psychological safety

Enhancing Student Wellbeing and Engagement Through Oral Communication Peer Tutoring at NUS

cdtlsd Paper Presentations , , , , , ,

Sarah Somarajan*, Amelyn THOMPSON, and Doreen TAN 

Centre for English Language and Communication (CELC) 

*elcsps@nus.edu.sg  

Somarajan Priya, S., Thompson, A., & Tan, D. (2024). Enhancing student wellbeing and engagement through oral communication peer tutoring at NUS [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-ssomarajan-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Wellbeing; Opportunities from Engaging Communities 

KEYWORDS

Peer tutoring and learning, oral communication, interpersonal relationships, safe space, psychological safety  

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

In today’s interconnected and rapidly evolving academic and professional landscapes, engaging communities has become more vital than ever, particularly within the context of higher education. The Writing and Communication Hub (WCH) embodies this ethos by fostering a robust environment for student well-being, peer learning, and sharing through its oral communication peer tutoring services (NUS WCH, n.d.). This study delves into the perspectives of both peer tutors and tutees, exploring the multifaceted benefits and challenges associated with these services. Given the increasing emphasis on oral communication skills for academic success and professional readiness, peer tutoring has emerged as a valuable pedagogical approach (Hovland, 2014). The WCH, established by the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC), aims to nurture confident communicators across various disciplines. It not only addresses the immediate educational needs of students but also contributes significantly to creating positive relationships and communities (Lambert & Felton, 2020). 

 

METHODS 

Through semi-structured interviews with three peer tutors and three tutees, this study employs an exploratory case study design in line with our aim of evaluating an educational programme (Yin, 2011). It is hoped that the rich, qualitative insights derived would foster understanding and lead to improvements in practice (Merriam, 1998). Two first-cycle coding methods were used to analyse the data initially, with In Vivo coding to reflect participants’ exact words and conceptual coding to identify broader themes (Saldana, 2016). Subsequently, themes and sub-themes were surfaced from further analysis.  

 

FINDINGS 

The findings reveal significant themes, including challenges, the programme’s impact, and potential improvements.  Both tutors and tutees identified challenges such as the diverse needs and varying levels of proficiency among tutees, initial discomfort in seeking help, and the requirement for more tailored support. Despite these challenges, the positive impact of the peer tutoring service is evident. Tutors reported enhanced teaching skills, deeper subject knowledge, and improved interpersonal skills. Tutees experienced increased confidence, better academic performance, and enhanced oral communication abilities. These outcomes underscore the dual benefit of peer tutoring for both parties involved.   

 

Significantly, a salient theme identified by both peer tutors and tutees was improved confidence, fostered by the provision of a safe space during peer tutoring sessions. This safe space allowed students to express themselves without fear of judgment, promoting learning and growth. The findings align with existing research that supports the benefits of peer-led learning experiences, which include increased engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy (Arco-Tirado et al., 2020; Podplota, 2022). By fostering an environment of peer learning and sharing, the WCH not only addresses academic gaps but also promotes student well-being. The supportive peer relationships that develop through these tutoring sessions contribute to a sense of community and belonging, which are essential components of student wellbeing.  

 

The study also identifies opportunities to enhance the service by providing more extensive tutor training and improving the mentorship program for new peer tutors. Additionally, effective publicity is needed to raise awareness of WCH services. 

 

SIGNIFICANCE  

The insights gained from this study contribute to the broader discourse on peer tutoring in oral communication, offering practical implications for universities aiming to enhance student preparedness. The WCH at NUS exemplifies the potential of peer tutoring in developing essential communication skills, underscoring the importance of continued support and enhancement of such programs to meet the evolving needs of students. Through its commitment to engaging communities and promoting holistic student development, the WCH plays a critical role. By focusing on engaging communities, fostering student wellbeing, creating safe spaces and promoting peer learning and sharing, higher education institutions can create more comprehensive educational experiences that prepare students for successful careers and meaningful personal interactions. 

 

REFERENCES

Arco-Tirado, J. L., Fernandez-Martin, F. D., & Hervas-Torres, M. (2020). Evidence-based peer-tutoring program to improve students’ performance at the university. Studies in Higher Education, 45(11), 2190-2202. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1597038

Clarence, S. (2018). Towards inclusive, participatory peer tutor development in higher education. Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning (CriSTaL), 6(1), 58-74. https://doi.org/10.14426/cristal.v6i1.1939

Hovland, K. (2014). Oral communication: Skills for the real world. Liberal Education, 100(1). Association of American Colleges & Universities. 

Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. Revised and Expanded from” Case Study Research in Education.”. Jossey-Bass Publishers. 
 
Merry, S., & Orsmond, P. (2020). Peer assessment: the role of relational learning through communities of practice. Studies in Higher Education, 45(7), 1312-1322. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1544236

Moreno, E. M., Montilla-Arechabala, C., & Maldonado, M. A. (2022). Effectiveness and characteristics of programs for developing oral competencies at university: A systematic review. Cogent Education, 9(1), 2149224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2022.2149224

Podplota, S. (2022). Advantages of peer-tutoring in leading institutions of higher education. Problems of Education, (2 (97)), 43-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.52256/2710-3986.2-97.2022.03

Saldana, J. (2016). The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. Sage. 

