These are unusually challenging times for teachers. Educators have the responsibility of preparing students to compete in the first truly global economy during a period of high speed societal change. In the United States and many western nations, these changes are marked by rapid increases in minority populations and unprecedented levels of diversity in classrooms and in the workforce. To meet such challenges, educators require the latest research and resources focused on successfully educating minority students.
This interactive video module was created by the National Health Museum and the Morehouse School of Medicine. It addresses a thorny classroom issue known as Stereotype Threat that deals with identifying and resolving achievement gaps involving students who belong to groups traditionally described as being negatively stereotyped. The module focuses on both how to identify and understand the achievement gap problem, and how to reduce it.
As a teacher there are some things you can't control, such as your student's home life and the quality of their prior educational experiences. But with Stereotype Threat you can make a difference. Research on Stereotype Threat shows that there are hidden processes that can happen right in your classroom, and if you understand these dynamics you can help kids do better, learn more from your teaching, and help narrow achievement gaps.
The program examines ways in which differences between the academic performance of students from different social groups can result from negative stereotypes in society. It is specifically designed to broaden the perspective of and provide new solutions for teachers who are seeking new ways to improve student performance.
The module also highlights psychological interventions that have proven successful in improving the academic performance of students in all grade levels. We hope you will find particularly useful the identification of effective strategies for closing the achievement gap between African Americans and other ethnic groups, as well as for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and their male counterparts.