Reflections on a positively deviant course on race and racism

Sociocultural theory and its intersection with Boud and Walker’s model of reflection is used as a framework to understand a surprisingly positive teaching and learning experience in a course on critical race theory. Classroom climate, learner expectations, and cognitive and emotional learner outcomes seem to have played key roles in the success of the course. All learners could point to direct and indirect experiences with racism which seems to support sociocultural theory’s emphasis on the consideration of learners’ personal, cultural context and its influence on the teaching–learning transaction. The authors write this reflection to push their own understanding of what they, and the participants, considered a unique environment.