Sixteen-year-old Camila is complaining about the test she just completed for a university research team. The test administrator sneered at her when she asked a question about the instructions. She didn't know how to answer questions about football. She couldn't understand the questions about cultural norms in early America. She was uncomfortable answering questions about religious beliefs. She

Question

didn't like questions implying that Latino children may not have high expectations for learning. She and the other girls in her group noticed that only ethnic minority students were being tested. Explain the validity of Camila's complaints and the weaknesses of the research plan.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Camila's complaints relate to assessment bias and cultural insensitivity. The test administrator and entire research team should have been trained to exhibit unbiased behaviors. Questions about football are more likely to be understood and answered correctly by males than by females. Questions about early American cultural norms probably lack cultural sensitivity. Throughout American history, our nation has been comprised of multiple cultures. Questions about religious beliefs are subject to bias depending on the purpose of the research and the wording of the questions. All questions should be scrutinized for cultural bias; Camila should not have encountered questions that made her feel judged because of her ethnicity. Camila and her peers should not have experienced these sources of bias and cultural insensitivity. These factors contributed to their discomfort in being tested as a minority group.