Yin, R. K. (2011). Applications of case study research. Sage. 

Using Hashtag Introductions To Promote Psychological Safety

cdtlsd Poster , , , ,

Jingwen CHAI

Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), NUS 

jwchai@nus.edu.sg

Chai. J. W. (2024). Using hashtag introductions to promote psychological safety [Poster presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-jchai/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Wellbeing 

KEYWORDS

Inclusivity, diversity, psychological safety, engagement

CATEGORY

Poster Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Diversity and inclusivity are key elements in creating classroom environments that are psychologically safe. According to Christiansen et al. (2024), psychological safety and inclusion supports diversity, which strengthens learning outcomes and wellbeing among students. Yet, diversity and inclusivity tend to be at odds, such as the belief that a diverse team is less effective because members from different backgrounds do not work well together (Edmondson & Roloff, 2009). For educators, prioritising psychological safety is demanding as students do not work inclusively on their own – we need to guide them. 

 

Diversity can take on different forms and in higher education contexts, variety diversity is common and this is defined as diversity in skillsets and expertise (Edmondson & Roloff, 2009). Overcoming variety density necessitates helping students feel safe to be their true selves, be open to sharing their skills, and making inclusion explicit from the start (Thriving Talent, 2022).  

 

Here, I share a self-introduction activity using hashtags. It is easy to implement, and it helps students and instructors break the ice and recognise one another’s strengths. Engaging in this activity early the semester helps instructors set the tone of inclusivity. It is particularly suitable for smaller class sizes such as tutorials. 

 

When semester begins, I create a spreadsheet containing the names of the students in the tutorial class. Next, I identify a few hashtags. The hashtags represent skills that may be helpful to students for their group work. Using the course I have taught, GEI1002/GET1030 “Computers and the Humanities”, where students are taught the basics of programming, I chose the following hashtags: #programmer, #writer, #designer. Recognising that some students may not identify with the hashtags, I include #learner to encourage inclusivity. 

 

Prior to the first tutorial, I have students fill up the excel spreadsheet with the instruction, “choose, copy and paste, or add your own hashtags”. I include myself in the spreadsheet as example, making sure to include #learner to encourage my students to do the same. During the tutorial, I ask students to give a brief introduction of themselves using their hashtags. After the tutorial, they form up into groups of their choice1.  

 

Figure 1 below are two samples of completed spreadsheets, one for each semester that I taught the course. 

Figure 1. Samples of anonymised hashtag self-introductions (Click on the image to view a full-sized version).

 

From these samples, it can be observed that a handful of students identify themselves as #programmer, #writer or #designer. A larger proportion of students chose #learner. Diversity is observed as students added hashtags of their own, e.g. #photography, #maps, #naturelover, #performer, #history etc. At the same time, I found students to be excited when they identify others in the class sharing hashtags. Moreover, students with #programmer, #writer or #designer tags tended to distribute themselves evenly across groups even though there was no explicit instruction to do so. 

 

Although I did not survey students on their perception on their readiness to work with their group members as a measure of accomplishment of inclusivity2, I observed that students were more ready in engaging one another in conversations, presumably because they perceived psychological safety. Additionally, in comparison to another course that I teach using a more traditional self-introduction activity, I observed that it was for this course that students gave positive feedback for my sensitivity to their wellbeing and interests.  

 

In conclusion, creating psychologically safe spaces are important for diversity and inclusivity to flourish. While it might be a challenging ideal to achieve, I adopt the view that psychological safety can be promoted through simple steps. The hashtag self-introduction activity was conceived to help students overcome variety diversity by promoting safe and friendly disclosure, through recognising individual strengths and identifying common goals. It is easy to implement and has the potential to help educators take the first step in embracing an inclusive class culture. 

 

ENDNOTES

  1. The implementation of group formation can be flexible based on the learning outcomes that the instructor intends for. For some courses such as the example quoted in this abstract, I would instruct students to form groups of their choice with the suggestion to find friends with different strengths. In other courses, I would use the hashtags to assign students to groups. Students will be informed of the group that they are assigned to, their group mates and their hashtags. This helps students to understand the instructor’s intention to form groups with diversity in mind.
  2. We did not perform a quantifying assessment of inclusive class culture on overall student wellbeing because the activity is intended as an easy-to-implement activity with the role to warm up students, for them to be ready to embrace bigger learning outcomes of the course. We therefore assume that inclusivity promotes better learning outcomes. Future pedagogical assessments may seek to clarify the assumption.

 

REFERENCES

Christiansen, K., McKenzie-Cox, M., Korczak, P., & Lane, K. (2024, January 29). Psychological Safety: The foundation for wellbeing and inclusion. EdCan Network. https://www.edcan.ca/articles/psychological-safety-the-foundation-for-wellbeing-and-inclusion/ 

Edmondson, A., & Roloff, K. (2009). Leveraging diversity through psychological safety. Rotman Magazine, 1(2009), 47–51. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/afriberg/files/leveraging_diversity_through_psychological_safety_hbs_article.pdf

Thriving Talent. (2022). Why Psychological Safety Matters In Diversity and Inclusion. https://www.thrivingtalent.solutions/blog/why-psychological-safety-matters-in-diversity-inclusion