Teachers' Perceptions of Misbehavior and Their Recommendations for Intervention: Effects of Student Race and Gender

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Interrogating Policies and Practices Related to Discipline and Violence in Schools

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of student race and gender on the causal attributions and intervention recommendations that teachers make for student misbehavior. 111 middle and high school teachers read a scenario of a hypothetical misbehaving student in which the race and gender of the student were manipulated, and rated the strength of various potential causes and the value of various potential interventions. Two-factor ANOVAs showed that teachers were less likely to attribute misbehavior to mental health issues if they believed that the student was Black, and less likely to recommend the student for psychological intervention if they believed that the student was a boy. Implications of these kinds of potential biases for educational policy/practice and student outcomes are discussed.

Authors

• Keiana Ruby West, Williams College

• Laurie Heatherington, Williams College