Beyond the safe and censored: outcomes from student experiences within a pedagogy of discomfort

Abstract

Educators continue to seek teaching and learning strategies to augment student self-empowerment, agency and professional skills. This qualitative study analysed students' own evolving perspectives when Boler's pedagogy of discomfort was used to redevelop curriculum. Changes over time were examined regarding personal and professional development in public health and health promotion, including those most significant to the students themselves. Participants were final-year Australian undergraduate health students (n = 91) who applied a thematic analysis to their regular online 'blogs', articulating their thoughts and opinions about what they observed regarding unit content and tasks throughout the trimester. The researchers then conducted their own analysis to identify patterns and trends within the depth and breadth of student perceptions. Findings revealed that the personal and professional growth educators seek to instil arose spontaneously from students' increasing self-awareness, rather than classroom prompting or instruction and occurred in specific ways. This study chartered the course of how students challenged their own typical values and limiting beliefs, becoming more aligned and reflective of health promotion competencies. Other positive self-transformation was also identified, such as cultivating an open mind, shifts from victim-blaming to increasing compassion and empathy, through to the importance of finding their own voice. Future comparable studies including postgraduate students and diverse student groups are encouraged.

Keywords: curriculum design; higher education; pedagogy of discomfort; transformative learning.