The Fear of Raising Hand in Class
Have you ever seen the teacher asks students questions while there is no one raising their hands to try to answer questions? This situation is pretty common in our school lives. This problem has bothered me for many years. However, it does not mean all students do not understand what the teacher says because we usually see some students discuss those questions after class. Judging from this circumstance, we can realize this problem that students dread putting up their hands and sharing their opinions in class has nothing to do with their understanding of the course. There are some possible reasons causing the fear of raising their hands in class, and they can be divided into introverted personality, peer pressure, and teacher’s feedback.
When it comes to the fear of raising our hands in class, introverts and shyness immediately spring to our mind. Introverts actually tend to be quiet, for they prefer to contemplate the content of the course deeply and to listen to classmates’ thinking carefully rather than express their viewpoints right away. Moreover, other people’s excessive attention would make them too nervous and embarrassed to speak in class. For example, every time I am asked to answer questions or give a presentation, I always feel so nervous that my speech tempo becomes faster than usual. Even though I have previewed the course and prepared the presentation for a long time and rehearse it many times, I am still on pins and needles. Thus, personality makes a huge impact on our motives of raising our hands in class.
Peers’ perspectives affect people's wills of putting up hands intensely. As peer groups play an indispensable role in our lives, we would try our best to leave a positive impression on them. That is why people are apt to refuse to share their answers or opinions in class. They would worry if they talked nonstop and raised their hands many times, they would be thought of as showing off their knowledge or to be regarded as a nerd. Perhaps, if they answer wrong or get stuck in speech, they will feel shameful and lose face in public. These ideas always bother us and cause great pressure on us. When I studied at junior high school, I used to take the initiative to express my opinions in class. Nonetheless, to my disappointment, some of my classmates thought I showed off myself. It left a bad taste in my mouth, so peer pressure may be a barrier to raise hands in class.
A teacher’s response is another important factor because it may influence students’ thoughts about answering questions. During our school lives, we may experience teachers asking us questions and comments. However, some of them do not really want us to express our feedback or give answers. As a matter of fact, these kinds of inquiries are real questions; instead, teachers take advantage of these questions to sum up classes. Besides, a few teachers would deduct students’ points or insult students when students give incorrect answers. For instance, I have encountered a teacher who likes to ask students questions by roll call. Besides, if students had given wrong answers, he would take students’ points off. These behaviors would greatly decline students’ will of taking the initiative in sharing their viewpoints. In other words, teachers are required to change their responses to students.
As mentioned above, people’s personalities, other peer’s demeanor, and teacher’s reactions would influence one’s motivation to put up their hands in class. It is pretty nice for students to share their opinions of their own accord because it can improve students’ class participation. As a result, we need to overcome our fear of putting our hands up. As Abraham Lincoln once said: ‘I am a slow walker, but l never walk backwards.’ We cannot give up conquering our fear; instead, we have to confront it. More haste, less speed! We do not need to jump the gun, for we may give ourselves too much stress. Hence, what we should do is clear up our problems and resolve them to overcome the fear of raising hands in class.
Reference
1.你可以走得慢，但你必須往前走 2018-07-12 Ari Chen
https://medium.com/我的學習之旅/你可以走得慢-但你必須往前走-937de1c1bd32
Sources
1. 不敢當衆舉手發言,怕被人笑話,是什麼心理? 2020-12-19
https://ppfocus.com/0/he2bf242a.html
2. 孩子上課不積極舉手發言，怎麼辦？ 2022/05/21 我的家鄉d遠方
https://read01.com/jN7DdQd.html#.Y_o41nZBy3A
3.《當代教育研究季刊》第二十一卷第四期 2013-12 頁41-80
001: 10.6151/CERQ.2013.2104.02 徐文鈺