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Bias details, teaching context, teaching suggestions:
False Consensus Effect | Just World Bias | Social Desirability Bias | Self-Serving Bias | Groupthink Effect | Actor-Observer Bias | Confirmation Bias | Dunning Kruger Effect / Illusory Superiority | Halo Effect | Bias Blind Spot
Bias: Self serving bias
Definition of the bias: Self-serving bias is a cognitive tendency to attribute personal successes to internal factors (e.g., skill or effort) and failures to external factors (e.g., circumstances or other people). This bias helps individuals maintain a positive self-image and protect their self-esteem.
Self-serving bias in educational settings can hinder growth and collaboration by leading teachers and students to attribute successes to their own efforts while blaming failures on external factors, such as others or circumstances.
Classroom Discussion Assumptions: During a classroom discussion on a controversial topic like climate change, a teacher assumes the class's enthusiastic participation reflects the effectiveness of their discussion facilitation. However, if the conversation becomes heated or unproductive, the teacher blames the students for being too emotional or unprepared.
IMPACT: this bias can hinder teachers from critically evaluating their own role in fostering constructive discussions, particularly on sensitive or controversial issues.
Classroom Performance / Group Projects: In a group project, a student takes credit for the team’s success, citing their leadership or hard work. However, if the project receives a low grade, the student blames teammates for poor contributions, lack of effort, or bad communication.
IMPACT: self-serving bias can lead to tension among students, as individuals may overlook the collaborative nature of group work and unfairly shift blame, damaging peer relationships.
Homework Expectations / Feedback on Assignments: A teacher attributes high-quality homework submissions to their clear instructions and well-structured assignments. When students submit poor-quality work, the teacher assumes they didn’t put in enough effort or didn’t care, without considering whether the instructions were overly complex or unclear.
IMPACT:this bias can create a disconnect between teachers and students, as students may feel unsupported if their struggles are dismissed as laziness or lack of interest.
Technology in the Classroom: A teacher incorporates new technology into their lessons and attributes increased student engagement to their innovative teaching methods. However, if students struggle to use the technology effectively, the teacher blames the students for not being tech-savvy rather than evaluating whether adequate guidance or training was provided.
IMPACT: overlooking the need for teacher-led support in technology integration can lead to frustration for students and missed learning opportunities.
Parental Assumptions: a teacher feels proud when students perform well and assumes it is due to their strong teaching strategies. However, when a student consistently underperforms, the teacher attributes it to the parents’ lack of involvement or the student’s home environment, without reflecting on how classroom dynamics or instructional methods might be contributing.
IMPACT: this bias can strain relationships between teachers and parents and prevent collaborative efforts to support the student’s success.
In-class activity
Below is an activity in which you can use the same situation for teaching purposes. Please first read the scenario to your students and then have them discuss the situation and its implications. You can use the information provided to guide your class discussion.
Scenario
Mr. Turner, a high school math teacher, notices a trend in his students’ performance. Recently, the class average on a test was very high, and Mr. Turner credits his engaging teaching style and well-designed lessons for the success. However, on a subsequent test with lower scores, he concludes that the students did not study enough or take the material seriously. During a staff meeting, he mentions, "It’s hard to motivate struggling students to put in the effort."
Meanwhile, some students discuss the test. One student notes that the easier format of the first test helped them perform better, while another mentions that unclear instructions and challenging problems on the second test contributed to their lower scores.
Teaching Points:
This scenario demonstrates how self-serving bias can lead to attributing successes to internal factors (e.g., teaching methods) while blaming failures on external factors (e.g., students' lack of effort).
Definition of Self-Serving Bias: Self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to one’s own efforts or abilities while blaming negative outcomes on external factors.
Impact on Educational Settings
For Teachers: May prevent self-reflection on teaching methods and discourage adjustments to instructional strategies.
For Students: Can undermine accountability and lead to unfair evaluations of peers or teachers.
Overall Impact: Self-serving bias can perpetuate misunderstandings and limit opportunities for growth and collaboration in the classroom.
How to Overcome This Bias
Encourage Reflection: Use feedback and data to evaluate both successes and failures objectively.
Foster Open Dialogue: Create an environment where teachers and students can discuss challenges and successes without assigning blame.
Focus on Process: Highlight the importance of both teaching methods and student engagement in achieving learning outcomes.
Teachers Can Use This Example To…
Explore how self-serving bias might affect their own perceptions of teaching and student performance.
Initiate discussions about shared responsibility in education between teachers and students.
Demonstrate how bias impacts decision-making and critical reflection.
Discussion Questions
1. How might Mr. Turner’s perspective affect his willingness to adapt his teaching methods after the lower test scores?
2. What role do student factors (e.g., effort, understanding) and teacher factors (e.g., clarity, lesson design) play in academic outcomes?
3. How can teachers balance accountability between their own responsibilities and their students’ efforts?
4. What strategies could Mr. Turner use to objectively analyze test performance trends?
5. How can students and teachers work together to avoid attributing failures solely to one side?
Additional case (with reference to a controversial issue): Ms. Patel, a social studies teacher, leads a classroom discussion on income inequality and taxation policies. She notices that students from wealthier backgrounds seem hesitant to participate, while others are highly vocal in advocating for progressive taxation. At the end of the discussion, Ms. Patel feels proud, attributing the thoughtful comments and lively debate to her skill in creating an open and engaging classroom environment.
However, when a few students express dissatisfaction in their reflective essays, stating that they felt pressured to conform to dominant viewpoints or that the topic was too divisive, Ms. Patel dismisses the feedback, believing that these students were simply unwilling to engage in meaningful dialogue or lacked an understanding of the subject.