then lean into the discomfort," Serrano says.

2. "Spend time with people who are not like yourself."

A longtime volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, Carter quotes fellow Habitat supporter President Jimmy Carter as frequently saying, "The most important thing you can do in this world is to spend time with people who are not like yourself." An openness to hearing other people's stories can foster a deeper understanding of the vast range of human experiences.

At the University of Evansville, the weekly I-House series gives students from different regions of the world an opportunity to share with the campus community about their customs, beliefs, and culture.

"Sometimes we dance, and sometimes we eat, but these opportunities have been valuable in helping us to understand people in a different way," Carter says.

Following months of highly publicized acts of violence against Black Americans, Serrano led "Listening Circles" for employees at WorldStrides to discuss the personal and community impact of this violence. Serrano facilitated respectful conversations around questions such as the following:

What is your understanding of recent events that have transpired?

How has this made you feel?

What is one thing you would like to learn about someone from another community?

3. Apply intercultural communication techniques.

Globalization is a force that has led to more frequent and powerful intercultural interactions, and navigating those interpersonal relationships is more complex than ever. With one of her colleagues, Kathryn Sorrells, PhD, communication studies professor at California State University-Northridge, developed the Intercultural Praxis as a guide for "critical, reflective thinking and acting" in the context of global engagement. The process involves several steps:

1. Inquiry: Ask questions to understand more deeply another person's beliefs, or ask ourselves how we learned to think a certain way. "Fundamentally, our assumptions come from unasked questions," Sorrells explains.

2. Framing: Look at issues from different perspectives. "We develop certain ways of seeing the world based on our cultural frames [gender, race, etc.]," Sorrells says. "[Become] aware of your cultural frames and then [learn] through practice how to expand those."

3. Positioning: Consider the access to power in any given situation, based on materialistic and/or symbolic circumstances.

4. Dialogue: Engage in conversation to build bridges of understanding, tolerance, and acceptance.

5. Reflection: Create a better understanding of ourselves and how we relate to others, as well as the willingness to change our perspectives and actions.

6. Action: Use what we learn about ourselves as motivation for doing our part to make the world more peaceful and just.

"We've used the model as a way to understand that people bring very different perspectives and frames and they're positioned differently," says Sorrells, "but how can we benefit from our differences?"

Be the Change

Even taking the smallest steps toward countering unconscious bias can make a big difference. Educators should learn to pronounce international students' given names, for example, and ask for their help when needed.

Wick uses a technique called Pair Share to expand equity in the classroom. The method enables each student to reflect on class topics with a partner, then each group shares their insights with the entire classroom.

"[It can be difficult] to get educators to become conscious enough to ask these kinds of questions and start challenging themselves. ... By asking the questions and putting it into a public forum, I model that I'm continuing to push myself and asking for that kind of feedback in front of other people." -Tasha Willis

"One of the benefits of this teaching technique is that it can change which voices are heard," Wick says. "The pair conversation makes it more likely that every person in the room has a chance to express their ideas."

Technology also can be used to expand equity, Wick says. For example, students can contribute ideas through platforms such as a Doodle poll or a Google Form, reducing the risk of feeling like their ideas are wrong or unpopular.

And though it is not always comfortable, international educators should be honest about their own unconscious biases-for their benefit and that of their students.

"[It can be difficult] to get educators to become conscious enough to ask these kinds of questions and start challenging themselves," says Tasha Willis, EdD, associate professor in the School of Social Work and faculty director for internationalization at California State University-Los Angeles.

"By asking the questions and putting it into a public forum, I model that I'm continuing to push myself and asking for that kind of feedback in front of other people," she says. "That helps humanize me to other people around me-faculty, staff, and students-and lets them know that this is just part of being human, and that we have all inherited the world as it is." *

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Strategies for Countering Unconscious Bias in the Classroom

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NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange.

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I chose this piece to start a comprehensive list of ways a teacher can combat implicit bias. This would be a good list of strategies for high school students as it can be easily integrated into the classroom and even discussed with the class. One of the suggestions is to do a project where the students embrace the discomfort of recognizing their bias and how to combat it.

