Building active student participation in higher education

Purpose. The aim of this work is to understand the reasons behind students’ difficulties in classroom interactions. Methodology. After a literature review on public speaking and mindfulness, a survey was carried out during two management courses at Verona University. A single, open question was posed to the students: “Why is it that students do not participate actively in lessons?” Each student could write anything they deemed relevant, without limitations. Findings. There are some common underlying causes of difficulty related to communication and to students’ exposing themselves to public scrutiny. These are directly related to psychological problems that give rise to negative states such as agitation and anxiety. The most important of these emotional impediments are identified as fear of failure and fear of being judged by others. Practical implications. difficulties for students during lessons become barriers to active participation in young people’s future lives, with collateral damage to themselves and the community. To combat this phenomenon it is necessary to learn to manage these emotions and not suffer from them. An important technique to achieve this is ‘mindfulness’. In this way, universities could train students in public speaking techniques and in how to act to spread self-awareness and mindful awareness of reality. Originality/value. The paper also suggests that meditation techniques should be included in educational institutions and universities for their positive effects on students’ personality and character.