Implementing Psychological Safety in the Online Graduate Management Classroom

Dozens of rigorous studies on psychological safety (PS) have found that PS supports learning by helping people overcome interpersonal risks. Our goal is to help address the challenges of student engagement and learning outcomes in an online environment characterized by a diverse student body and elevated stress and anxiety via the integration of psychological safety into teaching practices. Psychological safety is particularly relevant to the graduate management curriculum with its emphasis on upskilling students for the workforce. Nine instructional practices are proposed based on research conducted within organizations and as supported by student feedback. Our research-to-practice insights underscore the importance of PS in achieving successful educational outcomes and we contend that educators can create an inclusive and supportive online learning environment that supports diverse student populations and students struggling with anxiety by implementing these strategies in their own virtual classrooms.