Summary and Discussion
AHN, FG, and Transfer Students Face Many Challenges
Achievement gaps exist between White and AHN students, FG and CG students, and transfer and non-transfer students. The ultimate causes of these gaps are numerous, varied, and interrelated, but the primary proximal drivers of the achievement gaps are 1) lack of belongingness, 2) increased stress and anxiety, and 3) decreased engagement and performance. Instructors who wish to ensure the success of all students in their classrooms must acknowledge and address these proximal drivers of the achievement gaps.
Instructor Practices Can Reduce the Primary Drivers of the Achievement Gaps
College instructors have many evidence-based practices in their toolkit that they can use to decrease the achievement gaps in their classrooms. First, because bias and racism can directly or indirectly affect all three of the proximal drivers of the achievement gap, countering bias and racism is a necessary first step to ensure equity and inclusivity in the classroom. Instructors can combat the barriers created by bias and racism by promoting multiculturalism, preventing and responding to microaggressions, using microaffirmations, and by recognizing and reducing their own implicit biases. Instructors can combat the barriers created by bias and racism by promoting multiculturalism, preventing and responding to microaggressions, using microaffirmations, and by recognizing and reducing their own implicit biases.Once steps have been taken to counter bias and racism in the classroom, instructors can then turn their attention to addressing the three primary proximal drivers of the achievement gap: 1) lack of belonging, 2) increased stress and anxiety, and 3) decreased engagement and performance. There are many approaches that instructors can use to increase student belonging in their classrooms and a central pillar of these approaches is respect for students and concern for their wellbeing. Students feel that they belong in the classroom when instructors create a welcoming environment, treat students with respect, increase instructor immediacy and instructor-student rapport, increase student autonomy, and encourage student participation. It is difficult for students who are stressed or anxious to perform at their best. For this reason, instructors should work to reduce student stress and anxiety by preemptively discussing stress and anxiety coping strategies, using warm calling instead of cold calling, increasing deadline flexibility, reducing the number of high stakes exams, and by using humor in the classroom. In addition, both lack of belongingness and stress and anxiety can be reduced by framing adversity as common and temporary. Both lack of belongingness, and stress and anxiety can be reduced by framing adversity as common and temporary. Lastly, in order to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing or eliminating the achievement gaps, instructors must work to increase student engagement and performance