Literacy 4-6

Stereotype Threat

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Factor Connections

Hover to see how Factors connect to Stereotype Threat. Then click connected Factors to explore strategies related to multiple Factors.

How Stereotype Threat connects to...

Many stereotypes exist about the academic performance of learners based on categories such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Stereotype Threat suggests that people can underperform in many academic areas, including learning to read and write, when faced with this prospect of being judged.

Main Ideas

Stereotype Threat occurs when a negative stereotype that exists in a culture about a group results in suboptimal academic performance by members of that group. This can impact performance even in classrooms where the learner does not personally experience prejudiced behavior toward them by teachers or peers. This is particularly true on tests where students are told the test is diagnostic of their intellectual abilities. Also, individuals who do not believe the stereotype is true about their group will often still experience the negative effects of Stereotype Threat.

People can hold two types of stereotypes:

  • People may be unaware of their implicit stereotypes, but these beliefs can still impact their behaviors towards and interpretations of others in an unconscious manner.
  • People are aware of their explicit stereotypes, which can also impact their behaviors towards and interpretations of others.

In the United States, Stereotype Threat impacts literacy for multiple groups:

  • Certain minority groups, such as Latinos/Latinas and African Americans, are at risk of negative stereotypes of reading and writing ability.
  • Boys are also at risk of Stereotype Threat because of the general belief that girls are better at reading and writing.
  • Negative stereotypes will impact reading performance in students who most highly value achievement in the literacy domain.

Students' awareness of stereotypes about different groups increases with age, and students who are from groups that are often subject to negative academic stereotypes are even more aware of those stereotypes than students from non-stereotyped groups.

Learn More

  • Gender, Race, and Ethnic Identity: Subtopic that explores various ways students' identity and experiences of discrimination affect outcomes on Digital Promise's Research Map
  • Stereotype Threat: Subtopic that explores how social stigmas related to race, gender, and other identifiers can affect students' academic outcomes on Digital Promise's Research Map
  • Motivation: The desire that guides behavior
    • Students who face Stereotype Threat often have lower self-efficacy, which underlies Motivation (Wasserberg, 2014).

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Research-Based Strategies For This Factor

Book Clubs

Students practice making and finding meaning in their reading through a book club model.

Family Engagement

Students are more likely to come to school when families feel like a valued part of the community.

Foster Growth Mindset

Teachers can help students understand that learning involves effort, mistakes, and reflection by teaching them about their malleable brain and modeling their own learning process.

Growth Mindset Feedback

Attributing results to controllable aspects (strategy and effort) fosters students' beliefs in self.

Incorporate Students' Cultural Practices

Learning about students' cultures and connecting them to instructional practices helps all students feel like valued members of the community, which improves Motivation.

Mindfulness Activities

Through short but regular mindfulness activities, students develop their awareness and ability to focus.

Mindfulness Breaks

Short breaks that include mindfulness quiet the brain to allow for improved thinking and emotional regulation.

Model Positive Connections to Literacy

By sharing their own reading and writing, teachers can create a literacy community that supports students in finding meaning in their own work.

Provide Writing Models

When students read models of the type of writing they are doing, they can identify effective elements to incorporate in their writing.

Reflect on Learning

Providing space and time for students to reflect is critical for moving what they have learned into Long-term Memory.

Rich Library: Diversity

Multicultural and diverse books are critical for supporting all students.

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