Discuss! Why and How to Encourage Classroom Discussion

Observe a high school classroom, and you will sometimes—but thankfully not always— see a teacher lecturing or writing on the board while students feverishly try to copy every word into their notebooks. This mechanical, rote method of learning may be detrimental to the students’ overall success, however. In fact, many in the education field “have challenged the ‘sage on a stage’ approach to teaching…arguing that engaging students with questions or group activities is more effective.”* One way teachers can combat the danger of producing an atmosphere of “assembly-line learning” is to encourage classroom discussion. There are, however, a number of fundamentals to consider. It is not as easy as standing in front of the class and declaring, “discuss!” There will always be students who will try to hide, staying on the fringes of the discussion, while others may monopolize the discussion. Still others may simply be disinterested and thus not contribute, or do so only when forced.

Our goal as educators should be to create a “least restrictive” classroom; that is, to foster an atmosphere in which all students can learn without fearing humiliation or feeling marginalized. Restricting the learning process by teaching inflexibly and only appealing to one type of learner directly contradicts this idea. Classroom discussion can provide an antidote to the type of rigid instruction that may cause some students to disengage. Studies have shown that “interactions with peers are stimulating and may help students gain self-confidence that promotes their motivation to be more engaged in discussions.”** In order to make this a reality, however, we must adopt and implement effective strategies that can create this environment of open, productive discussion.

Teachers can sometimes fall into habits that don’t exactly promote class participation, so it’s important to keep some essentials in mind when attempting to foster classroom discussion:

1. Be mindful not to force students to talk. Some young people are simply quiet by nature, and we can find other ways to engage them, such as breaking into small groups for discussion, where reticent students may feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts.

2. Try not to answer your own questions. I am definitely guilty of this one. Studies show that the average teacher only allows around 1.5 seconds of “wait-time” after asking the class a question. On the contrary, when teachers allow 3 or more seconds, “the number of volunteered, appropriate answers by larger numbers of students greatly increases,”*** which can certainly lead to a spirited, open discussion rather than a roomful of half-asleep, disinterested students.

3. Establish early on that participation will be a part of your expectation. While this may initially make some students apprehensive, once you’ve created a safe and encouraging space in which to share thoughts and ideas, most students will adapt and become comfortable participating, particularly when it will also affect their final grade.

4. Logistics can also play a role: feel free to “redesign” the classroom in order to better facilitate discussion. Something as simple as rearranging the desks or sitting in a student desk yourself can help to create a “community” feel which will put all students at the same level and encourage participation.

5. Being observant is a must for a teacher who wishes to foster this type of classroom. Some students may display through body language that they would like to contribute, but may not want to raise their hands. You might say something along the lines of “Jane looks like she’s thinking something,” a tactful way of encouraging the student to share her thoughts with the group. In the world of distance learning and online classes, you can even continue the discussion outside of class by incorporating online discussion into the assignment, which may be a more comfortable forum for some students. Interestingly, in a world that seems more disconnected and impersonal than ever before, there is actually a multitude of ways to bring the art of discussion back to the forefront of the classroom.

I think as educators, we sometimes become robots, mechanically spewing out our content onto students who are expected to (equally robotically) copy down everything we are saying. Yes, part of our job is to transfer information, but it is important that we also contribute to the growth of the student as a person. Encouraging discussion, creating safe environments for the sharing of ideas, and fostering interaction only add to the positive impact we can have on our students and their development.

* http://news.sciencemag.org/education/2014/05/lectures-arent-just-boring-theyre-ineffective-too-study-finds

**http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2013-14503-001

***http://www.ericdigests.org/1995-1/think.htm

Written by Phil Lane