{"id":2211,"date":"2022-06-09T16:42:54","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T23:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/?p=2211"},"modified":"2024-11-14T10:34:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-14T17:34:50","slug":"9-ways-to-help-students-develop-psychological-safety-in-your-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/bionews\/2022\/06\/9-ways-to-help-students-develop-psychological-safety-in-your-course\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Ways to Help Students Develop Psychological Safety in Your Course"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo credit: Paul Joseph \/ UBC Brand & Marketing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Christine Goedhart<\/a><\/p>\n

The term is almost over and Vania has only spoken a few times in their biology course. While there has been a lot of opportunity for student interaction through group work and class discussions, Vania decided early on that it was just easier to stay silent.<\/p>\n

Vania identifies as gender non-binary and on the first day of class did a quick look around the classroom but didn\u2019t see anyone they knew or anyone else who appeared to be gender non-binary. When the instructor asked students to form groups that day, Vania was apprehensive but eventually found a group to join; however, it wasn\u2019t a very pleasant experience. Vania was misgendered several times by their group members and by the TA that came by to check on the group, and when Vania tried to offer answers to questions on the worksheet assignment, they were ignored. Vania continued working with the same group throughout the course, but didn\u2019t contribute much after that first day.<\/p>\n

Vania has struggled with extreme test anxiety throughout their life\u2014even if they know the material well, their mind goes blank and they aren\u2019t able to come up with the answers during the exam. Vania didn\u2019t do well on the midterms and is now struggling to stay focused and motivated to study for the final exam. They wish that they could do a project instead of taking a test, but that isn\u2019t an option. Vania is feeling increasingly stressed and hopeless and is thinking about changing their major after this term because they don\u2019t think that they belong in science; it\u2019s not feeling like a good match for them.<\/p>\n

Vania is showing clear signs that they lack psychological safety, which is getting in the way of their engagement, participation, and performance in the course, and may ultimately lead to them leaving the discipline.<\/p>\n

So, what exactly is psychological safety, and what can we do to help students like Vania develop psychological safety in our classrooms? Let\u2019s explore these two questions below.<\/p>\n

What is psychological safety?<\/h3>\n

In the book The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety<\/a><\/em>, Timothy Clark describes psychological safety as \u201ca condition in which you feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo\u2014all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Psychological safety reflects the needs of individuals in social situations (like classroom environments) and involves the following four stages:<\/p>\n