Getting All Students to Listen

Abstract

The new scholarship on race, class, and gender is exciting, but teaching this to students can be a complex process. Faculty can prepare for various reactions from students by thinking about issues of power and privilege as they relate to the selection of course materials that address inequality, the various interactions within the classroom between faculty and students and among students, and establishing a classroom atmosphere that is safe for exploring issues of inequality. Yet there are still students who may initially resist learning new material; these students can be vocal, silent, or absent in their resistance. Various teaching strategies are suggested for responding to resistance in ways that are respectful of students and also promote positive classroom interactions.

Everyday Confrontation of Discrimination: The Well-Being Costs and Benefits to Women over Time

“…This may seem counter-intuitive given at first glance, educational confrontation appears to be a form of direct and assertive communication. However, educators note that when teaching about inequality, they often experience resistance, whereby students deny or legitimize injustice, ignore or silence the educator (e.g., Higginbotham, 1996, Meacham, 1995. Similarly, attempting to educate the perpetrator often involves repeated resistance from the perpetrator(s), perhaps in the form of justification of their behaviour, or hostility (Czopp & Monteith, 2003;Czopp, Monteith & Mark, 2006;Rasinski & Czopp, 2010).…”

Understanding what students bring to the classroom: Moderators of the effects of diversity courses on student attitudes.

“…For this group, the concept of intersectionality, which posits that other forms of inequality, including sexism and classism, are equally important as racism, might be especially challenging. Similarly, if students of color are disproportionately from families in which education is viewed as an important route for upward mobility (as is often true of immigrant families [e.g.. Hill & Torres, 2010] and African Americans [Cole & Omari, 2003]), then course content suggesting that systemic barriers based on racism can impede success for minority group members despite individuals' best efforts might be met with resistance (Higginbotham, 1996). Bowman (2009) offered "the resistance perspective" (p. 184) as the competing view to the "exploration perspective"; he argued students from privileged groups resist serious consideration of the material presented in college diversity courses.…”

Effect of Inquiry-based Learning Approach on Student Resistance in a Science and Technology Course

“…Student resistance behavior is an affective problem perceived as oppositional behavior toward instructional activities, but it differs from unwanted student behaviors that are found in today's learning environments, as it affects each component of the teaching-learning process negatively (Burroughs, Kearney, & Plax, 1989;Giroux, 2001;Sağlam, Vural, & Adıgüzel, 2007;Whiteneck, 2005). Sources of resistance behaviors are identified in the literature as direct instructions from the teacher, insufficient learning experience, lack of self-confidence, low academic achievement, unfair behaviors toward students, learning environments in which racial and cultural issues are prioritized, and the use of inappropriate instructional methods for students' learning styles and backgrounds (Alpert, 1991;Brookfield, 2006;Goodman, 2007;Güven, 2004;Field & Olafsen, 1999;Haddad & Lieberman, 2002;Higginbotham, 1996;Leamnson, 1999;Paulsen & Chory-Assad, 2005;Reichert, 2007;Yüksel, 2003). Although resistance behaviors are usually perceived as oppositional behaviors, they can sometimes lead to the improvement of the teaching-learning process because the resistant students complain about improper instruction (Burroughs et al, 1989;Lindquist, 1994).…”