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Pre-service Teachers’ Implicit Bias: Impacts of Confrontation, Reflection, and Discussion
Study shows how preservice teachers use reflection, discussion, and critical literacy to examine implicit bias and deepen understanding of race and identity.
Pre-service Teachers’ Implicit Bias: Impacts of Confrontation, Reflection, and Discussion
Preservice teachers often wonder how to recognize their own implicit bias and what reflective practice looks like when learning about race and identity. In this study, Katherine E. Batchelor, Kendra DeWater, and Kennedy Thompson explore how an undergraduate literacy course used critical literacy, structured reflection, and peer discussion to help future teachers confront attitudes they may not realize they hold. Through an online forum and in-class dialogue, students examined their reactions to the Implicit Association Test, shared personal experiences, and practiced naming the racial dynamics that shape everyday interactions.
The authors found that honest conversation depended on a supportive classroom environment grounded in critical literacy—the idea that readers must question how language, power, and identity shape what they see and believe. Many preservice teachers initially denied or minimized their implicit bias, expressing discomfort or emphasizing “colorblind” views. But as they reflected, they began connecting their test results to their upbringing, community demographics, and limited exposure to racial diversity. Students of color also used the space to share their own experiences with misidentification and bias, expanding the group’s understanding of how identity impacts learning and teaching.
This study highlights that preservice teacher learning requires more than awareness—it requires time to question assumptions, listen deeply, and practice reflective language. The authors argue that addressing implicit bias is essential for equitable teaching, since educators’ beliefs influence expectations, discipline decisions, and relationships. Integrating critical literacy practices into teacher preparation helps future educators examine how bias forms and how they can interrupt its effects in classrooms.
Faculty authors: Katherine E. Batchelor, Miami University
Student authors: Kendra DeWater, Miami University; Kennedy Thompson, Miami University
Keywords: implicit bias, preservice teacher learning, race and identity, critical literacy, reflective teaching practice
Publication details: Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 7(1), 2019. “Pre-service Teachers’ Implicit Bias: Impacts of Confrontation, Reflection, and Discussion.”