ABSTRACT
One common error that faculty often make when discussing student resistance is to assume that resistance is a student behavior. Student resistance is the outcome or result of a confluence of forces, including institutional context, faculty attitudes and behaviors, faculty reactions to student behaviors, and powerful forces that drive and shape student expectations and reactions. Looking across these various classification systems, there is recognition of the role of motivation in understanding student resistance; furthermore, despite the various disciplinary perspectives that created them, the definitions of resistance the authors are aware of appear to fit reasonably well into the resistance matrix. Resistant behaviors tell us, as instructors, some very important things about our students, and by seeking to better understand and elicit that communication signal, the authors can become more effective teachers. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
