Creating an inclusive learning environment

Resources on this page interrogate the idea of the classroom as a so-called safe space for students to speak freely.

Questions to consider as you review the resources on this page:


Safe Spaces

"Outside of LGBT societies and safe spaces, most people are subtly intolerant” Formby, 2015

‘In much of my writing about pedagogy, especially in classroom settings with great diversity, I have talked about the need to examine critically the way we as teachers conceptualize what the space for learning should be like. Many professors have conveyed to me their feeling that the classroom should be a “safe” place; that usually translates to mean that the professor lectures to a group of quiet students who respond only when they are called on. The experience of professors who educate for critical consciousness indicates that many students, especially students of color, may not feel at all “safe” in what appears to be a neutral setting. It is the absence of a feeling of safety that often promotes prolonged silence or lack of student engagement.’  

b. hooks, 1994

The term brave space was first popularized by Brian Arao and Kristi Clemens (2013) in chapter eight—“From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces”—of their book The Art of Effective Facilitation: Reflections From Social Justice Educators. In it, a brave space within a classroom environment contains five main elements: 


◊ “Controversy with civility,” where varying opinions are accepted

◊ “Owning intentions and impacts,” in which students acknowledge and discuss instances where a dialogue has affected the emotional well-being of another person 

◊ “Challenge by choice,” where students have an option to step in and out of challenging conversations 

◊ “Respect,” where students show respect for one another’s basic personhood

◊ “No attacks,” where students agree not to intentionally inflict harm on one another 


A commonly constructed safe space within a classroom environment is designed to have most if not all of these components, and for this reason…. these intentional classroom environments are now increasingly referred to as brave spaces

Ali (2017)

Say My Name

(Use this link for a screen reader version of the below image)

Bryce described the misgendering process as an ‘everyday thing’ including such simple gestures as walking into someone’s office or a meeting and saying, ‘Hi, Ladies.’ Bryce wondered aloud, ‘but can’t we just say, “Hi, folks?” or “How are you doing, folks?”’ Here the simple act of saying hello, intended to be a friendly greeting, becomes an invalidating experience that causes minoritized stress. It would affirm Bryce’s identity to say ‘Hi folks.’ At the very least, gender inclusive language would not be as invalidating as being constantly misgendered.

Sometimes misgendering comes through others refusing to use any name or gender pronoun. Connor, a white transmasculine postdoctoral scholar in the social sciences at a research university, spoke about his time as a graduate student in the following way:

“when I switched to going by a masculine name, a lot of my classmates refused to call me anything at all. So, they would just not acknowledge me. They wouldn’t call me by anything. They weren’t going to call me Connor, but they knew that I wasn’t going by my old name, and so they just wouldn’t engage with me …”

Pitcher, 2017

Ten principles for disability justice

Freedom of Speech Act 2023

Freedom of speech means everyone has the right to express lawful views and opinions freely, in speech or in writing, without interference.

Academic freedom means protecting the intellectual independence of academics to question and test received views and wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing themselves in danger of losing their jobs or privileges.

Higher Education providers are required to promote freedom of speech and academic freedom within the law for students, staff members and visiting speakers. 

‘Within the law’: what does this mean?

The new legislation protects freedom of speech within the law. This means that speech is protected unless it contravenes some other law. It is not therefore necessary to point to a specific legal basis for particular speech. Rather, the starting point is that all speech is permitted unless it is restricted by law.

For example, some areas of criminal law restrict the ambit of protected speech such as:

Separately, protected speech can also be limited by civil law. For example, the expression of views and opinions in a manner which amounts to harassment,

discrimination or defamation, are not regarded as free speech ‘within the law.’

Universities UK (2023)