When silences are broken: an out of class discussion with Asian female students

Abstract

This article reports on the views of seven Asian female Social Science students following a class seminar on religious issues and schooling at a university in the UK. It explores the importance of the post‐class spontaneous student dialogue where participation in much teaching and learning is voluntary. The concern is with engaged pedagogy and interactive teaching methods that allow space for students to voice their views and experiences. This is especially important when dealing with “controversial” topics such as Islamophobia – anti‐Muslim racism – and “war on terror”. Whilst the issues are provocative, some students remain silent and do not participate in the formal class setting; they hold back their comments for a less exposed moment. In this case, the post‐class discussion threw up insights into the reasons for student “silences” and possibilities for “breaking” them. A key insight is the importance of “safer spaces”, usually after classes, in the corridors and refectories, and how to bring the discussions back into the classroom environment. Another is the political significance of “counter‐stories” told in safety for pedagogic and political theory and practice. This article refers to one such moment and explores the value of post‐class student “counter‐narratives” that developed organically.

Keywords:

• critical race theory/feminism and identity
• critical pedagogy
• student voice
• counter narratives

Acknowledgement

I want to thank Paul Grant for his continued support of my writing. His reading of earlier drafts has greatly sharpened and clarified the discussions in this paper.