You’re human too! Making tutorial sessions at UM more inclusive

Why inclusion matters to me

I was fortunate to grow up in school and study environments where I always felt in place. Only during my PhD research on financial literacy education, I truly started to realise how much our backgrounds can shape our educational journeys. UM taking pride in being a diverse and inclusive academic community where different perspectives are embraced, therefore resonates with me. 

As a teacher trainer, educational researcher and teacher, I talk to colleagues on daily basis. Many tutors share the university’s vision too: they want all students to feel welcome and valued. Yet, they often feel insecure about how to make this happen in practice. Tutors are determined to do the ‘right’ thing but are unsure how, and sometimes worry about upsetting students. 

A gap in the research on small-group inclusion

Because tutors play such an essential role in UM’s educational approach, my colleagues Eveline, Simon and Diana and I wanted to find some answers together. Reading the academic literature did not give us what we hoped for. Very few studies have looked at what inclusion means in small student groups, even though these groups are central to Problem-Based Learning (PBL). And most studies focus on international students or those with special needs, while we see diversity as the whole of differences that may exist among students and may influence their learning and learning needs. These differences could relate – but are not limited – to students’ abilities, age, caring responsibilities, confidence, cultural background, disability, educational background, ethnicity, gender, interests, language, learning preferences, migration background, motivations, personality, race, religion, sexual identity, socioeconomic background and talents.

Thanks to a Seed Money Award of the UM Learning & Innovation Taskforce, we set out to explore this topic ourselves.   

What did we do?

We spoke with 18 tutors from FHML and SBE to hear about their experiences with fostering inclusion in tutorial groups. All of them had tutored for at least three years, and on average, they had 12 years of experience. We ensured there was a balance in gender and variation in the study programmes tutors worked in. 

We held face-to-face interviews, in Dutch or English depending on each tutor’s preference. Our questions were inspired by Rouse's framework (2006), which argues that inclusive teaching requires more than knowledge alone. Rather, a combination of ‘Knowing’, ‘Being’, ‘Believing’, ‘Doing’ and ‘Having’ is needed. Based on this, we asked questions such as: ‘How do you see your role in fostering inclusion in tutorial sessions’? We also asked tutors to reflect on moments when they had noticed diversity in their student groups, how they responded and what kind of support they found (or would have found) helpful in those situations.

2. Encouraging connections

Tutors agreed that a safe learning climate is essential for inclusion. They also saw this as a shared responsibility between tutors and students. Tutors can create the conditions, but students must use the opportunities by engaging respectfully with one another. What counts as a safe space, however, differs between groups and students. Something that worked well in one group might not feel right in another, which makes the tutor’s role more complex.  

As a tutor, you can contribute to a safe space by showing openness and genuine interest in your students*. Ask what they need to feel comfortable and discuss mutual expectations early on*. Regularly check in with the group to see how everyone is doing. If some students have particular needs, ask how you and their peers can best support them. Stay approachable, and let students know they can contact you personally if they have any concerns, for example.  

* Tip: Learn and remember students’ names – it shows you care.

* Tip: Be open about the fact that you may make ‘mistakes’, but are willing to learn from your students (again, you’re human too!).

3. Talk to your colleagues

Tutors said how valuable it is to share experiences and good practices with colleagues. Sometimes another tutor reassured them they had handled a particular situation well; other times, they picked up a new idea to try out. And knowing that others also struggle with inclusive teaching made tutors feel less alone. These shared reflections could take place in informal one-on-one conversations, but also in facilitated group discussions. 

As a tutor at UM, you are surrounded by many other tutors. Have you been thinking back to a past situation for a while now? Or are you concerned your current group doesn’t yet feel like a safe space to everyone? Ask a peer tutor from the same course or reach out to a colleague from your department with tutoring experience, to think along with you*. They might not have the perfect solution either (they’re human too!), but together you can explore next steps.

* Tip: At FHML, the Taskforces Faculty Development and Internationalisation have launched discussion hours on ‘Diversity in Education’, open to all FHML teachers. The first evaluations are very positive! 

* Make time for informal talks. Sometimes five minutes is all it takes.

So, what does this mean?

For us, the results of this study suggest that we don’t need to completely change how we facilitate tutorial sessions. Small adjustments can already make a difference and foster inclusion. Tutors also shouldn’t pressure themselves to get it ‘right’ all the time. Inclusion is about staying open, listening, and being willing to learn, from students and from each other. You just need to be human too. 

And that’s the message we’ll keep sharing in conversations with colleagues.

By Boukje Compen, assistant professor affiliated with the Department of Educational Development and Research and the School of Health Professions Education (Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences), Maastricht University.

This article is based on a research project by Boukje Compen, Eveline Gerretsen, Simon Beausaert & Diana Dolmans (FHML & SBE).

Want to learn more? 

Boukje and Diana talked about their research, and this study in particular, in the video: Moving beyond intuition: how education research supports teachers & students

References

Rouse, M. (2006). Enhancing inclusive practice: knowing, doing and believing. Kairaranga, 7, 8-13.