Getting All Students to Listen: Analyzing and Coping With Student Resistance

In: American behavioral scientist: ABS, Band 40, Heft 2, S. 203-211

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.