Factors Predicting Satisfaction With a Microaggression Workshop for School Personnel

Abstract

Racial microaggressions, or subtle race-based insults are associated with negative consequences for receivers. Institutional racism in education directly influences the dissemination of these transgressions in schools, as school personnel may engage in microaggressive behavior toward each other and their students. Given recent calls to address racism, schools and districts may seek to implement trainings to improve school personnel’s understanding of these transgressions and their consequences. As part of the current study, we explored factors that might contribute to school personnel’s satisfaction with a microaggression training. Participants completed survey items to assess their colorblind racial attitudes, satisfaction with the workshop, and their perceptions surrounding the need for such trainings. We found that colorblind attitudes and perceptions of necessity predicted satisfaction. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Impact Statement

Calls to address racial injustice in response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor during the summer of 2021 have produced an increase in requests for antiracism workshops and trainings across several organizations and professions. In K–12 schools, these trainings may be beneficial in helping school personnel learn about and address racial microaggressions (race-based insults), which may hinder students’ success. Although it is imperative that these conversations take place, it is equally important that we are able to understand how school personnel engage in these trainings to increase the likelihood that their behavior will change because of participation. The goal of this study was to understand factors that contribute to school personnel’s satisfaction with a microaggression training.

Keywords:

• microaggression
• antiracism
• workshops

ASSOCIATE EDITOR:

• Jamilia Blake

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to thank Kara Cicciarelli, Ph.D. and Khyati Verma, M.S. for their help with data collection and colleagues at the sampled school for their support.

DISCLOSURE

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brea M. Banks

Brea Banks, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Illinois State University. She is a licensed school and clinical psychologist. Dr. Banks’ research interests include the cognitive consequences of microaggression and more broadly the experiences of K–12 and university students of color. She has also published material surrounding autism spectrum disorder, neonatal follow-up, literacy in refugee children, and behavioral treatment integrity. Her teaching interests surround cognitive assessment, multicultural counseling, and social justice issues in psychology.

Nitza Torres González

Nitza M. Torres González is an advanced graduate student in the School Psychology PhD Program at Illinois State University. She earned her BA from The University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus with a major in psychology. Her research interests include harmful effects of microaggressions, autism spectrum disorder, and effects of paternal involvement in child development.

Keeley Hynes

Megan Donnelly, MS, is a PhD candidate in the School Psychology Program at Illinois State University. Her research interests include socio-cognitive differences involved in bullying, consultation and teleconsultation practices, and social justice practice in schools.

Megan Donnelly

Keeley Hynes, MS, is a PhD candidate in the School Psychology Program at Illinois State University. Her research focuses on social media, specifically the intensity of social media thought processes and their impact on mental health and school-related outcomes. Currently, she is working on incorporating online microaggressions into her research. She hopes to utilize these topics to improve awareness and advocacy of social justice and cultural responsiveness in secondary and postsecondary education settings.