Citation:

Gonzalez, C. M., Lypson, M. L., & Sukhera, J. (2021, December). Twelve tips for teaching implicit bias recognition and management. Medical teacher. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8349376/

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Cristina M. Gonzalez, MD, MEd, Professor of Medicine, Monica L. Lypson, MD, MHPE, and Javeed Sukhera, MD, PhD, Associate Professor

Abstract

Implicit biases describe mental associations that affect our actions in an unconscious manner. We can hold certain implicit biases regarding members of certain social groups. Such biases can perpetuate health disparities by widening inequity and decreasing trust in both healthcare and medical education. Despite the widespread discourse about bias in medical education, teaching and learning about the topic should be informed by empirical research and best practice. In this paper, the authors provide a series of twelve tips for teaching implicit bias recognition and management in medical education. Each tip provides a specific and practical strategy that is theoretically and empirically developed through research and evaluation. Ultimately, these twelve tips can assist educators to incorporate implicit bias instruction across the continuum of medical education to improve inequity and advance justice.

Introduction

Implicit bias refers to unconscious and unintentional mental associations that impact our understanding and actions. Such biases, when brought to the clinical encounter, can contribute to health disparities by influencing communication practices and medical decision-making ( Zestcott, Blair, and Stone 2016). The effects of bias are pervasive and globally widespread. Research across several cultures and jurisdictions demonstrates the negative effects of bias on healthcare and medical education ( Mellor et al. 2016; Gonzalez, Deno, et al. 2018). Implicit bias recognition and management (IBRM) training for health professionals provides an approach to addressing biases and reducing health disparities. Accreditation bodies in several countries also require instruction on implicit bias ( Australian Medical Council Limited 2012; Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools 2018; Liaison Committee on Medical Education 2020).

Despite increased attention to implicit bias in medical education, approaches to instruction are varied and often limited in scope. Well-intentioned attempts to meet accreditation standards have resulted in curricula often based on opinion, rather than research, thereby lacking appropriate theoretical frameworks and grounding in available evidence ( Sukhera, Watling, and Gonzalez 2020). In addition, there are significant gaps in providing opportunities for learners to develop skills and in training faculty ( Gonzalez, Garba, et al. 2018; Brooks, Rougas, and George 2016; Gonzalez et al. 2020). As a consequence of these limitations, questions are being raised regarding both the effectiveness and sustainability of implicit bias related instruction.

Given the importance of this topic and the need for improving instruction and outcomes related to IBRM, the authors identified a need to provide practical and evidence-informed teaching tips regarding IBRM for medical educators. Existing research on IBRM instruction suggests the need to enable learners to recognize when bias may be influencing an encounter and employ skills to manage the effects of bias to mitigate its negative influence ( Sukhera, Watling, and Gonzalez 2020). The focus of IBRM is therefore best targeted at recognizing and managing biases within the context of interpersonal encounters in both clinical and non-clinical learning environments. This approach to IBRM recognizes that the elimination of all bias is not the goal of instruction and is distinct from approaches that seek to de-bias or entirely remove the influence of bias on an individual's communication and decision-making. There is minimal evidence for short-term efficacy and no evidence for actual behavior change ( FitzGerald et al. 2019; Forscher et al. 2019) for such approaches. The twelve tips in this paper reflect a synthesis of existing literature on bias-related instruction while remaining steeped in learning theory and the authors' experiences in designing, implementing and evaluating curricula on IBRM.

