Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Kate Rollert French, Education
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-17-2026
Abstract
This project examines the potential of counterstorytelling as a tool to disrupt implicit racial bias among pre-service teachers during the early stages of teacher preparation. Existing research consistently demonstrates that educators’ implicit attitudes influence expectations, disciplinary decisions, and interpretations of student behavior, often reinforcing racial inequities within educational systems. Because teachers play a critical role in shaping students’ academic achievement and social development, identifying strategies that address bias before educators enter the classroom is especially important.
Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), this study investigates whether exposure to counterstories, narratives authored by people of color that challenge dominant racial ideologies. can influence implicit beliefs that operate largely outside of conscious awareness. A quasi-experimental mixed-methods design was employed with 142 first-year education majors at a liberal arts institution. All participants completed the Race Implicit Association Test (Race IAT) before and after an instructional intervention centered on the text Caste. Fifty-nine participants engaged in a counterstorytelling intervention, while thirty-six served as a comparison group.
Quantitative analyses using ANCOVA revealed that implicit pro-White bias was present across both groups. However, participants exposed to counterstories demonstrated a trend toward reduced implicit bias following the intervention. Qualitative data from focus groups offered additional insight into these findings. Participants described heightened awareness of marginalized perspectives and increased recognition of how racial narratives become normalized within society. Many reflected critically on their own assumptions and emphasized that confronting bias requires sustained, intentional effort rather than reliance on colorblind approaches.
Together, the quantitative and qualitative findings suggest that counterstorytelling holds promise as a pedagogical strategy for encouraging pre-service teachers to critically examine implicit racial bias. Although preliminary, these results highlight the importance of incorporating narrative-based racial equity work into teacher education curricula. Ongoing data collection will further clarify how counterstories influence implicit attitudes over time and whether these shifts translate into more equitable classroom practices.
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Ingbretson, Delaney and Den Bleyker, Abigail, "Challenging Implicit Racial Bias in Teacher Preparation: A Critical Race Theory Approach Using Counterstories" (2026). 25th Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2026). Paper 9.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/curca_25/9
April 17, 2026. Copyright © 2026 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
Comments
This work was graciously funded by the David and Carol Cole Faculty Development Fund.
Title on poster differs from abstract booklet. Poster title: Reframing Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs: Investigating Post-Intervention Discussions on Implicit Biases