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Centering Justice in Health Professions Education by Owning Limitations of Anti-Bias Checklists
Introduction In this article, researchers Wyatt and Randall argue that anti-bias checklists (checklists for assessing bias in educational content) can identify biased, harmful aspects of educational curricula. However, despite providing these identifications, these assessments fail to create systemic change or improve the experience of Black, Indigenous and students of color inside and outside of the…
Read MoreA sense of belonging at university: student retention, motivation and enjoyment
Introduction University students’ sense of belonging is increasingly recognized for its impact on their retention, motivation, and enjoyment. The psychological need for belonging, a concept central to Baumeister and Leary’s theories and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, facilitates social integration in addition to academic engagement and success. This research highlights the critical role of belonging in…
Read MoreUnderstanding Healthcare Students’ Experiences of Racial Bias: A Narrative Review of the Role of Implicit Bias and Potential Interventions in Educational Settings
An overview of implicit racial bias in medical education. Introduction The field of research studying implicit racial bias in the healthcare and medical sectors is continuing to grow. While there is significant research examining implicit bias among healthcare professionals, the field has yet to produce many studies focusing on the specific effects on medical students…
Read MoreAntiracist school leadership: making ‘race’ count in leadership preparation and development
Introduction Schools around the world have started to grapple more acutely with racism due to the changing needs of an increasingly racially diverse and integrated student population, as well as in response to urgent calls for educational reform. These calls particularly urge educational reforms that include to developing and growing an antiracist curriculum and trainings.…
Read MoreFrom Diversity to Inclusion to Equity: A Theory of Generative Interactions
Definitions Introduction Research has demonstrated that investments in diversity and inclusion efforts implemented by organizations throughout the United States have not effectively improved institutional racial equity or reduced staff and leader racial biases. This paper by Bernstein, Bulger, Salipante, and Weisinger identifies organizational practices that promote generative interactions and successfully advance institutional racial inclusion and…
Read MoreCan Restorative Justice Disrupt the ‘School-to-Prison Pipeline?’
Introduction More than ever before, punitive disciplinary practices in educational settings are coming under increasingly fierce scrutiny. Practices like suspension and expulsion have disproportionately affected students from marginalized and minoritized backgrounds, particularly those in poor and under-resourced communities. Not only have these types of zero-tolerance disciplinary policies failed to improve students’ academic achievement, but they…
Read MoreOrganizational Change and the Chief Diversity Officer: A Case Study of Institutionalizing a Diversity Plan
Introduction The benefits of diversity in educational environments are well documented – diversity in the classroom helps to prepare students to live in a global world, enhance civic engagement, and reduce racism. On the other hand, there has been little research conducted on how educational institutions can achieve such diversity. Specifically, the impact of diversity…
Read MoreBait and Switch: Representation, Climate, and Tensions of Diversity Work in Graduate Education
Introduction Historically, students who are admitted to and matriculate from graduate programs do not reflect the racial diversity of the US population at large. Most American graduate programs are comprised predominantly of white students while Black, Indigenous, and students of color make up a much smaller relative percentage. This is especially true for programs in…
Read MoreLeading through a Critical Lens: The Application of DisCrit in Framing, Implementing and Improving Equity Driven, Educational Systems for All Students
Introduction This conceptual paper by Kozleski, Stepaniuk, and Proffitt centers around the application of DisCrit in education systems. DisCrit is a theoretical framework that examines the interconnected relationship of racism and ableism. DisCrit is studied to better understand oppressive systems and practices that perpetuate racism and ableism while simultaneously providing insights and tools to learn…
Read MoreRacial Disparities in Student Debt and the Reproduction of the Fragile Black Middle Class
Introduction In the US, a college degree is a prerequisite for access to many middle-class and high-paying jobs. Yet, the social and economic payoff of a college degree is racialized, as evidenced by the highest economic disparities across races existing within the college-educated middle class. Relatedly, a growing body of research recognizes that the burdens…
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