- Title: Opening the Gateway to Oral Participation: Exploring Facilitative Contextual Factors in the Association Between Student Shyness and Hand Raising
- Authors: Lukas Mundelsee and Susanne Jurkowski
- Access the original paper here
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Paper summary
This research explores how to encourage shy middle school students to participate more in class. The study analyzes factors that influence hand-raising, a key indicator of oral participation, among shy students. Researchers examined the impact of student-teacher relationships, peer connections, and teaching methods like warm calling and wait time. The findings indicate that supportive teacher relationships and the use of warm calling can facilitate hand-raising for shy students, while better peer relationships may correlate with decreased hand-raising. Ultimately, the study reveals that both social and instructional elements in the classroom can create avenues for shy students to engage more actively in discussions.
What are the key implications for teachers in the classroom?
Based on the information in the source, teachers can consider the following key implications in the classroom:
The type of questions asked and subject content. The subject and the types of questions asked may also influence the hand raising of shy students.
Shy students’ silence can cause them to miss important learning opportunities. Oral participation plays an important role in learning and achievement.
Teachers may misinterpret shy students’ silence. Teachers sometimes attribute a lack of interest or motivation to shy students, underestimating their abilities. Teachers may find it challenging to accommodate shy students, particularly when grading in-class participation.
Student-teacher relationships matter, but closeness could be a double-edged sword. A good student-teacher relationship can encourage shy students to participate, but very close relationships may weaken this effect, as students may feel the teacher accepts their reticence.
Peer relationships have complex effects. Shy students in classes with positive peer relationships may be less likely to participate for fear of jeopardizing their status by standing out.
Warm calling can increase hand raising in students with high levels of shyness. Teachers’ predominant use of warm calling strategies can increase shy students’ safety and, thus, their hand raising.
Wait time is beneficial. Teachers’ wait time allows students to formulate their answer, reduce their uncertainty, and finally raise their hands.
Class size matters. Smaller classes may encourage participation, but also increase the likelihood of being called upon, which may increase anxiety for highly shy students.
Quote
Both social relatedness and instructional factors can promote hand raising in highly shy students, opening the gateway to their oral participation
