Stimulating an Inclusive Learning Climate

On stimulating an inclusive learning climate

An inclusive learning climate is necessary for students to share and be open to different perspectives in order to progress through the three stages described in the model. Research suggests that teachers and instructors play and important role stimulating an inclusive learning climate in the classroom (Ambrose, 2010). How this is done can of course differ and depend on context (i.e. method of instruction, group size etc.) and on in which of the three phases described earlier the students and teacher find themselves. One can argue that to use these approaches that focus on perspectives, the pre-existence of an inclusive climate is a necessity. On the other hand, how a teacher handles different perspectives in the classroom can also strengthen an inclusive learning climate.

Even in courses that do not necessarily require students to bring in personal perspectives, sometimes students can offer a different angle or approach to an issue. The different actions teachers might choose when perspectives arise in the classroom during a tutorial or lecture are explained below:

“Acknowledging perspectives”: Sometimes students will bring an unexpected perspective into a class discussion. However, by simply acknowledging the comment or idea (“That is an interesting point” instead of “That is not relevant at the moment”) an instructor might already convey that it is okay to contribute something else than the majority point of view, thus stimulating an inclusive learning climate.

“Welcoming perspectives”: By welcoming perspectives the instructor goes a step further than just positively acknowledging the comment. The student’s input will be elaborated on, or linked to an example. By doing so, the instructor conveys that it is not only accepted to bring in an alternative perspective, but it is actively welcomed into the material that is to be covered.

“Offering perspectives”: By actively offering other perspectives by for example including literature or other sources by minority voices, or playing the devil’s advocate to a majority opinion, the instructor conveys a resistance to a single perspective. A combination activity in which the instructor offers perspectives, followed by an explicit invitation to students to contribute theirs is of course also a possibility.

“Actively inviting perspectives”: In this instance, the teacher takes on the responsibility to actively invite perspectives in class. The presence of different perspectives the classroom no longer only depends on the willingness or courage of students to share. This can be reached through the use of learning activities. stimulating students to bring in their unique perspective, or researching others’. The presence of different or “other” perspectives is treated as a given.

“Combining perspectives”: When different perspectives have arisen in the classroom, the teacher can use students’ input by demonstrating how combining them can lead to a new perspective or answer on an existing question, a more creative solution to a problem, or a new question to begin with. By modelling this behaviour, teachers can not only stimulate students’ critical thinking skills, but show how students’ perspectives can have added value to the learning process, thus stimulating an inclusive classroom environment.

“Inviting to combine perspectives”: Building on the “combining perspectives”, teachers can also invite students to combine the different perspectives that have arisen in class; or perhaps to combine their own with those of a neighbour or a dominant school of thought. In addition, by integrating perspectives to create new points of view, students are stimulated in their higher order thinking (Bloom, 2001).