20 Strategies for Engaging with Difficult or Controversial Academic Topics

Open the virtual door to a college classroom anywhere today or 500 years ago, and you will most likely experience a conversation or discussion. Also known as “conversational learning,” discussion is designed to help students gain knowledge and skill through engaging in dialogue with their peers, instructors, and guests or visiting experts.

However, according to the researchers, when you open those classroom doors, you are unlikely to observe discussions about difficult or controversial topics. Indeed, surveys of higher education faculty reveal that, despite the prevalence of discussion-based pedagogy, instructors often find themselves underprepared to engage students in controversial engagement in the classroom. Also, students can get PhD Thesis Writing Help for this type of difficult topic.

In the following section, you will explore 20 tips for engaging with challenging academic topics!

1. Research Thoroughly:
2. Acknowledge Biases
3. Engage in Critical Thinking
4. Use Neutral Language
5. Practice Empathy
6. Facilitate Open Discussions
7. Seek Diverse Perspectives
8. Focus on Evidence
9. Be Open to Change
10. Use Socratic Questioning
11. Develop Emotional Intelligence
12. Clarify Definitions
13. Maintain Academic Integrity
14. Prepare for Resistance
15. Separate Ideas from Identity
16. Encourage Active Listening
17. Use Case Studies
18. Incorporate Interdisciplinary Approaches
19. Acknowledge Complexity
20. Promote Ethical Reflection

Handling Difficult or Controversial Academic Topics

One of the concerns faculty members have about classroom discussion is that comments and questions may lead to divisive or controversial topics. While these discussions are often uncomfortable for both professors and students, they can also be significant and beneficial to student learning. Furthermore, making connections to current and controversial topics can help students understand the importance of what they are learning in class.

For example, assisting students in identifying the assumptions and biases that shape their own points of view supports productive and effective discussions about controversial or difficult topics. Instructors can use a variety of techniques to help students develop self-reflective practices that challenge their assumptions and biases.

When a difficult and controversial topic is included in the course material or becomes part of a class discussion, planned or not, the following easy steps and strategies can help instructors structure the discussion in ways that support meaningful and respectful sharing.

• Before beginning the discussion, review the discussion guidelines established at the beginning of the semester.

• Develop a shared understanding of the topic and a variety of perspectives by reviewing and discussing materials shared with students in advance. Try to provide examples of competing points of view that represent different voices. Then, have students explore their own experiences and values related to the topic and identify areas of ambiguity or uncertainty. That way, students have the opportunity to understand and empathize with different experiences and perspectives before stating a position.

• Encourage regular self-reflection by modeling it when lecturing or sharing your thoughts during class discussions. For instance, you could ask aloud, “What aspects of my personal experiences and viewpoints shape my evaluation of these competing arguments?”

Can You Find Credible Sources on Controversial Topics?

Whether participating in a discussion or writing an argumentative research paper, students should seek out strong evidence. Discussions based solely on personal opinions can be either tenuous or too limited in scope. Source credibility is important because credible sources provide information based on research and empirical studies. By citing credible sources, students demonstrate their preparedness and awareness of the various aspects of their chosen topic.

There are many different topics to choose from. Therefore, students should narrow the scope of potential discussions by defining their purpose, audience, personal interests, and credible sources. By doing so, they will ensure the relevance of discussed information, transforming discussions into entertaining and interesting activities for participants along with the audience.

Controversial Topics List

We have prepared topics from which students can select the ones that interest them the most. They are organized into categories to make your decision easier.

Controversial Debate Topics

• Is the current government tax system fair?
• Are the new technologies creating a divided society?
• Are the current immigration policies in the UK effective?
• Living in a surveillance society: can people choose between safety and privacy?
• Is gun control an effective way to reduce crime?
• There are still tensions between religion and society
• Do social media promote healthy lifestyles?
• Is the current system of college education accessible to all?
• Should students study social responsibility as a school subject?
• Is euthanasia a form of suicide? Is it appropriate to legalize it?
• Quality of education determines one’s future success in employment
• Mandatory vaccination benefits society in general and individuals in particular
• Should schools introduce monetary bonuses for students with the highest scores?

Controversial Speech Topics

• People are responsible for preserving animals that are under extinction threat
• Is Abortion a Human Right?
• The Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Food
• People should not be allowed to live together before official marriage
• Citizens should be able to visit national museums for free
• Is Technology Making Us More Isolated?
• Experience of volunteering can benefit students in their future careers
• The Growing Divide Between Rich and Poor
• The royal family can have more political power
• Religious organizations should pay taxes
• The Role of Government in Cyber Security
• Is Religion Necessary in Modern Society?
• Should Vaccinations Be Mandatory?
• Is there such a thing as a just war?

Controversial Topics for Discussion

• Is optimism beneficial or harmful?
• Should genetically modified foods be allowed on the market?
• Should government invest more in railroads?
• Is religious freedom a legitimate excuse for discrimination?
• What is more effective: further restriction by law or legalization of marijuana?
• Should technology be used to monitor people’s movements?
• How free-market affects national employees?
• Is it sound to make computer science a compulsory discipline?
• Do fairy tales help raise a good person?
• Making food producers stop adding sugar to their products.
• Under what circumstances it is possible to make the Internet free for everyone?
• Is the existence of a welfare state necessary?
• Is Chinese healthcare better than healthcare?
• Is multiculturalism beneficial for or not?
• Is the right to privacy a fundamental human right?
• Are the current UK immigration laws fair?

Don’t Know How to Begin? Ask Professionals

Controversial and difficult topics usually require students to conduct extensive research, use their critical thinking skills, and apply many persuasive speaking and writing tips to make their arguments strong enough. While these activities undoubtedly transform into personal assets students can use in their future careers, they are time and energy-consuming.

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