Academia is a part of the society connected with studying and working. In the last few years, there have been growing challenges in the working and studying environment like indirect and direct discrimination, rejection and mental health problems due to anxiety and depression. It is evidenced mostly in Britain where black people of British heritage find it challenging to establish careers in their domicile countries. Representation problems are attributed to networks that were not introduced early enough to the students and limited competency accompanying stereotypes in the society.
The momentum needed to address academia and representation issues is to help students find their voice and begin to actively represent themselves through participation in writing and other forms of communication in the classroom. Schools also need to adopt career-oriented learning strategies more than evaluation. Active learning involves adoption of a policy that allows students to construct their knowledge and understanding actively
Participation means the students speaking in the classroom, writing competitive essays and answering questions or join discussions. Students permitted to take part in such activities are usually considered to be active and are open to the environment within and outside the classroom. Participation enables students to receive more skills in public speaking, apply their knowledge in critical areas and build their confidence. Teachers have a responsibility of creating a design a variety of learning activities to achieve those objectives through stage talk shows, class games, story making and learning cell groups.
This discussion focuses on how schools’ curriculums can be reformed to mold students to prevent academic problems specifically at the classroom level.
The Role of Active Classroom Participation to Address Issues in the Academia
According to Forsberg, students’ communication pattern is monitored and built right from the classroom. Communication in class is a rule which when fulfilled the student can freely participate in class activities. The best teaching that promotes active learning Is one that asks students to produce something that can help them in understanding a concept. Acceptability in the academia is strongly influenced by an individual's ability to deliver quality through proper communication.
There are many witnessed cases of discord between reading/ writing and comprehending real issues discussed. These problems arise due to lack of media literacy programs in schools. It is vividly evidenced when presenters stand in public and give fractured versions of their news stories and at the end of the presentation learners still have no idea what the presenter was talking about. A writer explains a topic in a newspaper, but after reading, readers still lack the ability to relate the story. In an ideal classroom environment, students being trained to write articles in newspapers and journals need to learn to read them first and scan the content to improve their ability to relate studies to real issues experienced in an academic environment like discrimination, rejection, and withdrawal. This way students will not only speak what they know of, but they will also practice everything they have learned. (Forsberg)
In this era, universities and colleges should have more roles than the mere award of degrees. They impart a sense of discipline and courage. This education could be planned in a way that there is no room for a sense of frustration and self-doubt. It can only be achieved by focusing on students and creating passion in them by providing more extra curriculum time and a more flexible curriculum. This initiative gives students a sense of pride in their career. (Forsberg)
Low esteem, anxiety, and fear usually are attributed to lack of participation and inadequate representation to the public. The more confident one feels, the better they feel about the task they are doing and the better the results. Confidence and self-esteem are built right from the classroom. Teachers play a significant role in setting up students for success by providing frequent feedback and praise after learning activities. Motivating students by making them understand how good he or she is can turn them into desirable achievers who are respected and highly accepted within and outside the school.
Personal virtues like self-discipline, integrity, responsibility, honesty, and humanity are determinants of healthy and smooth career paths free from discrimination and rejection. All these values have a background in the school setting where behavior is molded. (Forsberg)
According to Forsberg, There is a need for reforms in student evaluation. Apart from writing, students should be tested on their ability to think what they are writing. Learning assessments should be designed to measure gains in reasoning, critical thinking and decision making.
Freedom of thought should be allowed in institutions. Platforms for the Open airing of ideas where people are allowed to and disagree openly on essential issues experienced in academia like discrimination due to racism and sexism. These create a new social order right from the primary level and therefore does away with negative stereotypes everywhere.
Conclusion
As it is commonly said that charity aught to begin at home. If we can address social and technical issues in our education systems, solving larger academic issues will be easy, quick and more efficient because of their perpetual succession to different generations. Behavior and morals are being shaped at the school level. Our schools should have this in mind when formulating policies for students. if these strategies are implemented a school will be the manufacturer of great minds in the socety and bring lots of developments in the globe.
reference
Forsberg, Nuzzly Ruiz de. implementation of the autonommous school program . stockholm: Institute of International Education, 2003.
