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Countering Stereotype Threat

Esther Lherisson ’19

FIRST Program Analyst

Hello everyone,

My name is Esther Lherisson and I am the FIRST Program Analyst!

Could we go around the room and do quick introductions of name, department and motivation/reason for coming today. I always love knowing who is in the room!

A bit about myself:

I majored in Africana Studies and completed a wide variety of courses in STEM/HHV.

I find it particularly rewarding that this new role allows me to facilitate large and small changes that will make STEM more equitable and welcoming for all students to succeed.

This presentation as well as my approach to this topic were inspired by my conversations with other minority and underrepresented students during my four years at Davidson as well as experiences I have gone through within classrooms which made my connection to both STEM and the content easier to maintain.

These suggestions are tried and true, and have resonated with students here at Davidson who got to experience these approaches

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Let’s Talk

Stereotype Threat is :

Implicit/Explicit
Barrier
Pervasive
Cyclical
PRESENT

Before we go too deep into the subject matter, I would like to make sure we are all on the same page when we talk about stereotype threat.

The term stereotype threat was coined in 1995 by Claude Steele and Aronson,.

Within the study, Steele explains how identity contingencies—the conditions that a given social identity forces us to face and overcome in a particular setting—affect our everyday behavior and perpetuate broader societal problems. Expanding on his prior work, he focuses on a specific type of identity contingency: stereotype threat, or the fear of what people could think about us solely because of our race, gender, age, etc.

Another way of explaining it is that it is referring to: An individual at risk of confirming, as a self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's social group

Examples of stereotype threat that you may have heard of is:

White man cant can’t jump
Black people are not good at STEM
Men are better at math than women ( I personally heard this one often referred to in geometry)

Stereotype threats in academic environment effects:

High levels of underperformance
higher usage of self-defeating tactics such as choosing to not study for the math test because those under threat assume there’s no point in trying or would rather have an excuse which relies on something within their control- such as not studying -to place blame on
Disconnecting of self or identities from the subject matter. For example, if a student of color were told they had to perform for a math test, they may decide to push against it and say that they cannot see themselves doing or enjoying math. They have removed it as a possible ability or part of their identity before they have even experienced it

Stereotype threat can be both implied and confirmed out loud. Not just the what you say but in how you say it.

Stereotype threat is a barrier for students coming from differing backgrounds who may like to become a part of STEM

It is pervasive and cyclical. Because of how ingrained these assumptions and attributions are within society, many instances of stereotype threat happen unconsciously, a regular part of interactions

Stereotype threat is also present here at Davidson.

Stereotype threat is present within a contained environment. These environments within Davidson also include STEM classrooms and labs, an element which is outside of our control. However, by changing the structure of the classroom environment by removing identity contingencies, stereotype threat can be mitigated

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Methods for Combat �(yes, I said combat)

Agenda:

Affirmations

Explicit Group Affirmations
Explicit Individual Affirmations

Growth Mindset

Signaling
Maintaining
Representation

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Mini Exercise

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Mini Exercise

Activity Example

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Why do you think I put this image on the board?

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Debrief

What themes came up during our discussion?

Do you feel these themes would have come up organically in your own class at another given time?

So this activity was an example of an attempt to explicitly acknowledge the impacts of harmful stereotypes while affirming underrepresented groups. Students in the majority and in the minority groups are made to participate.

Oftentimes, professors will think that affirming a group out loud is enough to serve as a model for the majority. While this is partially true, it is important for faculty members to remain cognizant of the fact that they as professors are not the only ones who have the power to create the environment susceptible to the effects of stereotype threat.

Majority students are also in the position of having interactions which cause issues with stereotype threat from a student. By making everyone aware of how comments can affect those around them in the classroom, you are holding more than yourself accountable for maintaining an environment of inclusivity. Students who are made aware that what they say can have larger impact than they intend are more aware of treating others with respect. This reduces the chances of an underrepresented student being faced with an identity contingency during class or outside of it.

Takeaways: Students see your intention of affirming the belief everyone can succeed in STEM

Confront the biases and experiences of others and debase them

Reduction of the power of situational attributions

Highlight that personal examples of seeing one POC doing great things isn’t an exception to the norm but the standard

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Normalizing Diversity

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Explicitly Affirming Individuals

Table Discussion

What affirmations have you tried?

How do you know if they worked?

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Affirmations of Quality Contributions

Two Ways

Through a silent affirmation given through the creation of an assignment

Ask an underrepresented student to demonstrate success or knowledge

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Growth Mindset

A belief and an approach
Ability as malleable
Persistence is key
Quality mentoring

Canning et al., 2019 study found :

Instructor mindset affects student performance
Effects are magnified for marginalized students

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Signaling a Growth Mindset

Starting with Lower Stakes

Preliminary reviews or assignments count less
Talking points emphasize student improvement

I believe this study speaks to some of the identity contingencies Steele refers to in Whistling Vivaldi. I believe this study also highlights an approach that works well to combat stereotype threat.

Creating an environment centered around a growth mindset can start as early as the first day.

In some of my classes, there was an increased anxiety around the environment of the class because all reviews counted equally. For those who had recently seen the material and for those who had not, the overall sentiment shared between classes was that there was no room for error.

Since every review or assignment counted the same amount, students perceived themselves as being penalized the same amount as well, which heightened the anxieties of students.

Students do not perceive equal stakes reviews as equal opportunities because we do not assume we will get everything right. So the perception that one does not have room to make the mistakes during the first review sets a precedent that if all exams count the same, there is no room to improve.

You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. You also don’t feel like you can bounce back from a low first exam, killing the motivation to do better from the beginning of the second section of class.

As a recent student myself, I can personally attest that I felt more motivated to work harder in classes where I knew redemption would be possible. Professors acknowledging through their grading schemes that they understand students sometimes need to find their sea legs within a discipline is both reassuring and supportive from the perception of other students. Even if they make a mistake in their approach to the first assignments or reviews, professors who indicate overall interest in IMPROVEMENT also signal to students the importance of learning from mistakes and trying again, something every disciplinary expert has experience with.

It also serves to mitigate the privilege of those who were able to take higher level AP’s before they stepped into college. Davidson’s holistic approach ensures students with a willingness to learn as well as strong curiosity end up at Davidson. But someone having a more recent or higher level experience with material currently being presented is likely going to be rewarded on a higher scale than those who did not.

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Maintaining a Growth Mindset

Table Discussion:

How could you maintain a growth mindset within your classroom throughout the semester?

When is it most important to emphasize the growth mindset?

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Conscious Praise of the Learning Process

Ways to Praise Students

Time spent
Dedication
Improvement/Growth
Study method

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Thank You and Evals

In closing: My role as FIRST Program Analyst means that I am eager to help support your efforts to enhance inclusivity in STEM.

My broad FIRST responsibilities include facilitating professional development opportunities, catalyzing institutional change, capturing and translating student and alumni experiences, conducting research, and project management.

I bring my diverse background, range of experiences, organizational skills, and recent student status among my assets.

I am available for brainstorming, feedback, and/or consulting on ways to increase inclusivity in STEM for our students such as through course design, technology, assignments, class activities, assessment, affirmations, readings, events, etc. Please let me know how I can be helpful – I am eager to meet with you.