Benjamin Wheatall

A Proposal for Silent Students

They dominant the classrooms but give very little presence. They hear, but they do not listen. Silent students are unheard of, and yet I hear their silence. I seek to understand why students are not fully utilizing this learning potential. It is worth writing on because students openly communicating in class will undoubtedly gain a better grasp of the subject material, and if I can figure out what some of the obstacles are facing these students, it could help make learning more enjoyable. The reluctance of students to voice their opinions or speak up in class is caused by the silent pressure of peers, lack of preparation by the student, and the layout of the classroom. As a solution to the above causes, I propose that teachers work to dissipate the silent peer pressure by creating a syllabus that encourages collaboration among students and an environment that works with the collaboration. The silent pressure of peers and feelings of inferiority that can develop from that pressure discourages student voice. When I first arrived to several of my classes, several of my professors told me to speak up and ask questions because there was a high likelihood that other students would have the same question. They seemed to act as if silence was a preexisting condition that was unavoidable. Indeed in several of my classes the professor would write across the blackboard while all the students stared like statues in a stagnant, lifeless air. In some of the exceptionally challenging classes, it was obvious that my peers were not always fully grasping the material, but they remained silent as if there was some dignity in suffering alone. Asking questions are unfortunately viewed by many as a sign of weakness. The phrase, There is never such a thing as a stupid question is testament to the mindset that asking questions is a mark of ignorance. When I raise my hand to interrupt a lecture, I feel the center of attention transforming

Benjamin Wheatall

from the professor to me, and it can be a somewhat daunting feat to admit that I dont understand something in front all my peers. A sense of inferiority can also develop when a professor is assumed to be an omnipotent master of their profession. When such a professor asks a question to the class, unconfident students or students struggling to grasp the material will most likely not answer for being marked wrong by the professor and thus mildly humiliated in front of the class. The American Psychological Association (APA) supports my observations. Research done by members of the APA such as Anthony Pratkanis have identified several factors that could occur in the classroom including groupthink, conformity, and reactance. For example, when most people are unwilling to speak up in class, most other people will not due to the power of conformity. They seek to gain social acceptance and by erroneously believing that there is nothing to say about a subject, they cause more harm than good. A good example of this was the Asch conformity experiment in which subjects were made to answer a very simple question. (Pratkanis) While most were able to answer it by themselves, when told that a majority believed a certain answer (not the correct one), they went with it even though it was not true. (Pratkanis) A similar situation could be arising in the classroom. Even though it may seem obvious that a professor just asked a question and is awaiting an answer, by the majority doing nothing, it may alter peoples perceptions into believing that maybe the professor asked a rhetorical question. Another well documented phenomenon that fits with this is groupthink. This phenomenon occurs when there is an incorrect assumption of consensus caused by group members failing to promote views not consistent with the views of other group members. (Pratkanis) For example, if some students believe that speaking in class is not useful, then other members might change their views in order to let the group succeed. They may believe that the teacher will not care that they do not participate, so they will group together so that no one

Benjamin Wheatall

speaks at all. This could lead to devastating consequences, like the teacher giving everyone a zero for participation. This could have been avoided if the students released the folly of their actions. However despite all of the negativity that comes out of this social conformity, there is a bright light in the darkness. Out of this conformity comes a phenomenon known as reactance. This is a tendency to go against what everyone else if doing. (Pratkanis) This can help break the ideas of groupthink. For example if one student began speaking in class, other students might realize the benefits of speaking that they had ignored because they were under the groupthink spell. This will in turn cause them to speak out and help mitigate this problem. Another cause for concern is lack of preparation by the student, because it prevents them from contributing to the class as a whole and makes them responsible for their own shortcomings. In almost all of my classes there are assignments that I am expected to complete before the class meets again. These readings and homework problems usually directly affect the upcoming lecture or discussion, and are vital towards understanding the material being taught. If a student forgets to read the assignments or complete certain exercises, than they will feel unprepared for the upcoming class and will be less likely to contribute. Laziness also manifests itself in sleeping in or skipping class altogether and such acts would obviously have a negative impact on the students learning. The lack of preparation problem is a problem because there is almost nothing anyone can do if a student shows up unprepared. There is no simple way to instantly acquire knowledge, and it seems to be the sole responsibility of the student. Inquiring as to why the student is unprepared can be useful for students who are trying their hardest. They will be able to form solutions and time management. For those that do not care, then there is no clear course of action, and such students would probably be happier in a different class. Since the agency lies within the individual students, there is no obvious remedy. It is important to be aware

