Experiencing Productive and Unproductive Discomfort in Classroom Discussion: A Study of Deliberation and Debate

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 1:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Youth Experiences of Social Studies and Civic Education (Table 13)

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a mixed method study of high school students participating in a civic education program that engages them in deliberations and debates about controversial issues. We present an analysis on how students differently experienced productive discomfort, unproductive discomfort and comfort within each strategy. We show that the design of discussion significantly impacts students’ affective experiences. This research provides conceptual clarity about what sorts of experiences teachers ought to be cultivating in the classroom to promote students’ willingness to actively engage in discussion. Importantly, the norms embedded in these structured, student-centered strategies create equitable discussion experiences.

Authors

• Paula McAvoy, North Carolina State University

• Gregory E. McAvoy, University of North Carolina - Greensboro

• Rachel Waltz, North Carolina State University

• Mizuho Tatebayashi, North Carolina State University