The Equitable Teaching at U-M team undertook an initiative to delve deeper into student experiences through a series of student focus groups. Students from varied backgrounds and experiences engaged in candid discussions, which were designed to capture a spectrum of insights from personal demographics and support systems to specific classroom interactions and broader university perceptions. Insights were gathered on the efficacy of equitable teaching resources, experiences with sensitive classroom discussions, and broader assessments of equity within the university context.

Focus Group Data and Discussion

The tables below offer a brief overview of some data collected through the focus groups. Table 1 asks students about the prominence of equitable teaching resources—personal identity wheel, social identity wheel, implicit bias test, and racial bias test—in their courses. Table 2 asks students how they believe their professors have handled discussions around race, religion, gender, and politics.

Given this data, we split the information in four response categories: (1) Respect and In Class Climate, (2) Fruitful Learning Techniques, (3) Meeting Students Needs, and (4) Department/School Specific Feedback and Ideas. The most common category was Respect and In-Class Climate, which suggests that students consider how they and their peers are treated within classroom spaces when thinking about equity. Another popular category was the department/school-specific category where most codes discussed positive or negative standout aspects of the culture within classes within a specified department or school on the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus.

How We Are Using the Results

We plan to update and create resources that align with student perspectives shared in the focus groups related to the following:

• Banking model and why educators are moving away from it
• New and renovated teaching and class management methods
• More syllabi techniques and inclusive practices or setting up an inclusive space through the syllabus
• Accessibility and inclusion in the classroom and in the syllabi

By addressing these areas, we aim to align our educational practices with student feedback and create a more supportive and effective learning environment.