Addressing Controversial Issues in Asian Classrooms: A Comparative Analysis of Psychological Safety and Discourse Spaces
Journal: Region - Educational Research and Reviews DOI: 10.32629/rerr.v7i12.5005
Abstract
This paper examines how macro-cultural and institutional frameworks across Asian nations shape classroom discourse ecosystems and psychological safety when introducing contentious topics. Employing literature analysis and a comparative regional perspective, it analyses disparities in classroom discourse spaces in China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Findings reveal that Chinese classrooms exhibit high behavioural participation yet limited agency participation, constrained by traditional authority and face culture; Japan employs historical inquiry to construct emotional buffering mechanisms while expanding inclusivity toward gender and identity issues; South Korea’s examination-driven system compels educators to create extracurricular third spaces for critical exploration; Thailand’s transnational classrooms rely on explicit inclusivity commitments and intercultural competence to bridge cultural divides. Classroom culture serves as a microcosm of national will and social psychology, undergoing continuous evolution. Educators should respect local cultural logic while drawing on transnational experiences to construct inclusive pedagogical scaffolding, transforming classrooms into substantive communities of divergence that genuinely stimulate students’ active participation.
Keywords
controversial issues, safe spaces, area studies, classroom teaching
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[3] Przeworski A., Teune H. The Logic of Comparative Social Inquiry. New York: Wiley-Interscience; 1970.
[4] Barrett B.J. Is safety dangerous? A critical examination of the classroom as safe space. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 2010; 1(1): 9.
[5] Callan E. Education in safe and unsafe spaces. Philosophical Inquiry in Education. 2016; 24(1): 64-78.
[6] Iversen L.L. From safe spaces to communities of disagreement. British Journal of Religious Education. 2018; 41(3): 315-326.
[7] Tan Z. Questioning in Chinese university EL classrooms. RELC Journal. 2007; 38(1): 87-103.
[8] Tran T.T. Is the learning approach of students from the Confucian heritage culture problematic? Educational Research for Policy and Practice. 2013; 12(1): 57-65.
[9] Zou T.X.P., Yu J. Intercultural interactions in Chinese classrooms: A multiple-case study. Studies in Higher Education. 2019; 46(3): 449-462.
[10] Wang M., Wang Y. Exploring Chinese EFL teachers’ perceptions about the contribution of positive classroom climate to their professional vitality and creativity: A qualitative study. International Journal of Applied Linguistics. 2025; 1-18.
[11] Kim J., Misco T., Kusahara K., Kuwabara T., Ogawa M. A framework for controversial issue gatekeeping within social studies education: The case of Japan. The Journal of Social Studies Research. 2018; 42(4): 333-344.
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[13] Choi J. Educating citizens in a multicultural society: The case of South Korea. The Social Studies. 2010; 101(4): 174-178.
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[15] Cho H., Johnson P. “We have to focus on improving our and our next generation’s rights!” Exploring critical literacy in a third space for Korean female high school students. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies. 2020; 18(1): 1-28.
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[17] Charoenrat C. Safe-space messages and psychological safety: Enhancing intercultural competencies in multicultural higher education classrooms. Rajapark International Journal. 2025; 2(3): 22-39.
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