ABSTRACT
The genesis of Tolman's integrated model of student resistance led to recruiting a group of undergraduate students to participate in developing the ideas, connecting them to the literature, integrating concepts across diverse fields, and then writing—lots of writing. Matthew's story illustrates mostly passive resistance on the part of students that appears to have stemmed from a desire to assert their own autonomy, to resist the instructor's mandate that these assignments be regularly completed. Rob's experience is fascinating because it demonstrates that a student does not manifest only one type of resistance to a course or assignment; students may vary in their individual reactions to a course, but an individual student's resistance can be dynamic, shifting between active and passive forms depending on the environment. Instructors could profitably perceive this form of resistance as an opportunity to review curriculum and course design rather than as a nuisance or disruption of the class.
