Using Primary Sources to Improve Classroom Climate and Promote Shared Responsibility

Abstract

To address a deteriorating classroom climate at the midpoint of a two-semester course sequence, we employed a novel intervention: reading a research manuscript together with students as an invitation to legitimate peripheral participation in scholarly reflection on teaching and learning. This intervention resolved many student complaints about the structure and level of the course, and the manuscript’s discussion of the didactical contract helped students claim their share of responsibility for their own learning. We propose that reading research literature with students can be an effective tool for addressing classroom challenges, and recommend the didactical contract for promoting shared responsibility.