Inclusion in the classroom: Contextual antecedents and actionable recommendations

Abstract

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, and a part of the main; : : : any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. (Donne, 1959, pp. 108-109) When one student's constructive ideas and perspectives are diminished or ignored, everyone stands to lose. Just as scientific dialogue propels the knowledge base forward, student dialogue advances the learning process in the classroom. An inclusive classroom environment refers to a learning context in which all students feel a sense of belonging and that their unique characteristics are valued by their peers and instructor (Shore et al., 2011). Such an environment facilitates learning, allowing us to reap the greater benefits from diversity (Shore et al., 2011). Failure to create this environment may impede learning by encouraging conformity and making students feel excluded. Kath et al. (2021) offer several helpful recommendations for promoting diversity and inclusion, though they are largely geared towards shaping interactions between instructors and students via individual-and task-level predictors (e.g., providing opportunities for selfexpression in assignments, learning each student's name). We extend Kath et al.'s (2021) discussion by presenting macro-level antecedents to perceptions of inclusion, namely psychological safety and leadership behaviors, which instructors can leverage to develop an inclusive classroom environment. Psychological safety climate An inclusive classroom environment enhances psychological safety among students. Psychological safety climate (PSC) is defined as the shared belief that a team will not embarrass or punish an individual when they voice their ideas (Edmondson, 1999). By developing a positive PSC, students can experience a sense of comfort during the learning process because they know that they can speak up and ask questions without negative repercussions such as experiencing embarrassment during class. Students who perceive their environment as psychologically safe for risk taking (e.g., expressing challenging or unpopular ideas) can promote knowledge sharing, learning behavior, positive attitudes, and performance (Edmondson & Lei, 2014). Therefore, the question that remains to be answered is "How can we effectively maintain a psychologically safe climate in the classroom?" Creating a psychologically safe climate requires that positive interpersonal relationships be cultivated between students and both the instructor and their peers, with trust in leadership and team members being particularly important for the development of PSC (Frazier et al., 2017). Trust can

Let’s All Go to the Movies, Together: A Social Cognitive Perspective on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Management Education Video Clips

“…In either situation, these approaches can generate interesting and potentially difficult discussions that require exceptional classroom management techniques. Providing a sense of psychological safety means offering opportunities for students to speak freely without the perceived risks of possible embarrassment and/or punishment (Tu, 2021; Vega et al, 2020). If our goal is to provide more opportunities for the use of video clips to appeal to diverse students, then we should be prepared to offer students the opportunities to provide feedback and reflect on how certain role models relate to their own experiences and identities.…”

Emerging research in industrial–organizational psychology in Canada.

“…On the other hand, consistent with extant evidence of systemic racism (Barber et al, 2020; Henry et al, 2017) and sexism (Doolittle & Wang, 2021) in postsecondary environments, I–O faculty in Canadian universities remain largely (or exclusively) male and/or White. To meaningfully engage in EDI both through our teaching (see Craig & Kuykendall, 2020; Vega et al, 2020) and our research, we must start by critically examining the institutions we are a part of. Only when our own departments dismantle Whiteness and interrogate existing power structures can we create lasting systemic change (Ely & Thomas, 2020).…”