Reducing the Effect of Stereotype Threat on Achievement: Classroom Interventions (Event Flyer)

Presented by:
Dustin Thoman, Ph.D.
Psychology Department, California State University, Long Beach

Video Recording of Presentation
Handout of Presentation Slides (PDF)

Strategies for Classroom Interventions (PDF)

Educators becoming aware of research on stereotype threat are motivated to understand what can be done to ameliorate the influence of stereotypes on student achievement. Although there is no "magic bullet" for closing achievement gaps, psychology researchers have designed and implemented a number of successful stereotype threat interventions with promising results. These interventions work by targeting psychological variables that have been implicated in stereotype threat processes, demonstrating that subtle theory-driven interventions can produce big effects. This talk describes properties of successful interventions, provides details for four types of successful interventions, demonstrates how to use these interventions, and discusses pros and cons for implementing each type of interventions in college classrooms. Attendees will leave with concrete ideas for their own classes.

References

• Aronson, J., Fried, C.B., Good, C. (2001). Reducing the effects of stereotype threat on African American college students by shaping theories of intelligence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 113–125
• Cohen, G.L., Garcia, J., Apfel, N., Master, A. (2006). Reducing the racial achievement gap: A social-psychological intervention. Science, 313, 1307-1310.
• Hong, H.-Y., & Lin-Siegler, X., (2011). How learning about scientists' struggles influences students' interest and learning in physics. Journal of Educational Psychology, Advance online publication.
• Walton, G.M., & Cohen, G.L., (2011). A brief social-belonging intervention improves academic and health outcomes of minority students. Science, 331, 1447-1451.

Lunch will be provided, please RSVP to teachers@lmu.edu or call (310) 338-5866.

This presentation is part of Lily Khadjavi's Faculty Associate project on Increasing Diversity: Addressing Stereotype Threat.

This program will be video and audio taped and may be podcast. By your willing participation in the program, you expressly and irrevocably consent to be photographed, videotaped and/or audio taped and quoted/cited. The films, tapes, and other digital recordings will become the property of the Center of Teaching Excellence, LMU.