Psychological safety, as defined by Edmondson (1999), is the “freedom from fear, embarrassment, or humiliation in groups.” It plays a critical role in cultivating environments where individuals feel safe to express themselves, take risks, and share ideas without fear of negative consequences. In the context of online learning, psychological safety is particularly significant, as it directly influences how students engage with their peers, tutors, and the creative process.
Fears about yourself prevent you from doing your best work. Fears about others prevent you from doing your own work.
David Bayles, The Art of Fear
Understanding how to avoid this fear lies at the heart of my research question: How do students’ perceptions of psychological safety in online learning environments affect their willingness to share creative work?
You can find out a bit more about me and my academic practice context in this introductory blog post.
Recommended guide to reading the blog posts
1a. Background
1b. What’s the plan?
2. Psychological safety as a phenomena
4. The ARP of embracing messiness
5. Reflecting on research methods
8. Results
9. Reflections
10. Looking ahead