University of Maryland Professor Melanie Killen discusses the importance of schools in teaching children about fairness and the consequences of excluding others in a recent article for Scientific American. In the College of Education, she and her team focus on reducing prejudice and promoting justice in educational settings.
Killen emphasizes that discrimination can negatively impact children’s well-being and academic performance. To create a welcoming environment for all students, she suggests that schools could do more. By understanding children’s moral development and the reasoning they use to navigate social situations, educators can help them learn how to address issues of fairness and inclusion.
Through decades of research, Killen and her colleagues have identified effective strategies for encouraging children to speak out against stereotypes and biases. By helping them understand why social exclusion is unfair and encouraging them to stand up for what is right, schools can create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students. Read more about the research and strategies proposed by Killen and her team in Scientific American.
