School Consultation to Counter Stereotype Threat

ABSTRACT

Perceptions teachers have regarding their students are associated with their students’ school performance. Similarly, students’ psychoeducational and psychosocial functioning are partly shaped by their beliefs about teachers’ opinions of them. Psychoeducational performance and psychosocial interactions are linked with perceived stereotype threats. Stereotype threat refers to how a person’s fear or anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype associated with being a member of a stigmatized group undermines their performance in evaluative contexts. This work offers a theoretical and practical prevention and intervention teaching and learning framework to ameliorate stereotype threat. We describe the stereotype threat interruption model (STIM) as a consultation model that delineates stereotype threat and provides teacher-focused, student-centered, and environment-applied consultation strategies to abrogate its effects. STIM is applicable in graduate training and in the professional environment. It highlights a prevention science teaching and learning framework that proactively encourages healthy student development and efficient consultation services.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Oliver W. Edwards

Oliver W. Edwards, Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA-D, is a professor with the School Psychology Program at the University of Central Florida (UCF). His research interests include the psychoeducational and psychosocial functioning of children raised by grandparents. He also studies factors that prevent or moderate stereotype threat.

Caitlyn McKinzie Bennett

Caitlyn McKinzie Bennett, PhD, LMHC, NCC, is an adjunct faculty member with the Counselor Education Program at UCF. She studies neurofeedback training interventions on college students’ levels of anxiety, stress, and depression.

Brooke Johnson

Brooke Johnson, BA, is a student in the School Psychology Program at UCF. She has worked as research assistant in the Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Lab. Currently, she is interested in School Psychology practice.