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Unconscious Bias - the Hidden Force in Our Classrooms
- engagement43
- Feb 13
- 2 min read
Friday, 7 March 12:40-13:40
We will explore unconscious bias, its impact on our perceptions, and how it affects both our personal lives and professional practices, particularly in education. Our aim is to foster a deeper understanding of how bias operates - both consciously and unconsciously - and how it can influence our judgments and interactions, particularly in the classroom or around school. We will also look at the role of privilege, stereotypes, blind-spots and interculturality, helping us recognize how these factors shape both our own experiences and the experiences of the children we teach. This will also touch on experiences of students and how we can teach and broach this topic with students so they are also aware of it. The session would be framed around increasing cultural competencies and barriers to this.
This topic is deeply interrelated to the learning experience of each child. Children come to school with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities, and unconscious biases, whether intentional or not, can influence how they are treated, assessed, and supported in their learning journey. Recognizing our own biases helps us foster positive, supportive relationships with students, ensure fairer treatment, and create an environment where all children can thrive, regardless of their background. By reflecting on our biases, we can work towards a more inclusive educational experience that values diversity and promotes equal opportunities for all learners.
Aims of the session:
An understanding of unconscious bias and its various forms, including affinity bias, confirmation bias, attribution bias, the halo effect, and the horns effect.
Insights into how bias manifests in educational settings, impacting assessments, student-teacher interactions, and classroom dynamics.
Practical strategies to recognize and challenge bias, helping us create more inclusive and equitable environments for all students.
SPEAKER
Katie Barns, ICSZ
My experience in this field has been from focusing my dissertation around this topic - specifically looking at cultural bias within Maths. In addition, I worked as part of a team in my previous school looking into these topics and also teaching them to students in G11 and G12. We worked as a team to increase the cultural competencies of the school within the staff cohort. My interest and passion has led to self-research and I am always looking for new courses in this area to further my knowledge and experience too. I have run a 30 minute session on this in my current school which was well received.