Benjamin Wheatall

of the role unpreparedness can play in student silence, but do to the self-determined nature of the problem I have moved on to another cause that I have agency over. The final reason for silent students is the layout of the classroom. Most of the classes I attend are basically rows of chairs facing the professor who then lectures to the students. The lecture format is not very inviting and is basically a one sided conversation where the professor speaks and the students listen. In classes where route memorization is the simplest way to succeed, such as intro chemistry and calculus classes, this method succeeds. It is very efficient and enables the professor to cover all the material required of them in a methodical and organized manner. When I listen to lecture halls in the forum, I am not concerned that no one is speaking because the lectures are meant to be constructive and easy to follow. The lectures are dissected into simple components, and the occasional questions that do come to light are usually intriguing and advanced questions that are asked by enlightened students rather than those who dont understand. Even questions of doubt are answered quickly and efficiently so that the lecture can move at its normal clip. Where lectures become a problem is when the material being taught is open ended and has no simple solution such as essay writing or discourse theory. Lectures are not efficient in teaching classes that emphasize problem solving, because such subjects would be more efficiently taught through class participation. My seminar class is an intriguing case study because it combines all of these teaching methods. It is divided into three components of earthquake study, college skills, and computer programming. For the earthquake study a seminar based approach allows the students to interact with each other while the professor acts more as a moderator. This is a very appropriate approach because the students themselves are all mainly at the same intellect level, and are much more confident speaking to each other than with a

Benjamin Wheatall

dominant professor. The college skills portion shuns the classroom entirely and involves trips to coffee shops and other vital skills. Although it could not be described as academia, such trips, when used correctly, can help relieve the tension that a professor brings to class discussions. Other events such as watching movies, and doing things that are at first glance not inherently academic, entertain students and enable them to be more focused on the class. The programming component is lecture based and it is very good in that way because programing just involves memorizing a series of simple commands and typing them into a computer. As the commands grow greater in number, more complex programs are created, but because they are based on simple core properties the class proceeds fairly steadily. I feel like the earthquake segment of the class is the most interesting, because it allows students to speak more openly because of the way the physical classroom is set up. I feel that I am speaking to the blackboard, and my thoughts bounce off of it towards my fellow students. I cant see their faces and am most often staring at the back of someones head. I am at a disadvantage if I cannot see their face as they speak, because I am unable to comprehend their facial expression which can be vital to interpreting their opinion. If the seats were rearranged in a more inviting setting such as a circle, it would be more conducive to open discussion. Otherwise it just mainly feels like I am watching the professor write ideas from the chalkboard without fully understanding their sources. I feel like I would be able to engage in a more active discussion if I could give faces to names and help understand the views each of my peers brings to the classroom. According to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education by Mark Bauerlein in a study done by Education Next conducted by Dr. Guido Schwerdt, Dr. Amelie Wupperman, and researchers from the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich, the students tested for Trends in International Mathematics and Sciences (TIMSS) scored significantly higher on exams when there classes were taught mostly in

Benjamin Wheatall

lecture format. This research confirms my belief that some classes are taught better in lecture form. A study by the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), also revealed that the more the students participated in class, the higher the grade they would earn. Even when controlling initial conditions of the students such as age, gender, and race, the results were overwhelmingly positive (Carey). Through assignments such as class presentations and seminars on books, highly engaged students are more likely to succeed in college. Some claim that this is nothing about the setting of the classroom or social issues, but rather it is merely because the students are naturally not talkative. They claim that even if the syllabus and the environment of the classroom were changed, the silent students would be no more inclined to participate. This argument has some truth to it, but it does not fully address the problem of socially constructed silentness. While it is true that some students will not talk simply because they usually do not talk does not hold true for the entire class. Generally these types are not as common as some that are usually more outgoing and friendly outside of class. So while that statement may be true for some students, they are in the minority and therefore the argument is not very effective. Furthermore, by claiming that the root cause of the problem is an initial condition, it greatly reduces the agency of others to solve the problem of student silence. Other studies such as one conducted by National Center for Education Statistics stated that the quality of instruction and size of the classroom also contribute positively to increasing student achievement (Wenglinsky). The study also stated that creating many small classrooms of fewer than twenty students would be very expensive for colleges and that there would be a shortage of highly qualified instructors (Wenglinsky). Rather, my approach would allow all teachers to play a part in reducing student silence, while still being affective in some of the larger classes.

