Bias With Respect to Social Research Paper

Total Length: 936 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

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The Tampa Bay Times recently reported on the standoff between school administrators, who claim the offending passages have been taken out of context, and protestors who have cried foul over what they perceive to be ideological indoctrination, stating that "the concerns raise the specter of textbook wars in other states, especially Texas, where ideological camps have long locked horns over everything from the validity of evolution to how much the Founding Fathers were guided by Christianity" (Matus & Solochek, 2011).

The inclusion of biased statements within textbooks which are widely regarded by students as unimpeachable records of factual statement is startling to say the least. There are several serious ramifications that this disturbing trend may have on the nation's educational efficacy, with entire generations of students learning from wildly disparate perspectives depending on the vagaries of publishing arrangements, administrative agendas, and other corruptive forces. Research on the construction of textbook content, and the role of the author in delivering an effective educational experience, has shown that "the author is assumed to be the supreme authority ...
(and) the importance of the content coupled with the esteem of the author leaves students at the mercy of bias, prejudice, and a one-dimensional perspective of history" (Hickman & Porfilio, 2012). Students are vulnerable to biased information because they are impressionable and eager to absorb new information, which means the presence of instruction which has been contaminated by author bias can create lasting damage in terms of the establishment of common knowledge, historical fact, and shared social experience. In light of the natural susceptibility to influence exhibited by young students, the most current literature on author bias in educational materials "indicates that researchers and teachers -- as an academic community -- need to more closely attend to the textbook and its role in education" (Stambaugh & Trank, 2010). Educators are the last line of defense between the authors hoping to imbue social studies teachings with ideological, religious, political, or other bias, because as adults they should be capable of critically examining the text for prejudicial views before they are introduced to students......

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