A new, brief measure of college students’ academic stressors

Polish university students’ and recent graduates’ reflections on discussing controversial topics in American literature courses: a preliminary qualitative study

“…The study revealed the participants' varied experiences concerning debates on sensitive issues in American literature classes. The benefits of discussing contentious subjects in literature classes mentioned by the participants support the assumption by Flynn and Rivera (2022) that the practice in question can foster students' socio-emotional growth. Furthermore, a few respondents emphasized that classroom discussions on controversial subjects not only foster critical reflection on matters concerning social inequities, but also have the potential to inspire students to actively oppose detrimental practices.…”

“…Promoting inclusivity and student empowerment, as well as counteracting teacher bias, critical pedagogy can facilitate classroom exploration of emotive topics. Flynn and Rivera (2022) argue that exploring controversial topics in literature classes can enhance adolescent and young adult students' socio-emotional growth. The authors highlight that the practice has been found to heighten learners' perceptiveness to diverse viewpoints, develop critical thinking skills, increase compassion and self-confidence, help question harmful assumptions, and provide meaningful insights into personal struggles.…”

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Exploring contentious subjects in literature courses can provide students with cognitive, social, and emotional benefits (Flynn & Rivera 2022;Rybakova et al 2013). Hand and Levinson (2012) note that discussion is commonly considered as the most effective means to explore sensitive topics in the classroom.

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