Negative Views on Black College Students.
...mproved. In addition, teachers and administrators could let the students know that the tests are presented in a racially fair way. By doing so, the students’ motivation and self-confidence will improve and their test performance will therefore be at the same level as white students. When stereotype threat is reduced black students perform equally as well as white students. A black student performs at a lower level when she feels that she is in a situation that will stereotypically enforce their low performance. Tests need to be seen as racially fair, but this is difficult because they have not been as fair as for so long that it has minority students weary of their fairness. The only way to do this was to ensure the students that the research had been done by lacks they need to feel a sense of trust. Underperformance seems to be rooted in social mistrust more than in self-doubt (Steele 45). Also, any critical feedback given to these students needs to be done in a way that will be trusted and not questioned and doubted in anyway. By telling the students of color that the standards used to view their work was high and that they are capable to meet these, is an indication to these students that stereotypes were not looked at. When feedback is construed as ambiguous, this causes the students to think that it was caused by negative stereotypes located within the social realm. Creating a favorable climate will result in significant performance differences. The development of cross- group communication with teachers and amongst students of different cultural backgrounds will lead to success of the students that tend to be left on the side, because of social stereotype associated with their race. Steele gives an example in which both black students and white students were given an assignment to write about their favorite teacher. After the teacher reviewed their essays, she returned feedback on what she thought about their assignment, and told them that their work was very good. However, black students took that statement as ‘biased” while white the students saw it as a compliment. However, when these black students felt trust in the teacher they took the statement as “unbiased” and regarded it more as a motivation to go home and improve their essay. Not only do the students have to develop trust, but teachers and administrators can help to reduce stereotype threat as well. Steele suggests that in order for these black students’ test scores to improve they need the help of administers and teachers. Teachers should let these students know beforehand that they assume race fairness rather than race division; everyone’s work is looked at in the same standards of grading and feel trust in themselves. Steele’s experiment developed a program of 250 students in a large dormitory, which assist students to focus on their academic work. Furthermore, telling the students that their admission to the program was based on race fairness rather than race division helped to strengthen their ability. The program helped students to feel trust and “gave them a significant academic jump-start” (Steele 221). The program also helped them to feel more racially secure than when they were not a part of the program. During their weekly ses...