Cultural Bias in Testing

Abstract

The findings and discussions related to cultural bias in testing have in no way been unanimous. However, the considerations of this area of inquiry may possess meaningful implications for educators of any subject. In this review of literature, I describe the issues, research, and arguments surrounding cultural bias in testing and discuss implications for the field of music education. A working description of cultural bias in testing for the purpose of this article involves the notions of (a) significantly different results for definable subgroups from apparently similar ability levels and (b) issues with the fair and equitable interpretation and use of test results. Applications of general education scholarship to music education settings include investigations and perceptions of cultural bias as well as suggestions for improved fairness consisting of addressing group differences, offering diverse ways to perform, discouraging misuse, and accommodating for differences.