Study: When Black students see themselves reflected in lessons, they perform better academically

Edutopia

Seeing Yourself in Classroom Materials Boosts Grades
When Black students see themselves reflected in lessons, they perform better academically, a 2019 study revealed.
https://wpvip.edutopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Artboard-1-co..." width="660" alt="Bar graph featuring course grade on the Y-axis, left bar says 79% Black imagery and content, right bar says 70% White Imagery and Content" class="CToWUd a6T"/>
As you plan lesson materials for the new school year, consider the images and references you’ve assembled—do they reflect your students’ backgrounds? 

In a 2019 study, researchers discovered that making small, culturally relevant adjustments to classroom materials can promote a sense of connection for Black students—boosting achievement by almost a full letter grade.

In the study, which was conducted among college students at the historically Black Tennessee State University, presentation slides in two otherwise identical psychology courses were slightly altered: In one course, all of the images in the slides depicted White people, while in the second group, the images were swapped to depict Black people. Written references were also adjusted: In the first class, for example, the materials mentioned health disparities affecting White Americans in Appalachia, while the other course alluded to similar concerns among Black populations.

At the end of the course, Black students exposed to the culturally relevant slides scored 9 percentage points higher than their Black peers in the comparison group, demonstrating that seemingly small inequities can become big obstacles—and making the case that we all learn better when we see our own lives reflected in classrooms and lesson plans.

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