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The essence of awareness of implicit bias: A phenomenological case study of educators' stories of coming to the realization they possess implicit bias

Miller, Kurtz Karlmichael
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6982-568X
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1574284477424395

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Educational Leadership.
Teachers need a greater understanding of implicit (unconscious) bias and how these phenomena reinforce and support racist processes and systems. The current public education landscape in parts of the United States focuses too much attention upon data-based decision-making, integrated comprehensive systems, collaborative work in teacher teams, and so-called value-free improvement processes meant to enact system-wide changes in teaching. Unfortunately, there is not enough emphasis being placed upon altering teachers' implicit biases about African-American students. More research is needed to better understand the barriers teachers face in coming to the realization they harbor implicit bias toward African-Americans. This study offers an analysis of educators' perceptions and understandings of implicit (unconscious) bias by detailing their stories of how they came to the realization they possessed bias toward African-American students. My research question was: "What are the stories of educators who have come to the realization they possess implicit bias toward African-American students?" The title is somewhat of a misnomer because coming to the full realization of possessing implicit bias toward African-American students is quite difficult for Whites to attain. Three teachers in a diverse suburban school called Northfield High School -- adjacent to a "hypersegregated" Midwestern city -- were interviewed with the aim of understanding how they came to the realization they had implicit bias. The three participants answered questions in advance of being accepted into the study to demonstrate they had an interest in studying and an understanding of implicit bias. An initial interview was conducted to understand teachers' educational pasts, presents, and imagined futures without implicit bias. A follow-up interview gauged teachers' understandings of implicit bias on the basis of open-ended questions about readings. The findings indicated White participants possessed significant barriers preventing them from coming to the full realization they harbored implicit bias. Barriers often prevent Whites from realizing personal biases. The barriers include the lack of knowledge of bias, a colorblind ideology, an ignorance of the Black experience in America, structural isolation from African-Americans, and views of so-called reverse discrimination. The single African-American participant readily admitted her believed biases while the two White participants either completely denied having implicit bias or cautiously sidestepped the questions while accepting other tenets of racism. This study may add valuable insights to the literature on implicit (unconscious) bias about how Whites come to the realization they harbor implicit bias toward African-American students through vignettes as well as autobiographical storytelling through the method of currere.
Thomas Poetter (Committee Chair)
Denise Taliaferro Baszile (Committee Member)
William Boone (Committee Member)
Joel Malin (Committee Member)
296 p.
African American Studies; Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Educational Theory; Sociology; Teacher Education; Teaching
Implicit bias; Colorblind ideology; Realization of implicit bias; Teachers understandings of implicit bias; Barriers to the realization of implicit bias; Overcoming implicit bias; Antiracist Teacher training; Method of currere; Autobiographical storytelling

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Miller, K. K. (2019). The essence of awareness of implicit bias: A phenomenological case study of educators' stories of coming to the realization they possess implicit bias [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1574284477424395

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Miller, Kurtz. The essence of awareness of implicit bias: A phenomenological case study of educators' stories of coming to the realization they possess implicit bias. 2019. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1574284477424395.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Miller, Kurtz. "The essence of awareness of implicit bias: A phenomenological case study of educators' stories of coming to the realization they possess implicit bias." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1574284477424395

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami1574284477424395
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This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.