When accommodations are not enough: A multi-study examination of teacher bias toward students with special educational needs across student gender

Abstract

International audienceThis research examines whether a student's special educational needs (SEN) status accompanied by accommodations influences teachers' evaluations of performance, and whether effects vary by student gender. Across three preregistered experimental studies (N = 1214) with pre-service and in-service teachers in France, we investigated whether students with SEN were devalued in grades and competence-a backlash effect-and whether fairness perceptions moderated this bias. We operationalized an SEN case as an ADHD-labeled student receiving reduced-exercise accommodations. In Studies 1-2, students with SEN received lower grades and competence ratings than non-SEN peers, regardless of student gender or relative performance. Study 3 introduced a cross-gender comparison, testing whether female students with SEN faced heightened backlash versus male non-SEN peers. A consistent backlash effect emerged across studies, unaffected by gender contrast. Notably, fairness perceptions consistently mitigated this bias. These findings highlight persistent SEN-related backlash and support fairness-focused teacher education to promote inclusive evaluation