Pros of participation: How important is class participation

The most valuable resource in a classroom isn’t any textbook, worksheet, or even the expertise of the teacher. It’s the voices and thoughts of the students, which are often overlooked when students stay silent in class. Your perspective contributes to not only the class discussion, but also your own knowledge.

Simply engaging in the classroom discussion practices the content you have learned and allows you to articulate your ideas. When a student is simply passively listening to the teacher in class, they aren’t actively thinking and putting their knowledge into use. Not doing so means none of this is happening. AP United States History and Accelerated Sociology teacher Elizabeth Taylor has observed this in many of her students.

“I think many of us, if we’re sitting in a discussion, and we’re sitting passively, we might think, ‘Oh, I had that idea. I could have phrased it that well,’ but until we actually have to phrase it ourselves, we don’t know how we would have phrased it, and we don’t get the actual practice of doing so,” said Taylor.

According to a 2006 study conducted by New York University, 72 percent of students who started participating more often in class found their grades to be improving, and 75 percent of students who didn’t participate as much felt that their ability in that class was rather lackluster. This is especially true for subjects such as foreign languages, where participation is the most effective way of learning. Without frequent participation, students are far more prone to zoning out and having things go over their head.

Aside from deeper understanding of the material, participating in class also creates a healthier learning environment, radiating a positive energy and allowing multiple perspectives to be seen. With only a few students chipping in, the classroom feels repetitive and stale. It becomes a routine for only those students to talk. English II teacher Greta Muça recognizes the importance of creating this positive environment in her classroom.

“You are helping others get new ideas. Those ideas that the students have may be unique or they may not be unique. And other students may see that their thoughts are either mirrored by somebody else or they’re going to complete their thoughts. There’s just something about being able to speak aloud and communicate with others, creating an environment where people want to learn. If you’re not communicating, then learning becomes sort of the thing that you just do on your own, and you’re here to do it with other people,” said Muça.

Despite these benefits, many students refrain from participating, whether because they’re too shy, or simply are afraid of getting the answer wrong. If you’re one of these students, consider starting from less intimidating settings. Build up your confidence in smaller breakout groups, then slowly ease into larger class discussions. Set a participation goal for yourself every day, and slowly increase it. Even just reflecting upon how much you participated and the reasons why you did can help out greatly.

It may not seem like much, but simply just expressing your ideas to both yourself and your peers will help you out by a considerable amount. So the next time you find yourself hesitating to participate, raise your hand, and raise the standard of your learning.