Tip One: Create a safe learning environment

Tip Two: Flatten the hierarchy in facilitation

Building on the need for a safe and brave learning environment, flattening the hierarchy in facilitation (disabling the power of rank and differential) serves multiple purposes ( Gonzalez et al. 2019). Students have suggested having a senior student facilitate or co-facilitate with a faculty member to ease any tension they feel when discussing implicit bias with someone in an evaluative role. Learning from a senior student may also enhance the relevance of the discussion to their level of training ( Gonzalez et al. 2019). Reducing the power differential between learners and teachers aligns with evidence-based approaches to instruction that recognize how learners' lived experience and prior learning can be activated during instruction ( Merriam 2007). Attention to hierarchy also benefits faculty by providing opportunities to pose problems and role model being both a teacher and a lifelong learner ( Freire 1993). Using this approach allows teachers and learners to address the discomfort related to the topic and co-construct the ensuing critical reflection and guided discourse. Research suggests that students appreciate when faculty role model vulnerability ( Sukhera, Wodzinski, et al. 2018; Gonzalez et al. 2019) and faculty may feel more comfortable exposing such vulnerabilities in an environment where the pressure of being "all knowing" is relieved ( Gonzalez, Garba, et al. 2018).

Tip Three: Normalize bias while reducing self-blame

In our experience, there are several practical ways to reduce self-blame within IBRM. For example, presenting data from other industries outside of health professions may enable learners to accept the ubiquitous nature of implicit bias. In addition, video observation and debrief can be helpful for multiple reasons. Practicing observing and discussing behaviors of others eases learners into the idea of discussing their own behaviors. Videos from the lay press or examples within popular culture that involve humor offer an opportunity to recognize bias as part of human nature and bring down defenses ( Gonzalez et al. 2020).

Tip Four: Integrate the science behind implicit bias and evidence base for its influence on clinical care

A multi-faceted approach is more likely to engage learners by including reasons to participate in IBRM that they find personally relevant. Describing the neuroscience and cognitive psychology behind implicit bias will ground instruction in content that is similar to much of the basic science taught in medical schools; this approach lends legitimacy to IBRM instruction as well while enhancing relevance ( Merriam 2007). By highlighting the influence of bias through relevant clinical examples, resistant or uncertain learners may be motivated to engage in instruction by their desire to provide excellent, high quality care to all patients. Tailoring the evidence, when available, to the clinical specialty or learning context of the audience may further enhance the relevance for differentiated learners further along in their careers ( Sukhera et al. 2020).

Tip Five: Create activities that embrace discomfort

Tip Six: Implement Critical Reflection Exercises

Tip Seven: Explore the dynamic relationship between experience, implicit, explicit, and structural biases

Any individual's implicit biases are a product of their lived experience, socialization processes, ( Banaji and Greenwald 2013), and reflect biased norms within their personal and professional contexts ( Hernandez et al. 2013; Sukhera, Milne, et al. 2018b). Therefore, exploring the influence of this lived experience may foster acceptance of bias in oneself. Identity or narrative exercises can effectively foster reflection on how an individual's experiences contribute to their existing biases including the power/oppression/privilege of the system in which they live ( Avant and Gillespie 2019; Gonzalez et al. 2020). Building on individual experiences also helps learners to recognize how implicit racial biases can become structurally embedded to contribute to concepts such as systemic racism ( Feagin and Bennefield 2014; Bailey et al. 2017; Payne, Vuletich, and Brown-Iannuzzi 2019). Since implicit biases are woven into the fabric of medical organizations and society at large, any educational interventions related to bias must emphasize that individuals alone cannot address implicit biases without addressing structural biases reflected in broader policies and practices ( Byrne and Tanesini 2015).

Tip Eight: Perspective-Taking Exercises

Patients experience varied levels of interpersonal and systemic discrimination in society, in addition to their previous experiences within the healthcare system ( Gonzalez, Deno, et al. 2018). Recognizing the impact of such lived experience is essential to recognizing and managing biases. Building perspective taking exercises into bias related instruction can serve to enhance learner awareness of how standard procedures may be interpreted differently by patients who are sensitized to experiences of bias, based on their unique lived experience ( Gonzalez et al. 2020). Empowering learners with the knowledge that the patient's reaction occurs in the context of previous experience will enable learners to step back and acknowledge the perceived bias and explain the rationale behind the question or the behavior to the patient, in order to restore rapport with the patient ( Gonzalez, Deno, et al. 2018).

