Tyranny of extroverts?
Does our classroom provide everyone with equal opportunity to share their opinions? According to a Harvard Business Review article, studies indicate “introverts make up one-third to one-half of the population.” Yet the typical way students are asked to participate in class is not reflective of this population distribution, but rather is unfairly favouring extroverts.
The typical method used for student participation would be this: A professor asks a question to the class and only those who feel comfortable enough – in other words extroverts – would raise their hand to speak.
Not only is this unfair to introverts but also it is a missed opportunity for us all. Schools should be the very place that fosters diversity of opinions. This can only be achieved by including introverts in the mix of opinions heard in classrooms. Diversity of opinions in fact has numerous benefits according to one Atlantic article:
- Increase awareness of self and others
- Cultivate intellectual humility
- Develop actively open-minded thinking skills
A classroom where only one type of people is favoured is tyranny. There is no restraint for extroverts from speaking that leads to their views becoming the only and dominant voice heard in classrooms. The notion of “tyranny of extroverts” may be a bit of hyperbole, but perhaps this is what will sufficiently sound the alarm for schools to act.
Bonus: interested in learning more about introverts? This article is a great starting point.