A Strategy for Engaging Pre-Service Teachers in Discussions about Implicit Bias
Abstract: Implicit bias is an area of study that has received increased amounts of attention from both scholars and practitioners working in the field of education. With implications for providing students with quality educational experiences, mindfulness of unconscious choices, and being inclusive and supportive of all students, implicit bias is an important area of study. As search engines are being used frequently in schools, there is a need to develop educators’ awareness of the "algorithmic oppression" inherent in search engine results reported to them. However, after a review of literature, educators are not aware of algorithmic oppression nor of their levels of implicit bias. This presents an opportunity for teacher educators to address that topic in their educator preparation programs, and this study describes and assesses an instructional strategy specifically developed for that purpose. This presentation will present a research-based study that discerns the effectiveness of increasing pre-service teachers' awareness of implicit bias when using search engines. This session will first introduce the need for this study and then it will provide a definition of implicit bias and a framework for situating implicit bias within society. The methodology will next be shared followed by the findings and implications. This session is ideal for teacher educators interested in using technology to address implicit bias in educator preparation programs.
Presider: Nari Kim, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh