Student Engagement in Peer Dialogue About Diversity and Inclusion

Abstract

Student engagement in peer dialogue is a key aspect of a transformative learning process. However, the dynamics of peer dialogue become more complex when applied to concepts of diversity and inclusion, due to increased risk of student vulnerability and exclusion. This study examined how curricular content and contextual features in educational settings facilitate peer dialogue by analyzing the learning narratives of eleven occupational therapy graduate students. Considered within a transformative approach to learning, findings suggest the need to consider how students experience and name diversity. Critical questions are raised about the value of and potential caveats about exposing students to first person accounts, as well as pedagogical strategies aimed at creating respectful learning classroom spaces that acknowledge the many intersecting social identities that students bring. Insights from this study informed the development of the linked concept of critical intersectional peer dialogue (CIPD).

Keywords

• inclusive pedagogy
• transformative learning
• cross-cultural competencies
• cultural safety
• social inclusion