Why your students aren’t speaking up in lectures

The silent lecture theatre is an all-too-familiar challenge. A question is asked, followed by…nothing. Or, perhaps more often, the same two or three students raise their hands, offer ideas and ask questions. But from the rest, there is silence.

We know that in a learning environment where students feel a sense of belonging, we want them to be actively engaged. We want students to share their thoughts and challenges and be willing to have a go, even if what they say is “wrong”. How else are they, and we, meant to learn? 

But why do some students find speaking up in lectures so difficult, when for others it is so easy?

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A concept that can be useful here is that of psychological safety, defined by Harvard Business School professor of leadership and management Amy Edmonson as “the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes”, or in other words, a belief that the space is “safe for interpersonal risk taking”.

What psychological safety acknowledges is that to speak up is to take a risk. Speaking up comes with consequences, sometimes positive, sometimes negative. It can be useful to consider the cost-benefit model here; whenever we have something to say, we may quickly, and even subconsciously, weigh up the potential costs and benefits of talking. Then we decide whether it’s worth the risk.

This doesn’t just apply in lectures; we make these calculations all the time. Shall I say something – or not? Do I admit my mistake? Should I ask for help or try to figure it out for myself? Whether we perceive the benefit to outweigh the cost can depend on how secure we feel in that environment, how we’ve been responded to previously, and our levels of certainty around the norms of our situation.

Barriers to students speaking up in class

Students might decide it’s just not worth the risk of speaking up for multiple reasons. Factors in this can include:

• Uncertainty around social norms: New students often struggle to navigate the implicit rules of participation in large lecture halls, unsure of when and how to contribute. Unclear as to whether they’re doing it right, they may opt to sit back and let others go first.
• The shock of transition: For students accustomed to smaller school settings where they feel known and confident, the leap to the size and anonymity of a university learning space can be overwhelming, stifling participation. For mature students who have been out of education for a while, the setting may feel similarly uncomfortable. 
• Unfamiliarity with the lecturer: When students do not (yet) have a personal connection with the lecturer, they may feel more anxious and inhibited because they can’t predict how they will respond.
• Fear of embarrassment and humiliation: Many students fear making mistakes in front of their peers and lecturers. This is likely exacerbated if students are already questioning whether they belong in this space.
• Fear of ridicule: A slightly different dynamic can occur where students feel self-conscious actively engaging in front of their social group because appearing too keen might be perceived as nerdy or uncool. This is common in school environments, but it can persist in higher education, too. 

Given all these worries and uncertainties, students may conclude that the costs, or potential costs, of speaking up are too high to make it worth the risk. 

In my research interviewing undergraduate students about their experiences of the transition to university, all of the above came up as challenges they faced. The strangeness of the new learning environment, the lack of a relationship with their new teachers and the unfamiliar social norms all contributed to a fear of getting it wrong, and potentially being embarrassed or humiliated.

So, what can we do about this? How do we create environments where students not only feel safe to speak up but want to?

How to reduce the cost and increase the benefit of class participation

Returning to our cost-benefit model, we want to reduce the cost of speaking up, while increasing the benefit. There many practical ways to approach this:

• Reduce the power gradient between lecturer and student: Using first names is a common difference between school and university, but it only works if students know that this is OK. When lecturers share a little of themselves and show an interest in their students, this can help.
• Agree and share expectations for participation: Are you expecting hands up or answers to be called out? How will you respond if students ask a “stupid” question? What should students do if they don’t understand? The clearer and more explicit you can be about these norms, the better.
• Thank students for participation: Even, and maybe especially, when they “get it wrong”, show that you appreciate their contribution and make it clear that you value a diversity of voices and perspectives. 
• Normalise making and learning from mistakes: Share what you find challenging in your own work. Embrace it when you make a mistake, model being curious about why it happened, and frame errors as an opportunity for learning. 
• Recognise that engagement doesn’t have to be verbal contributions: Consider mechanisms other than speaking in class for students to engage. Audience-participation methods such as polling and typing comments, especially if they allow for anonymity, can greatly decrease the perceived cost of speaking up. 
• Discuss the benefits of speaking up: Why do you want students to speak up? What will they get from it? How will it help their learning?

Most of all, remember that psychological safety is easy to destroy and takes time to build. For some students, it will take repeated reassurances, over time, that the space is safe for them to speak up in. Be patient and know that the work you put into building psychological safety will ultimately make it a better, more inclusive and engaging learning space.

Jade Garratt is director of education at Psych Safety and a PhD researcher at the University of Nottingham.

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