Engaging Quiet Students: Including Silence in Active Learning

By Dr. Caroline F. Toscano

Caroline Toscano is Professional Development Director at Montgomery College. Her doctorate is in Educational Psychology and MA is in TESOL from the University of Minnesota. Her academic interests include microaggressions, equity, diversity and inclusion, with a particular interest in invisible disabilities.

I used to teach international graduate students at the University of Minnesota in pedagogy and English language skills. Many times I noticed that some of my students were extra quiet and would not participate in classroom discussions, no matter how hard I tried.

Perhaps their English speaking skills are still developing, I thought. Maybe they’re shy, or they come from cultures where the instructor does all of the lecturing.

Then I thought about a past experience that had happened to me, years before. Should I tell them about it, or not? I had always struggled with the question of how much information I should disclose about myself. But then I thought how hypocritical it was of me to expect them to engage freely about their thoughts and feelings while standing behind my “instructor façade,” like a nodding psychiatrist. What did that communicate to students?

So I decided to tell them the following story: when I was a junior at the university, I was in a journalism class that required a high level of discussion. We were all sitting around with our desks in a circle, and the professor was sitting among us. We were all expected to “actively” participate in the discussion, although there was no formal method of ensuring that everyone would have an opportunity to do so. However, if we failed to say anything, we would receive a “silence penalty.”

One day, the professor noticed that some of us weren’t actively participating as much as others. With an audible sigh, she remarked, “It’s almost midterm, and some of you still haven’t said anything.” Then, she added, “I guess you must not care about your grades.”

Thinking back on this memory – and it is indelibly seared into my hippocampus – I couldn’t help but wonder. Did this professor actually think that wielding the stick would somehow get students to switch on a dime from silent to voluble?

As a congenitally “quiet” student, I found it exceedingly difficult to speak up on demand. The moment I realized the expectation to speak was on me, I would go into lockjaw mode. Looking back on it, I realized that I was paralyzed with anxiety that was often mistaken as being “willfully silent.”

Back to my own class. I merely told them that I was never one to say much, unless it needed to be said. I couldn’t see myself as participating, just because. So I told my class, “If you don’t feel like saying anything, you don’t have to. But I know that you have so much to teach us, if you do.” I also mentioned that participating is much more than speaking in the class.

Afterward, one student approached me. She told me that she would like to speak, but felt too nervous to do so. Others wrote me and explained various reasons for not participating. One hated hearing his accent while speaking in English, while others said that they were overwhelmed with their multiple roles of student, researcher, and instructor.

All of these students’ comments led me to believe that students are quiet for many reasons. I decided to look into the literature about classroom participation. According to Todd Zakrajsek, Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, there are several reasons why students choose not to participate, including the following:

1. Introversion
2. Shyness/Social anxiety
3. Linguistically diverse students
4. Cultural differences
5. Previous bad/embarrassing experience
6. Peer pressure/appearances
7. Cues/responses from instructor
8. Lack of knowledge for response
9. Lack of interest
10. Generalized fear of failure

While not exhaustive, this list seems to get at the more common reasons why student do not participate in class. Over the years, I have come up with my own top ten list of Do’s and Don’ts, intended to promote the inclusion of “silent students.” While not all of these strategies address all of the above categories, they do attempt to provide diverse opportunities for students to contribute in ways that go beyond the large classroom discussion.

1. DON’T try to force or ambush students to speak up in situations where they have previously not spoken. Instead, use a survey at the beginning of class to ask all students how comfortable they are participating in different contexts: pairs, small groups, large class, presenting in front of the class, online, through demonstration, and writing, etc.
2. DON’T purposely ignore students or expect them to be nonresponsive. Find some way of communicating with them, either through writing, through another classmate whom the student trusts (about academic matters), or one on one.
3. DO ask students if there is any way you can help them participate (“Would you like me to call on you if you are having difficulty ‘breaking into’ the discussion?”)
4. DO read the students’ facial language. Sometimes a student wants to speak, but feels held back. Saying, “You look like you have something to say” may help break the silence.
5. DO emphasize active listening as an essential part of participation by having students write or speak about what they have understood from watching a video or listening to a presentation.
6. DO have an object (e.g., bean bag, ball) that a student can give to one another during a discussion. The one holding the object has a certain amount of time to speak, and cannot be interrupted. Students have a right to say or indicate “pass” if they have nothing to say. All students should get a chance to participate.
7. After a pair activity, DO have students summarize other students’ opinions instead of giving their own during a discussion to take the spotlight off themselves. Students may read from written notes.
8. DO find something the students can do well that does not involve speaking, and ask them to describe it to the class (art, music, dance, math, working with animals, etc.), or read something that they have written (with their prior permission).
9. DO demonstrate patience toward students; reticent students can easily sense impatience toward their silence, which will only make them more likely to withdraw. It can take a long time for students to feel comfortable enough to speak.
10. If a student finally begins to speak, DON’T make a “big deal” out of it. Congratulating the student for speaking can deeply embarrass some students.

Whatever the cause of an individual’s non-participation, it is imperative that we understand the reason behind the silence, and that we suspend any assumptions beforehand. We see examples of nonparticipation not only in the classroom, but also in the workplace, whether it be in meetings, teamwork, or public presentations.

One way of applying the above practices could involve universal design for learning. The three main principles are:

1. Provide multiple means of representation;
2. Provide multiple means of expression;
3. Provide multiple means of engagement

For principle I, students may require additional support and scaffolding in leading them to participate. For example, my Italian-speaking husband complains of instructors who don’t write notes on the board, so he doesn’t feel comfortable participating.

As for principle II, students may excel in one mode of expression while struggling in another. Instead of basing participation primarily on oral speech, it would benefit students to have a variety of means to express themselves. One of my graduate students who froze during verbal discussions found her strongest voice with a pen.

Finally, for principle III, students need to find relevance in different ways. Generally speaking, students appreciate acknowledgement for their strengths. Getting them to talk or write about their artistic, athletic, and/or other strengths can be an excellent impetus in promoting a sense of belonging in the class.

We, as members of the MC community, speak of radical inclusivity. I believe we can go beyond that and demonstrate radical inclusivity, without having to say a word.