Black and Latinx Student Belongingness: Teacher Misperception as a Predictor for Academic Disparities

• In Event: Prove Them Wrong: Navigating Belonging Across the Academic Pipeline

Abstract

This paper explores the nuanced ways that anti-Blackness specifically and anti-minority attitudes in general permeate approaches to disciplining students via implicit biases held by educators. These sentiments manifest as misperceptions on behalf of teachers and administrators and the implementation of zero-tolerance discipline policies. As a consequence, Black and Latinx students experience depleted academic motivation, alienation from the greater school community, and long-term negative social inferiority. The current sociopolitical climate demands continued theoretical review in order to identify effective and appropriate conceptualization of factors perpetuating disparities in educational equity, namely the achievement gap, differential disciplining, and the school to prison pipeline.

Author

• Jacquayla Jackson, Temple University