Classroom Climate for Students and Instructors

The 2021 Campus Climate Survey was conducted and analyzed by the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment (OAPA) and was sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion. This report, UMass Amherst Campus Climate Survey 2021: Classroom Climate was written by OAPA and contains their thematic findings.

he prominence and importance of classrooms within the campus environment cannot be overstated. College classrooms are key sites of course-based human interaction, and intellectual and social engagement. Students, in particular, spend a considerable amount of time each week within classroom environments – some of which are more interactive than others. Ideally, all UMass Amherst undergraduate and graduate students, across social identity aspects, should feel equally welcome, valued and engaged within these communal learning spaces. However, higher education contexts, particularly those of predominately white institutions (PWIs), carry a historical legacy of exclusion and marginalization. In addition, many academic disciplines remain gendered. These circumstances, and others, present challenges for achieving equitable classroom climates for our students.

Existing scholarship has documented ways in which classroom learning environments can be inhospitable, and ultimately unengaging, for students – particularly those whose social identities have been historically marginalized. Because classrooms are such important sites of student engagement with both peers and faculty, students’ experiences in these spaces can be especially impactful, in both positive and negative ways. This research brief focuses on students’ and instructors’ experiences in the classroom. We report on undergraduate and graduate students’ experiences with social identity-based exclusion, dismissal, targeting, and/or stereotyping in the classroom. We also report on both faculty and graduate student instructors’ and teaching assistants’ (TAs) experiences engaging with diversity-related topics and curricula, their perceptions of their students’ enthusiasm for learning about diverse perspectives, and classroom openness to the free expression of ideas. These CCS results provide insight about the extent to which our classroom climates are equitably experienced, and about potential challenges faced by University course instructors and TAs.

Students’ Experiences with Exclusion, Dismissal, Stereotyping, and Targeting in the Classroom

The 2021 Campus Climate survey asked both undergraduates (UG) and graduate students (G) the following questions:

How often does each of the following happen to you at UMass Amherst? (Never, Sometimes, Often)

You feel excluded in class on the basis of an aspect of your social identity
You feel like your point of view is dismissed in class on the basis of an aspect of your social identity
You are targeted unfairly or singled out unfairly by course instructors because of your social identity
Course instructors stereotype, make negative remarks about or tell jokes about an aspect of your social identity

As noted in the Belonging Research Brief, students’ sense of belonging is one of the strongest predictors of one-year retention for UMass Amherst undergraduates. The graph below illustrates the relationship between undergraduates’ sense of belonging and their classroom experience. Students who indicated feeling excluded in the classroom or that their point of view is dismissed were less likely to report a strong sense of belonging than are those who have not had these types of classroom experiences.

Classroom Experience

Overall, 24% of undergraduates reported feeling excluded in class on the basis of their social identity and 28% of graduate students reported the same (see dashboards, below). Similarly, 25% of undergraduates and 23% of graduate students reported feeling that their point of view is dismissed in class based on their social identity (either Sometimes or Often). It is important to acknowledge that students were not asked whose behavior caused them to feel excluded or dismissed: it may be that of peers, instructors, or a combination of both.

Responses to the two questions focused specifically on course instructors’ behaviors show that vast majorities of undergraduates and graduate students reported that they Never experience faculty targeting them or singling them out in class based on their social identity (92% and 90%), and that they Never experience course instructors stereotyping, making negative remarks about, or telling jokes about an aspect of their social identity (89% and 88%) (see dashboards below). Although these findings are encouraging, there is room for improvement: Approximately one-tenth of both undergraduate and graduate students reported being unfairly targeted by course instructors (8% UG, 10% G) or experiencing course instructors stereotyping, making negative remarks about, or telling jokes about their social identity (11% UG, 12% G).

Additionally, students’ experiences of social-identity-based exclusion and/or dismissal in the classroom vary by social identity (see dashboards below). For example, Black undergraduates are four times more likely than white undergraduates to report feeling excluded in the classroom Often (16% v. 4%), and a similar disparity exists for graduate students (12% v. 5%). Another example is that undergraduates who identify as Trans Women or Trans Men are more than three times as likely as Women or Men to report feeling excluded in class Often (18% v. 5%) – and a similar disparity exists for graduate students.

Similarly, the frequency with which students reported being targeted or unfairly singled out, or stereotyped, by course instructors varies by social identity (see dashboards below). One example is that graduate students who have a learning disability were more likely than graduate students who do not have a disability to report being targeted or singled out unfairly by course instructors either Sometimes or Often (20% v. 7%). Another example is that Black undergraduates were more likely than white undergraduates to report being targeted or singled out unfairly by course instructors either Sometimes or Often (19% v. 6%). A similar disparity exists for graduate students: 26% of Black graduate students reported being targeted or singled out unfairly compared to 8% of white graduate students.

