Abstract
This article reconceptualizes academic freedom within speech communication pedagogy, claiming that authentic freedom rests less on external constraints and more on internal dispositions of growth and intellectual adventure shaped by Deweyan philosophy. Through theoretical analysis and reflective classroom observation, it traces how these attitudes inform learning objectives, curriculum content, and interactive teaching strategies in the basic public speaking course. The discussion situates communicative competence, rhetorical education, and student inquiry within an ethical framework that obliges instructors to cultivate questioning, uncertainty tolerance, and flexible adaptation while continually renewing their own practice. By linking academic governance, classroom ethics, and performance oriented instruction, this article offers a model for fostering learner autonomy and sustaining vibrant disciplinary culture across diverse higher education contexts.
Recommended Citation
Johnstone, Christopher Lyle
(1990)
"Academic Freedom in the Speech Communication Classroom: Toward an Ethics for Teaching,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 73, Article 9.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol73/iss1/9