Perspective-taking exercises enable learners to practice improved interpersonal communication skills and cultivate empathy ( Riess 2017). Effective ways to incorporate perspective taking into IBRM include using videos of lived experience narratives, which have been deemed both relevant and authentic by learners ( Gonzalez et al. 2020). Patient narratives also allow individuals to learn and practice ways to restore rapport with a patient if bias is perceived due to a standard behavior ( Gonzalez, Deno, et al. 2018).

Tip Nine: Skill-Building Exercises

A lack of skill development and practice is a major gap in IBRM approaches in the literature. Skill development should occur in a graded fashion and encompass skills to address perceived bias from others within the learning environment, as well as addressing biased behaviors by individual learners. For example, role-play and vignettes help to identify strategies to address bias ( Gonzalez et al. 2020). Learners can practice verbalizing potential statements they could make to address bias during case-based discussions: A vignette is reviewed with a reflection prompt asking learners to articulate statements they could use to interrupt bias witnessed among others or address bias within themselves. Finally, role-plays that recreate experiences in the learning environment enable learners to develop skills to address perceived bias while in the unscripted role ( Gonzalez et al. 2020).

Newly learned skills should also be iteratively practiced and improved upon as part of IBRM. For example, we have previously described our approach of conducting the role-play, engaging learners in a structured debrief, and then providing a "do-over" opportunity so that the same learner has an opportunity to succeed ( Gonzalez et al. 2020). Skill-building can also be fostered through the use of SPs. Training SPs to adjust their nonverbal behaviors and/or make statements reflecting perceived bias on anticipated routine questions or behaviors give learners real-time feedback about their efficacy in restoring the rapport within the encounter. These aspects of IBRM instruction should be written into formative SP exercises to provide opportunity for further skill building and practice before any summative assessments are made. In both the role-plays and the SP exercises, learners can identify alternative phrasing and behaviors to enhance their existing communication skills ( Sukhera, Watling, and Gonzalez 2020).

Tip Ten: Reinforce IBRM as part of life-long learning

Any attempts at bias-related instruction can be difficult to sustain due to biases perceived within the hidden curriculum and its powerful influence on professional identity formation ( Hafferty and Franks 1994; van Ryn et al. 2015; Hernandez 2018). Therefore, singular teaching sessions or workshops are unlikely to produce sustainable change ( Teal et al. 2012; Gonzalez, Garba, et al. 2018). We suggest that IBRM must be re-framed as an epistemology of practice that is essential to the professional identity of medical learners to be effective ( Sukhera, Watling, and Gonzalez 2020). Medical schools who recognize the personal and professional tensions associated with implicit bias instruction and cultivate a growth mindset around the issue help students make less biased decisions ( Williams RL 2018).

The suggestion that IBRM is iterative and cyclical additionally complements efforts to reduce self-blame regarding implicit bias. If all team members have some experience with IBRM, we anticipate this could facilitate discussions during routine clinical and teaching encounters. Team members should be encouraged to seek feedback regarding their own biases from others, debrief encounters where they believe bias may have had an influence, and lean into uncomfortable feedback about their biases in order to grow ( Sukhera 2018). Such an approach also addresses student concerns about not feeling empowered to advocate for patients when they perceive bias without risking retribution from supervisors on the team ( Gonzalez et al. 2019).

Faculty development programs designed to instruct faculty on debriefing about bias during inpatient rounds or outpatient precepting sessions could equip them with skills to be positive role models about IBRM. In our experience, faculty have suggested a set of stock questions to prompt discussion about potential bias which may serve as a visual aide to highlight the institutional support for these discussions. These 'pre-reviewed' questions also provide scaffolding and readily accessible reminders for team members. If discussions of bias are emotionally charged, these questions alleviate one of the many burdens placed on facilitators. Finally, providing dedicated time and space to discuss IBRM and integrate those discussion into existing educational programming such as didactics, journal clubs, and grand rounds, among others, could further serve to normalize and reduce self-blame regarding IBRM and make it another clinical skill to develop and practice.

