Resistance to Learning: How People Cope with Perceived Threats

Resistance to Learning provides critical knowledge helping educators and trainers address hostile resistant behavior in the learning environment. Hostile resistance is commonly experienced and potentially very harmful to the classroom learning environment and the instructor's composure, credibility, and feelings of self-worth, yet few instructors are equipped to deal with the issue. New, and even veteran teachers, are often not prepared to address hostile resistance and are surprised when confronted with the issue.

Resistance to Learning draws the reader through the experience of hostile resistance, intertwining theory, research, and practice. It builds on quantitative and qualitative analyses of the real life experiences and frank descriptions by seasoned instructors as they encounter, and attempt unsuccessfully to deal with hostile resistant behavior. As their stories unfold, the book moves between research in adult learning and allied fields-such as neurobiology, psychology, anthropology, and sociology-and the issues the practitioners describe in their stories. The book identifies specific strategies and actions instructors and administrators can take to resolve theseissues.