Variabilidad en composición, estructura y diversidad del BSG en fragmentos entre

For students to adapt to new learning experiences they require a learning space

that encourages the expression of differences but offers psychological safety to

support them facing these differences. It is about creating and holding a learning

space that offers a climate of support that students can trust to ‘hold’ over time, a

space that respects the norms of psychological safety, with serious purpose and

respect to promote learning (Kolb & Kolb 2005, p. 207).

Creating and holding a safe space for learning requires educators and students to

embrace and face differences. These may be differences between skills (such as an

expert’s performance versus novice status) or differences between deeply held

beliefs and beliefs about new ideas, or differences in life experiences. Embracing

such differences by exploring the values of others may lead to a better

understanding of them, facilitate learning (Kolb & Kolb 2005) and build capability.

The work of Beard is noteworthy in a discussion on developing psychological safety.

He states that learning is enhanced when students discover things for themselves

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(2006). This requires student commitment to discovery, experimentation and

reviewing of personal goals and visions. However, in order for any experiences to

be interpreted in a constructive manner, it is essential that students have

confidence in the validity of the views of others, and be ability to incorporate them

with their own views and values where necessary (Beard & Wilson 2006).

Bryk and Schneider and others note that relational trust is another factor that can

impact on the degree of psychological safety experienced by students and the

extent to which they can adapt to new learning experiences (2002, 2003; Malloy

1998). Although relational trust does not appear to directly affect student learning,

there is evidence that higher levels of relational trust support the conditions in

which student learning and outcomes such as graduate attribute development are

more likely to occur (Bryk & Schneider 2002, 2003).

In furthering an understanding of relational trust and its role in creating

psychological safety, it is proposed that three entities (students, educators and the

learning environment they co-create) interact in ways that result in the continuous

alteration of each entity over time. It is the central presence of relational trust that

is argued to be at the heart of the interaction occurring between these three

entities that can influence the degree of psychological safety and a student’s

adaptability or openness to new experiences (Bryk & Schneider 2002).

A number of factors underpin each entity’s ability to develop relational trust and

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development. There is an interrelated set of mutual dependencies embedded

within social exchanges, and regardless of how much formal power exists, all parties

are dependent on others to achieve desired outcomes and, importantly feel

empowered by their efforts. As students and educators interact with one another

they are constantly discerning the intentions embedded in the actions of others

(Bryk & Schneider 2003). Students for example may consider how others’ efforts

advance their own interests or impinge on their own self-esteem and confidence,

necessary ingredients for psychological safety. In the absence of prior contact,

students and educators may rely on the commonalities of race, gender, age,

religion, or socio-economic status as trust determinants (Bryk & Schneider 2003).

These discernments tend to be organised around four specific considerations:

respect, personal regard, competence in core role responsibilities, and personal

integrity (Bryk & Schneider 2003).

It is therefore useful to explore the importance of these considerations in creating a

learning environment that is psychologically safe for students. Firstly, relational

trust is grounded in the social respect that emerges from social discourse that takes

place in the learning environment. Respectful exchanges are marked by genuinely

listening and by taking others views into account in subsequent actions. Even when

students or educators disagree, students still feel valued if others respect their

opinions (Bryk & Schneider 2003). The significance of respect is also noted in 3.2.3

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Personal regard represents another important criterion in determining how entities

discern trust and psychological safety. Such regard comes from the preparedness of

students and educators to extend themselves beyond the role expectations

perceived as key to learning and development, to cultivate a climate in which there

is a willingness to share experiences, values and beliefs and where humour is used

in a benign way and vulnerability accepted (see 3.2). Such new relationships

between educators and students are discussed in the context of learning

partnership in 3.3.1 and 3.3.2. Perceptions about personal integrity also shape a

student’s discernment that trust exists. Integrity also demands that a moral-ethical

perspective guides behaviour.

In summary, for students to fully engage in learning activities and be willing to

adapt to new learning experiences a relationship or sense of belonging is important

(Hart 2004). This means that educators need to create a learning environment that

is perceived by students as psychologically safe, where varying perspectives are

explored and a high degree of trust encourages students to learn through self-

discovery.

From the above examination of the literature, a fourth postulate emerges, which

can be subject to empirical scrutiny to confirm/disconfirm the importance of

ensuring psychological safety to foster adaptability. This is the final identified

student-based factor to be subject to scrutiny to justify it as a component of

106 Postulate 4:

A student’s adaptability is influenced by the degree of psychological safety in the learning environment.

These first four postulates relate to the assumed transfactual conditions that are

assumed to exist for a student to contribute to the model of graduate attribute

development.