Tip Eleven: Include Formative and Summative Assessments

"Assessment drives learning" is a common adage. Learners may not value IBRM instruction if it is not assessed ( Gonzalez et al. 2019). The educational strategies in this paper reflect existing education approaches that are tailored to IBRM, adapting assessment strategies is also necessary. Formative feedback can be given throughout, and also reinforced in the clinical phases of instruction and trainings as described in Tip Ten. We suggest that assessments should not focus on the idea that bias is can be measured, fixed or eliminated through instruction ( Sukhera et al. 2019). Rather, the behavioral focus of IBRM necessitates assessments focused on the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of recognizing the influence of bias in a clinical encounter and then managing this influence to mitigate negative consequences and restore rapport with patients ( Gonzalez, Deno, et al. 2018). Formative assessment can be seamlessly woven into all of the tips in this paper. For example, facilitated discussions, following critical reflection as well as the role-play and SP exercises. In addition to formative assessment, we believe opportunities for summative assessment include knowledge tests while assessment of skills in IBRM would naturally fit into objective structured clinical examinations.

Tip Twelve: Obtain explicit support from leadership (formal and informal)

Published frameworks, along with our experience, suggest delivering multiple sessions on IBRM in order to achieve skill development and practice ( Teal et al. 2012; Sukhera and Watling 2018; Sukhera, Watling, and Gonzalez 2020; Gonzalez et al. 2020). Integrating multiple sessions into the compulsory curriculum requires central coordination and explicit support from institutional leadership. In addition, support from the leadership may dismantle perceived barriers to instruction and enhance the ability to foster a culture where IBRM is seen as an important part of professional identity formation relevant to all physicians as described in Tip 10. We expect leadership support will allow for central coordination obviating unintentional redundancy, maximizing efficiency, and facilitating the design of a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Institutional support will demonstrate the value of IBRM to faculty, trainees, and students, potentially fostering engagement of learners who are motivated more by professional norms than personal norms ( Hernandez et al. 2013). Leadership support should also reflect authentic and meaningful approaches towards structural change as performative statements without action may perpetuate cynicism and mistrust. Lastly, funding and evaluation must be central to leadership support ( Gray et al. 2020). IBRM can only produce sustained changes if it is adequately resourced and supported as part of continuous quality improvement initiatives.

Conclusion

The prevalence of implicit bias curricula suggests great interest in the topic. Despite proliferation in IBRM, there are still many challenges for implementation. For example, many existing approaches to foster IBRM often fall short of skill development and practice in IBRM, perpetuating frustration for learners who are faced with knowledge of a problem, but lack skills to adequately address it and improve patient care (unpublished data under review). Our proposed tips were compiled to address this gap while elaborating on actionable tools for educators and curriculum developers. We also sought to address the emotionally charged nature of the subject matter, resistant learners, and unsupportive or unaware institutional climates ( Gonzalez, Garba, et al. 2018). With a better understanding of the evidence base and existing frameworks, educators can design curricula in IBRM that engage learners, garner institutional support, and achieve skill development and practice. Integration of such instruction throughout the spectrum of training and practice may empower team members and facilitate meaningful and sustainable learning outcomes over time. Increased individual successes could ease future curriculum development efforts and foster professional growth and life-long learning. In this paper we attempt to provide evidence-informed and practical tips that facilitate awareness and skill development related to IBRM. We recognize that more research is needed bias-related instruction, particularly in clinical learning environments and in relation to patient-centered outcomes. Our hope is that as skills-based instruction in IBRM expands, the required research to investigate its impact on patient outcomes can also be strengthened as we collectively work towards a more just and equitable health system for all.

Contributor Information

Cristina M. Gonzalez, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA.

Monica L. Lypson, Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine and Learning health Sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Javeed Sukhera, Departments of Psychiatry/Paediatrics and Scientist, Centre for Education Research and Innovation, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University Canada.

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Twelve Tips for Teaching Implicit Bias Recognition and Management

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Implicit biases describe mental associations that affect our actions in an unconscious manner. We can hold certain implicit biases regarding members of certain social groups. Such biases can perpetuate health disparities by widening inequity and decreasing ...