The rise of wildfires in academia: a descriptive phenomenological analysis of student-initiated confrontation as experienced by social work educators

Over the past three decades, there is mounting evidence to suggest that both within and outside of the classroom, post-secondary educators are the objects of increasingly concerning behaviours initiated by students, which range from incidental rude and disruptive behaviours to more intentional ongoing hostile, aggressive, and even violent behaviours. These student-initiated confrontations (SICs) can pose personal and professional challenges for post-secondary educators and are often exacerbated by a lack of guidance and support by institutional administration, as well as inadequate training with respect to SIC and classroom management. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the essence of the experience of SIC among post-secondary social work educators across Canada, and to discover what they identified as potential mitigators in and outside the classroom environment. In addition, this study was an examination of the institutional response to SIC. Particular interest was paid to the implications of SIC for social work education. Fifteen post-secondary social work educators were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological approach. Anti-oppressive practice and intersectionality were the theoretical underpinnings of this study, as they helped to understand the connections between power and SIC. Findings suggest that SIC is a present and serious problem within schools of social work that has implications for social work educators, social work education, and ultimately, the profession itself. Unlike previous studies that positioned SIC as occurring with a student-educator dyadic relationship, this study suggests SIC is a triadic phenomenon. Much like a fire that has three elements (heat, fuel, oxygen), SIC also consists of three elements: student behaviours, educator vulnerabilities, and institutional leadership’s response and failure to respond. It is the interplay between these three elements that either fuel or extinguish the SIC fire. Findings specific to social work education suggest that increased mandatory training for educators on classroom management and SIC, as well as increased support for educators by institutional leadership are important in preventing and mitigating this phenomenon

Breaking the Silence: A Phenomenological Study of Student-Initiated Confrontation as Experienced by Social Work Educators

Mounting evidence suggests that, over the past three decades, post-secondary educators increasingly face concerning behaviours initiated by students, both in and outside of the classroom. The behaviours range from incidental rude and disruptive behaviours to more ongoing, intentional, hostile, aggressive, and even violent behaviours. These student-initiated confrontations (SICs) present personal and professional challenges for educators and are often exacerbated by insufficient institutional support and training with respect to SIC and classroom management. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to understand the experience of SIC among post-secondary social work educators across Canada and to identify potential strategies to mitigate these challenges. Additionally, the study examined institutional responses to SICs, with a focus on social work education. Particular interest was paid to the implications of SIC for social work education. Fifteen post-secondary social work educators were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological approach. Findings suggest that SIC is a present and serious problem within schools of social work that has implications for social work educators, social work education, and the profession itself. Findings specific to social work education suggest that increased mandatory training for educators on classroom management and SIC, as well as increased institutional leadership support for educators, are important in preventing and mitigating this phenomenon.Au cours des trois dernières décennies, de plus en plus d’éléments suggèrent que les éducateurs de l’enseignement post-secondaire sont de plus en plus confrontés à des comportements préoccupants de la part des étudiants, tant à l’intérieur qu’à l’extérieur de la salle de classe. Ces comportements vont de l’impolitesse et de la perturbation accidentelles à des comportements intentionnels hostiles, agressifs, voire violents. Ces confrontations initiées par les élèves présentent des défis personnels et professionnels pour les éducateurs et sont souvent exacerbées par un soutien institutionnel et une formation insuffisants en ce qui concerne les confrontations initiées par les élèves et la gestion de la classe. Cette étude phénoménologique qualitative avait pour but de comprendre l’essence de l’expérience des SIC parmi les éducateurs en travail social de niveau postsecondaire au Canada, et d’identifier des stratégies potentielles pour atténuer ces défis. En outre, l’étude a examiné les réponses institutionnelles aux SIC, en mettant l’accent sur l’enseignement du travail social. Un intérêt particulier a été porté aux implications des SIC pour la formation en travail social. Quinze éducateurs en travail social de niveau post-secondaire ont été interrogés dans le cadre d’entretiens semi-structurés et les données ont été analysées selon l’approche phénoménologique descriptive de Colaizzi. Les résultats suggèrent que le SIC est un problème présent et sérieux au sein des écoles de travail social qui a des implications pour les éducateurs en travail social, la formation en travail social et la profession elle-même. Les résultats spécifiques à l’enseignement du travail social suggèrent qu’une formation obligatoire accrue pour les éducateurs sur la gestion de la classe et l’incivilité, ainsi qu’un soutien accru du leadership institutionnel pour les éducateurs sont importants pour la prévention et l’atténuation de ce phénomène