What's in a Name? A Study of Mathematics Teachers' Implicit Bias

• In Event: 45.092 - MTCC Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: 45.092-7 - Examining Teacher Perceptions, Behaviors, and Policies: Implications for Research and the Profession

Abstract

Mathematics teachers can significantly affect students’ perceptions of their mathematical ability and future career choices. Hence, it is important for teachers’ assessments of students’ mathematical abilities to be free from bias. Still, most research conducted on teacher bias has failed to discern whether teachers are biased or if their assessments of their own students’ abilities are based on valid evidence not captured by researchers. In this experiment (N=390), mathematics teachers evaluated 18 mathematical solutions to which gender- and race-specific names were randomly assigned. Teachers displayed no detectable bias when assessing the correctness of students’ solutions; however, they perceived White students’ ability to be higher, especially relative to Black and Latina girls. Surprisingly, non-White teachers displayed greater bias favoring White-sounding names.

Authors

• Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, University of Southern California

• Joseph P Cimpian, NYU

• Sarah Theule Lubienski, Indiana University

• Ian Thacker, University of Southern California

• Debra L. Plowman, The University of Texas at Austin