Benjamin Wheatall

I propose that in order to reduce the influence of the negative causes and to increase class participation, teachers should follow two guidelines. First create a lesson plan that encourages students to ask questions and openly discuss topics together. Second create an environment that passively encourages students to collaborate. These two criteria will help foster active student participation and a greater rate of enjoyment as a whole. As I mentioned previously I am aware that some classes, such as mathematics courses, are not particularly conducive to group work and are better taught through the traditional lecture format. Instead I will be focusing on classes whose students could benefit from a collaborative view. A syllabus that encourages class participation and cooperative learning could potentially limit the negative effects caused by silent peer pressure and lack of preparation. In a geography class I am taking, the professor lectures on many challenging economic and philosophical concepts and expects us to understand the information simply off his lecture. He asks if everyone understands the material and we all just nod our heads-even if we hardly know what he is talking about- and the professor continues. This is a potential recipe for disaster because the only way the professor truly knows whether we understand the material is through a series of infrequent, high value tests that play the only role in determining a students grade. Because groupthink is prevailing, he simply assumes we all know the material and proceeds with the lecture. To counter this problem and to make sure we understand the vital concepts, professors such as my one in geography can deploy a series of simple changes that can easily be adapted to any schedule. First and foremost is ask the students questions. Many professors like to ask a question directly to the class and wait for someone to raise their hand. I am not saying this is a bad approach, because it often gets very accurate and useful responses, while also highlighting which students are less talkative. I am simply recommending that a professor directly ask students

Benjamin Wheatall

questions regarding the material to see if they fully understand it. Directly being asked questions helps discourage student unpreparedness, because the student would want to look smart among their peers. While some people claim that singling out students is bullying and lowers their selfesteem, when combined with a collaborative atmosphere, there would be little issue at all. If the teacher directs the syllabus to feature group work activities, than the competitive, pressure shroud that usually engulfs the classroom could potentially dissipate. In my geography class, the professor talks about how when approached from many different aspects, a seemingly unstoppable problem can be solved. Instead of a straight out lecture, the professor could split the class into groups that each deal with a specific aspect. In that manner every student can more easily contribute to the class and the information is much more digestible. In that manner large, complex topics can be broken apart for easier understanding and students would be able to share information. In addition the discussion method of learning is supported by the popular quote that we learn 50% of what we read and hear but 70% of what we discuss and 95% of what we teach. An environment that supports a collaborative teaching approach would eliminate the third cause of student silence, ineffective classroom orientation. The manner in which students and the professor are oriented can create invisible barriers to learning. For instance, the seemingly innocent placement of a professor at the head of the class with rows of students behind him or her silently enforces the professor-student binary, where the professor is seen as a sage on a stage and the intimidating atmosphere that results. It mimics a rectangular dinner table with a distinct head of the table and a row of subordinates. In order to help break the student- professor boundary, a rounder table could be deployed. This allows the professor to appear more approachable, and students are more likely to ask questions if they feel less intimidated. In addition, the round table also encourages students to collaborate and foster discussion because it

Benjamin Wheatall

helps create a visual equality where students in the front row are not seen as smarter than students in rows further back. If a round table it too ambitious, than the professor could turn the tables into small group clusters and have the professor walk around the room and easily assist students who need help. This is similar to a honey bee pollinating flowers, where the bee wanders around and makes sure all the students get the support they need. This method has worked very well in my English and chemistry laboratory class, and chemistry recitation class, and can easily be modified to nearly any curriculum. The lack of participation in class is a major problem. As a freshman at Penn State I have seen firsthand the problems this can cause. By understanding the potentially negative roles of peer pressure, unpreparedness, and classroom orientation and by professors creating a collaborative syllabus and atmosphere, the problem of the silent student can be alleviated. Students openly communicating in class will undoubtedly gain a better grasp of the subject material and could help make learning more enjoyable.

References:
Bauerlein, Mark. On the Benefits of Lectures. The Chronicle of Higher Education. June 23, 2011. http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/on-the-benefits-of-lectures/36519. Accessed November 14, 2011. Carey, Kevin. Deal or No Deal? How Higher Education Shortchanges Unprepared Students. Education Sector. December 7, 2007. http://www.educationsector.org/publications/deal-or-nodeal-how-higher-education-shortchanges-unprepared-students. Accessed November 14, 2011.

Benjamin Wheatall

Pratkanis, Anthony R., Turner, Marlene E. Mitigating the Negative Decision Making Consequences of Groupthink and Other Social Pressures. The American Psychological Association. September 25, 2006. www.apa.org/about/gr/science/advocacy/2006/groupthink.pdf. Accessed November 14, 2011. Pritchard, Ivan. Reducing Class Size, What Do We Know? National Institute for Student Achievement, Curriculum, and Assessment. March 8, 1999. http://ed.gov/pubs/ReducingClass/title.html. Accessed December 7, 2011.