ABSTRACT
Is there a good reason why students should want to participate in discussion? Requiring participation, handing out rubrics for evaluation, providing study guides, requiring admission tickets, and developing formats are not reasons. They are techniques. Many students do not find it worthwhile to participate in discussion. It makes them vulnerable to criticism. It exposes the superficiality of their understanding to the teacher and their peers. It does not lead to an improved essay or test performance. It feels like a rehash of what they already read in the book. They have to listen to the “talker” in the front row who is always trying to impress the teacher. They have never found out anything in a discussion that helped them understand the text. They do not have anything important to say. They think discussion helps you avoid having to actually teach. Students who believe these sorts of things are not wrong. Their experience has shown them that poorly conducted discussions waste their time. To engage such students, you have to show them that discussion in your classroom is different.
