Weight bias and grading among middle and high school teachers.

BACKGROUND: Weight bias is a pervasive problem for adolescents in school contexts. Despite evidence of negative attitudes towards students who are overweight, comparatively little research has examined whether teachers provide biased assessments of student work. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to experimentally test whether middle and high school teachers unfairly assess students who are overweight and perceive them to be less competent. SAMPLE: Participants included 133 teachers from first-ring suburban middle and high schools (Mteaching experience  = 16 years; 38% male). METHODS: Teachers evaluated the quality of a bogus student essay assignment accompanied by photographs that portrayed the student as either not overweight or overweight. Weight bias was assessed by having teachers grade the essay and provide perceptions of student sufficiency (perceived effort, need for tutoring, and overall success in school). Opinions about bias in grading for other teachers and self were also assessed. RESULTS: Essays for students who were overweight were judged to be similar in structural quality, but were assigned lower grades compared to their healthy weight counterparts. Further, teachers estimated that students who were overweight put forth more effort, needed more remedial assistance, and had lower overall grades in school. Teachers' beliefs about grading bias showed low levels of supposed bias among other teachers and a significantly lesser degree for themselves. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms prior research on anti-fat attitudes and provides new evidence of biased attitudes in school settings.

School Engagement in Relation to Body Mass Index and School Achievement in a High-School Age Sample.

Purpose: Research has documented an inverse relationship between body mass index (BMI) and school achievement but has failed to empirically explain it. We tested whether this association among adolescents can be explained in part by student engagement. Methods: A self-report survey about health and school behaviors was completed by 196 high school students; BMI and achievement data were obtained from school records. Three forms of engagement were assessed: behavioral, presenteeism, and affective. Associations of engagement with BMI and achievement were examined, and mediation analyses were conducted. Results: The simple relationship between BMI and achievement was confirmed and demonstrated that BMI was negatively related to academic achievement. Higher BMI was also significantly correlated with lower classroom participation. Mediation tests showed the significant relationship between BMI and achievement was reduced after accounting for behavioral engagement but not affective engagement. Conclusions: These novel findings shed light on why heavier students often experience lower academic achievement. Intervention studies targeting barriers to classroom engagement among overweight and obese youth are needed so that their academic potential is not compromised.