In today’s VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) society, collaboration and consensus-building across diverse perspectives are vital. Constructive criticism—expressing differing opinions, identifying flaws, and proposing alternatives—is essential for effective dialogue. Therefore, fostering the ability to give and receive constructive criticism is crucial in university education. However, students often avoid mutual criticism due to a fear of rejection or being disliked. Psychological safety, where students feel secure taking interpersonal risks, is necessary to facilitate constructive discussions. This issue is complex, as mutual criticism directly challenges psychological safety, influenced by the culture and social structures within schools.

This study explores how students perceive and react to giving and receiving constructive criticism in collaborative learning environments, addressing two research questions:
1) Under what conditions do students feel psychologically burdened when criticizing or being criticized?
2) How do students' perceptions of teachers and schools influence their reactions to criticism?

The aim is to develop strategies to balance psychological safety with constructive criticism in educational contexts. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 30 university students, presenting three criticism scenarios. In each, Student A expressed a controversial opinion, and Student B responded critically. The scenarios varied:
a) a classroom with 40 students and one teacher,
b) a classroom with 10 students and one teacher, and
c) a casual setting with 10 students discussing in a café.

Students evaluated the criticism based on two factors:
1) Whether they perceived Student B’s criticism as positive or negative, and
2) Whether they would feel comfortable making the same comment to Student A.

The survey revealed three key findings:
(1) Criticism was perceived more negatively in classroom settings, regardless of class size, compared to the café. Open-ended responses suggested that students felt more evaluated by the teacher in classrooms, leading them to view criticism negatively.
(2) The tendency to avoid offering criticism was strongest in classroom settings, while the informal atmosphere of the café encouraged criticism.
(3) Although some students accepted criticism positively, they still avoided criticizing others, indicating a disconnect between recognizing the importance of criticism and reluctance to provide it.

These findings suggest that negative perceptions and avoidance of criticism are influenced by interpersonal dynamics within schools, particularly the teacher-student power relationship: teachers give knowledge and evaluate, while students receive knowledge and are evaluated. In this dynamic, students' comments are often viewed by both students and teachers as subject to evaluation, making criticism feel like a threat to academic standing. Even constructive criticism is perceived as damaging, contributing to students' reluctance to criticize peers. To foster an environment where psychological safety and constructive criticism coexist, educational institutions must reconsider the social dynamics between teachers, students, and peers. By restructuring these relationships, a supportive atmosphere can be created, enabling open and constructive discussions without the fear of negative consequences.

Keywords: Mutual criticism, Psychological safety, Discussion, School culture.