Undergraduates

Graduate Students

Students who reported feeling excluded or dismissed in class on the basis of social identity were asked this follow-up question: You indicated that you have felt excluded or dismissed in class on the basis of social identity. Which aspects? Students were provided with a list of 11 social identity aspects and were able to select multiple aspects. As illustrated in the dashboard below, gender and race were the social identity aspects most likely to be selected among both undergraduate and graduate students. Students who reported being targeted or stereotyped by course instructors were asked a similar follow-up question, and gender and race were again the social identity aspects most likely to be flagged by both undergraduate and graduate students.

Social Identity Aspects

Instructors’ Experiences in the Classroom

College campuses have long been sites where social justice is contemplated, political ideas are debated, and social movements are instigated and cultivated. UMass Amherst has a strong legacy of student-led movement for progressive causes, and this work continues today. However, the campus community is by no means monolithic and is enriched by the diverse perspectives and ideas of those who learn and work here.

Course instructors and TAs – and particularly those whose courses focus directly on topics of diversity, social and economic inequality, and/or political issues – are responsible for helping their students engage in and navigate discussions across difference, an activity that can present a host of challenges, including heated exchanges. Successfully facilitating open discussion, fostering respect for diverse perspectives, and discouraging harmful or hateful speech requires attentive and skillful engagement on the part of both course instructors (and TAs) and students. Consequently, classroom conversations sometimes can be fraught, rather than productive.

To gain insight about course instructors’ (and TAs’) classroom experiences, the CCS included a brief set of items focused on this topic. Both faculty and graduate student instructors/TAs were presented with the following statements and asked to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with each (Agree Strongly, Agree, Disagree, Disagree Strongly, No basis for judgment):

Students in my course have enthusiasm for learning about diverse perspectives
Students’ resistance limits the free expression of ideas in my classes
I would value guidance about how to more effectively address diversity issues in my course
I have difficulty managing diversity-related topics/conversations in my class
My department's undergraduate curriculum includes diversity of identity, experience, and perspective (only for faculty)

Student Enthusiasm for Diverse Perspectives

As illustrated in the dashboards below, majorities of both faculty and graduate student instructors/TAs agreed (either somewhat or strongly) that their students have enthusiasm for learning about diverse perspectives – although the level of agreement is a bit higher among faculty (90%) than it is among graduate instructors/TAs (78%). Because graduate student instructors/TAs are a sub-group of graduate student survey participants, the data set does not support a robust comparison among social identity categories. However, among faculty, responses are quite similar across most social identity groups. One exception is that Black faculty were more likely than their peers of other races/ethnicities to Strongly Agree that their students have enthusiasm for learning about diverse perspectives.

Free Expression of Ideas

Vast majorities of both graduate student instructors/TAs and faculty disagreed (either somewhat or strongly) that student resistance limits the free expression of ideas in their classrooms (80% and 86%, respectively). The faculty-specific dashboard below shows that responses to this item are quite similar across most social identity categories. These findings are encouraging and suggest that most faculty perceive a positive classroom climate for free expression of ideas.

Guidance About Effectively Addressing Diversity in the Classroom

Majorities of both faculty and graduate student instructors/TAs agreed (either somewhat or strongly) that they would value guidance about how to address diversity issues in their courses more effectively (70% and 75%, respectively). The faculty-specific dashboard below shows modest differences across social identity categories. For example, Lecturers and Assistant Professors were slightly more likely than Associate Professors and Full Professors to agree that they would value such guidance (75% and 78%, v. 70% and 62%). Similarly, women and nonbinary faculty were somewhat more likely than men to agree that they would value guidance (77% and 81% v. 63%).

Although majorities of both faculty and graduate student instructors/TAs agreed that they would value guidance about addressing diversity in the classroom, much smaller proportions agreed that they have difficulty managing diversity-related conversations or topics in their classes: Only 3% of graduate student instructors/TAs indicated that they Strongly Agree whereas 17% indicated that they Agree. Similarly, only 2% of faculty indicated that they Strongly Agree whereas 20% indicated that they Agree. Responses across most social identity categories were quite similar. However, Asian and White faculty were somewhat more likely than their peers of other races/ethnicities to agree that they have difficulty managing diversity-related conversations or topics.

Undergraduate Curricula and Diversity

Faculty members (only) were asked the extent to which they agree or disagree that their department's undergraduate curriculum includes diversity of identity, experience, and perspective. Overall, a majority of faculty (70%) indicated agreement with this statement (with 23% agreeing strongly), and responses were quite similar across social identity categories. One exception is that Black faculty and Latinx faculty were more likely than their peers of other races/ethnicities to Disagree Strongly (26% and 17% v. 8% or less).

Graduate Students

Faculty

Web and PDF Versions Available

Toolkit: Classroom Climate

322KB PDF

We encourage you to use this toolkit for a group or classroom discussion, or as a resource for yourself as you consume and reflect on the findings of the survey.

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