ERIC Number: ED674070
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Mar
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Educator Attention: How Computational Tools Can Systematically Identify the Distribution of a Key Resource for Students. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1144
Qingyang Zhang; Rose E. Wang; Ana T. Ribeiro; Dorottya Demszky; Susanna Loeb
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Educator attention is critical for student success, yet how educators distribute their attention across students remains poorly understood due to data and methodological constraints. This study presents the first large-scale computational analysis of educator attention patterns, leveraging over 1 million educator utterances from virtual group tutoring sessions linked to detailed student demographic and academic achievement data. Using natural language processing techniques, we systematically examine the recipient and nature of educator attention. Our findings reveal that educators often provide more attention to lower-achieving students. However, disparities emerge across demographic lines, particularly by gender. Girls tend to receive less attention when paired with boys, even when they are the lower achieving student in the group. Lower-achieving female students in mixed-gender pairs receive significantly less attention than their higher-achieving male peers, while lower-achieving male students receive significantly and substantially more attention than their higher-achieving female peers. We also find some differences by race and English learner (EL) status, with low-achieving Black students receiving additional attention only when paired with another Black student but not when paired with a non-Black peer. In contrast, higher-achieving EL students receive disproportionately more attention than their lower-achieving EL peers. This work highlights how large-scale interaction data and computational methods can uncover subtle but meaningful disparities in teaching practices, providing empirical insights to inform more equitable and effective educational strategies. [This paper was created in partnership with On Your Mark and Uplift Education.]
Descriptors: Attention, Teacher Behavior, Equal Education, Gender Differences, Gender Bias, Racial Differences, English Learners, Academic Achievement, Disproportionate Representation, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Literacy Education, Tutoring, Computer Mediated Communication
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Grade 1; Grade 2
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A