"Will It Build Me or Break Me?" Student Choices to Learn "Difficult Knowledge"

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Using Self-Study to Support Teacher Candidate Learning

Abstract

Student engagement in particular kinds of learning can be difficult as it includes the possibility of shifting or dramatically altering an individual's position within a social world. As some students recognize the stakes and choose to engage in emotional work, others often choose to disengage. In this study, we explore the complexities surrounding students’ decision to accept and engage in ‘difficult learning.’ We use S-STEP methodology to focus on practice and relationality and attend to the nuances of positionality, personhood, figured worlds and moral authority. We found the development of moral authority to be the linchpin through which students can safely evaluate their identity within the social world and actively engage in classroom learning.

Authors

• Elizabeth Finlayson Harris, Brigham Young University

• Erin Feinauer Whiting, Brigham Young University

• Ramona Maile Cutri, Brigham Young University