The Teacher Experiences of Racialized Microaggression (TERM) Scale: Construction and Initial Validation

Abstract

Black teachers experience racialized microaggressions at varying levels in their professional settings. Existing measures of these microaggressions are not context specific. We developed items following a critical quantitative research inquiry approach. Item response theory (IRT) provided validation evidence for the Teacher Experiences of Racialized Microaggressions (TERM) scale. Black U.S. teachers ( n = 526) participated. Results revealed a 15-item unidimensional factor structure. IRT analyses revealed the TERM scale measured racialized microaggression levels ranging across the continuum. Use of the TERM scale has implications for understanding the racialized experiences of Black and other underrepresented teachers across other subject areas.