This document discusses creating inclusive classroom spaces through participatory pedagogies. It explores challenges like student engagement, diversity, and mental health issues. Developing emotionally intelligent teaching practices can help address these challenges by improving self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills. The case study describes transforming a sociology module from traditional lectures to student-led presentations and discussion, with benefits like increased student engagement, ownership, and learning from each other. Reflection on flexibility, control issues, and institutional support can further enhance participatory pedagogies.

1. Creating Spaces of Inclusion:
Exploring innovation in participative
classroom pedagogies
Dr Carole Davis
Dr Erin Sanders-
McDonagh

2. Aims of this presentation
 explore some of the challenges of getting
students to engage fully in the classroom
 consider some of the barriers that impede
students' learning
 explore some ways that we might develop a
more emotionally intelligent teaching
practice.

4. What are some of the challenges in
these pedagogic spaces ?
 Managing expectations
 Communication
 Diversity
 Student behaviour – high and low level
disruption
 Mental health issues/distress

5. Things to consider
 What is the impact of behaviour on the learning
environment?
 What impact do the actions/non-actions of teaching
and learning support staff have on student learning ?
 How does it affect teaching and learning support
staff?
 Who can help you including existing organisational
structures?
 What might I/We do or not do ?
 What is relevant to you ?

6. The case for developing
emotionally intelligent teachers
 To survive and thrive in our work.
 By using emotional intelligence we become
more adept at self-management, through
handling of tasks and time but also self-awareness
and in management of emotions.
 By acknowledging to and attending to the
affective domain we significantly enhance
student engagement and achievement.

7. Emotional Intelligence :five emotional
and social competencies
 Self-awareness : what do I feel in the moment ;
knowing limits and having a well-grounded self-confidence
 Self-regulation : using emotions to facilitate rather
than interfere .
 Motivation : take initiative, strive to improve
 Empathy : sensing what others are feeling, other
perspectives
 Social skills : handle emotions in relationships well
Goleman (1998) adapted from Salovey & Mayer 1997

8. Factors affecting student engagement
 Personal tutor role and models of personal
tutoring Laycock ( 2009)
 Academic preparedness and managing the
transition period Yorke (2003)
 Relationships between staff and students
National Audit Office (2007) Futuretrack
(2009)

9. Resources of interest 1 of 2
Davis, C (2014) Developing academics for the future: new thinking
on teaching observations. In press.
Jackson,C.,Dempster,S. & Pollard,L.(2014) They don’t seem to
really care, they just think it’s cool to sit there and talk’: laddism in
university teaching- learning contexts. In press.
Kandiko,C.B. & Mawer,M.(2013) Student expectations and
perceptions of higher education . London : King’s Learning
Institute.
Mortiboys,A. (2012) Teaching with emotional intelligence.
Routledge second edition
Lilly, J et al (2007) Mind the Gap (Phase 2) : Meeting the mental
health needs of students at Anglia Ruskin University . Final report.

10. Resources of interest 2 of 2
 Andreotti,V. & Warwick,P. (2007) Engaging students
with controversial issues through a dialogue based
approach. Available online
http://www.citized,info/?r_menu=res&strand =3
 Freire, P (1968) Pedagogy of the Oppressed .
Penguin Books
 Hooks, b ( 1994) Teaching to transgress : Education
as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge

11. Setting the scene

12. Sex and pedagogy ?
 Links between power and space
 How does power operate in the classroom?
 How does this link to knowledge? Who
holds/owns knowledge about the subject?
 How does the space of the classroom impact
on the teaching/learning experience ?

13. Knowledge as object?
Discipline specific :
- What is ‘knowledge’ for you in your field?
- What different types of knowledge do your
students need to learn?

14. Co-creating knowledge
 Teaching to Transgress – bell hooks
 Pedagogy of the Oppressed – Paulo Friere
-Idea the knowledge is co-constructed and co-created
-Transgressing power divisions in the classroom
creates a different space
-Knowledge is shifted from the teacher as all-knowing
to a more egalitarian and non-hierarchical engagement

15. Open spaces for Dialogue and
Enquiry : A Methodology
 Multiple perspectives are good
 No competition for the truth – there is no one specific
‘right’ answer
 It should be open-ended in terms of responses –
don’t impose your own perspective on the student,
but equally, don’t allow them to not think about their
own perspectives critically
 Conflict as positive and necessary- facilitator
confronts and challenges consensus/status quo (not
aggressive)

16. Case Study : Soc 3740
 Third year Sociology/Criminology option
module
 31 students
 2 hour ‘leminar’ session
 Gender and sexuality module

17. Ground Rules for Soc 3740:
Student Expectations
What students expect from me
 That I respond to emails within 48 hours
 To be available during office hours and whenever
needed
 Provide clear feedback – comprehensive, timely
 Provide marking criteria – clear and explained
 To be a good lecturer – consistent, be on time, be
enthusiastic , stay on topic
 Explain theory clearly

18. Ground Rules for Soc 3740:
My Expectations
What I expect from students
 Please be polite when you email
 Come to my office as often as possible
 Come to see me with drafts of work so I can
provide feedback in advance of deadlines
 Be ‘good’ students – attentive, engaged, do
the reading, enthusiastic, good attendance,
submit coursework on time

19. Inflexibility
 No acceptance of late coursework
 X grade for poor attendance – consistent
attendance taking
 Strict adherence to co-created and agreed
upon marking criteria
 Students must read in advance of class –
links to mode of teaching

20. Flexibility
 Not worrying about late students
 Changing deadlines for the entire class
where I could feasibly do so

21. Delivering the Module
 First 4 weeks were more ‘traditional’ with 45-60
minute lectures followed by seminar
 From week 5 students present a 15 minute
summative presentation based on a critical reading
of an assigned article
 I provide a 15-20 minute lecture
 Discussion of the lecture, the presentations, and the
reading becomes the key focus of ‘leminar’ – dialogic
process

22. Benefits
 Students attended, read, engaged
 Student presentations were, by and large, fantastic
 Students took ownership of the space to some
extent (this probably is more about my need to
control than their lack of ability)
 I learned something from them!
 Less administration
 Less lecture prep (but you must know your material
inside and out!)

23. Issues to consider
 Time intensive (at times) – tutorials and office hours
 Emotionally involving
 Cohort size/year group
 Dealing with control issues
 Institutionally / departmental support
 Assessment strategies
 Curriculum (example Crm 1420)
 Co-teaching

24. Next steps …..
 Our ongoing research into intersectionality ;
teaching large groups ; team teaching and
academic identity
 Working collaboratively starting with YOUR
areas of concern
 Empowering and confidence building through
teaching observation and conversation