Dealing with difficult students

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Dealing with difficult students
Postgraduates who teach Psychology
Network Workshop Belfast, 11 December 2006

• Dr Jacqui Akhurst
• York St John University

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Session outline

• Introduction
• Diverse sources of difficulty
• Considering what the tutor might change
• Strategies for coping
• Scenarios

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Aim to provide an opportunity to explore the
varieties of problems posed by students, and
possible ways of viewing the difficulties

• Activity 1
• In groups of 3, each person describe an example
  of a student being difficult.
• Describe what happened
• What caused the problem?
• What was the lecturer/tutors response?

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The range of influences on learning
Student Learning and Development
(adapted from Honey and Mumford, 1992)
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Common weaknesses in teaching/tutoring

• The goals / structure of session are unclear
• Lack of preparation by tutor / students
• The presenter talks too much
• There is a lack of student participation and
  involvement
• Discussion / content pitched at inappropriate
  level
• Questioning technique needs improving
• Discussion is too unfocussed
• A couple of students are allowed to
• dominate the discussion

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Activity 2 Managing a tricky student

• One participant takes on the role of student, the
  other of tutor, and the third of observer.
• Tutor Encourage the student to give you as
  much information as possible try to find out as
  much as you can in three minutes
• Observer Watch the exchange the types of
  questions asked, the students responses, the
  body language of both parties

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Strategies for coping?
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Internal sources of student difficulty
Possible strategies Build confidence move from
known to unknown Offer positive reinforcement
Study tips / tutoring Structure order Regular
attendance / scaffolding Avoid the expert
role Involve student in problem-solving Focus on
links with life experiences Be empathic but firm
re boundaries Encourage peer / group work Dont
get sucked into anxieties Try to connect
personally Avoid confrontation in class Engage in
group activities
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Handling difficult tutorial situations

• Communicate minimum standards
• - know guidelines, policies source of support
• - be assertive at start of sessions
• Develop consensus
• - use groups own internal self-regulation
• Develop trust and team building
• - e.g. icebreakers, developing social
  cooperation
• - personalise material
• Disclosure (appropriate levels)
• - never bluff if you cant answer

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Further discussion

• http//www.tedi.uq.edu.au/teaching/tutor/resources
  .htmlhandling
• http//www.mcmaster.ca/cll/resources/nifty.notes/d
  ealing.with.difficult.students.htm
• See the Psych network website http//www.psycholo
  gy.heacademy.ac.uk/
• Also http//www.heacademy.ac.uk
• e.g. Students' experience of University
  http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?processf
  ull_recordsectiongenericid319

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Scenarios

• I am about to start lecturing a particular group.
  There are serious tensions between students. One
  group are accused of being the goodies, always
  dominating question answering and lecturer time,
  and there are comments to them now from the
  complaining group, when they respond in class.
  Another group always occupy the back row. They
  are unresponsive to the lecturer, but have their
  own chats and activities going on. Another group
  sometimes join into this class. They feel
  intimidated by the atmosphere, and unwelcome. How
  should I begin?
• I am lecturing a first year group of
  non-specialists about psychoanalysis. I use my
  usual slide presentation, and at the first slide,
  one of the group responds by saying Freud was a
  pervert, and puts her head on the desk for the
  next 40 minutes. Another student in the front row
  is unable to sit still after 5 minutes, and keeps
  turning round and bothering the student behind
  her, also making comments at others responses to
  my questions. A further student chats to her
  neighbour through much of the time. About 5 of
  the class seem really interested, but are
  distracted by the rest what should I do next
  lecture?