The human mind is the aggregation of all thought processes, ideas, knowledge, and opinions of the individual. Because of this, analytical procedures that require objectivity, such as evaluating or reviewing the work of others, are subject to many biases. One of the most common biases in educators is the confirmation one. According to teaching experts, it “occurs because people tend to focus on evidence that “confirms” their existing beliefs or theories and dismiss evidence that does not support these beliefs or theories” (Assessment and bias, n.d., para. 1). Another teacher bias that is also widespread is the gender bias. An example of it is the statistical fact that girls get slightly better assessment results than boys in the United Kingdom (Newton, 2021). Ethnicity or racial bias also exists; it is a situation when the educator exaggerates or underestimates the performance of members of minority groups in terms of grades due to personal beliefs (Newton, 2021). There is also a disadvantage bias when teachers evaluate the works of pupils representing disadvantaged communities in favor or against these groups.
Like other professionals in the educational field, I can also be affected by various biases when evaluating class assignments, home works, and examinations. I would use prophylactic methods like blind grading and approved rubrics for assessment to prevent such interferences. One of the effective evidence-based strategies for managing and preventing biases is the teacher’s exploration of their various types (Peterson et al., 2019). Learning the gender-neutral language and concepts of assessment and developing a gender-neutral mental framework for professional evaluation also helps one eliminate their stereotypical and prejudiced thinking. Regular introspection and self-reflection on social and political topics are helpful too.
References
Assessment and bias. (n.d.). DePaul University. Web.
Newton, P. (2021). Bias in teacher assessment results. GOV.UK. Web.
Peterson, D. A., Biederman, L. A., Andersen, D., Ditonto, T. M., & Roe, K. (2019). Mitigating gender bias in student evaluations of teaching.PloS ONE, 14(5), 1-10. Web.