Teacher and student race as a predictor for negative feedback during instruction

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Sociology of Education
• Racial Equity in Education

Background:

• Persistent achievement gaps exist between White and Black students in the U.S. educational system.
• Black students face disproportionately higher suspension rates compared to White students.
• The effectiveness of teacher-student racial matching as a sole solution remains inadequately supported by research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interaction between teacher race and student race on teacher and student behaviors.
• To analyze behavioral dynamics in elementary and high school teacher-student dyads.
• To examine how race influences classroom interactions and feedback patterns.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 41 Black and White teacher-student dyads in elementary schools.
• Analysis of 41 Black and White teacher-student dyads in high schools.
• Observation and recording of teacher and student behaviors within these dyads.

Main Results:

• Black students exhibited slightly higher rates of off-task and disruptive behavior.
• Both Black and White teachers provided significantly more negative feedback to Black students.
• This pattern of negative feedback occurred irrespective of the Black students' behavior.

Conclusions:

• Teacher race alone is not a sufficient factor in addressing racial disparities.
• Classroom interactions and feedback patterns require critical examination for racial bias.
• Further research is needed to understand and mitigate negative feedback loops affecting Black students.