Naj Sumar

Our classrooms are no longer just spaces of learning; they are rich tapestries of diverse perspectives, communication styles, and ways of thinking. Building community in the classroom means more than just bringing students together. It is about making room for student diversity. It is about developing critical skills like effective communication, teamwork, self-reflection, and creative problem-solving—abilities that prepare students not just for navigating one classroom, but for the world around them.

Community can have different meanings to different people. While it might seem out of place in the higher education classroom, many educators recognize that student success goes far beyond grades. Building positive emotional connections, a sense of safety, and having the confidence to engage in their academics creates a sense of belonging for our students (Tran, 2020). In a university setting, classrooms can become learning communities (Rovai, 2002), where a student’s feeling of belonging can fuel academic achievement. Effective community-building necessitates educators focus on students as active participants in learning. In a learner-centered model of teaching (Weimer, 2013), emphasis is placed on collaboration. Students actively engage with course materials, work with their peers, learn to value diverse perspectives, and build critical thinking skills. Community in the classroom is ultimately an approach that sees learning as a shared journey, where students and instructors work together to explore and understand new ideas. The strategies outlined in this section offer many options to build community in the classroom and make a positive impact on students and their learning environment.

Why is community building important?

Creating a classroom community is important because students learn better when they feel welcomed, valued, and respected. Especially in culturally diverse learning spaces, recognizing each student’s unique voice helps all students grow intellectually and personally (Zhao, 2007).

Building community can enhance both student satisfaction and academic performance. When instructors create opportunities for students to connect, this drives genuine interest in learning from and with each other (Perry, 2022). In fact, relationships between students can translate to peer learning that occurs outside of class (Sidelinger, Bolen, McMullan & Nyeste, 2014). Students self-organize to create opportunities for learning outside class, such as forming study groups and sharing notes. It is unsurprising then that community-building has also been linked to student satisfaction rates in course evaluation (Liu et al., 2007).

Many scholars have identified a link between classroom community and student learning, participation, and achievement outcomes (Rovai, 2002). Myers et al. (2015) found that community-building supported learning in both the emotional and intellectual domain, in turn positively impacting student participation and behaviour. Community building has also been found to supports classroom management (Perry, 2022). Fostering the development of relationships in the classroom helps build capacity for students to have respectful discussions, reducing the potential for conflict, and easing the instructor’s management of classroom dynamics.

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