Exploring relationships in education: A phenomenological ... › fulltext › EJ1000159.pdf ·...

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 52, Number 2, July 2012

Exploring relationships in education: A phenomenological inquiry

David GilesFlinders University

Elizabeth Smythe & Debra SpenceAuckland University of Technology

Research that seeks to understand the lived experience of the teacher-student relationship is not prevalent. This article reports on a phenomenological inquiry which explored the nature of this relationship in the context of teacher education. Participant’s lived experiences were hermeneutically interpreted against the philosophical writings of Heidegger and Gadamer. In this way, the research focused on the teacher-student relationship as it is ‘experienced’ by lecturers and student teachers in pre-service teacher education programs, rather than how it might be ‘theorised’. The research found that relationships are essential and matter to the educational experience whether this is recognised or not. Similarly, a teacher’s comportment was found to have a communicative aspect that is felt and sensed. Further, relationships are experienced as

Exploring relationships in education 215

a play that is lived beyond the rules of engagement. Consistent with critical approaches to education, this research calls for the re-educating of educators towards essential understandings of relationship and the relational sensibilities that are integral to being in relationship.

Introduction

Relationshipsareattheheartofeducationalencounters.Whenateacherstandsinfrontofstudents,theyrelate.Whenastudentmeetswithateacher,theyrelate.Rememberingteacher-studentexperiencesbringsbackmemoriesoffeelinginspired,boredorperhapsover-looked.Curricula,lessonplansandlearningoutcomesarelongforgotten,buttheimpactofrelationshipsliveson.

Howtheteacher-studentrelationshipisconceptualisedvariesconsiderably.Forsome,theessentialaspectofthisrelationshipiswhathappensbetweentheteacherandstudent,asiftherelationshipcomprisesaninterpersonalspaceacrosswhichtheteacherandstudenttraverse(HartrickDoane2002;Metcalfe&Game2006).Whatliesbetweenthoserelatingisvariouslydescribedasaspace,agap,oranopening,whichallowsroomforrelationalhappenings.Inter-actionsoccurastrans-actionsexchangedfromonepersontotheother.Buber(1996,2002)describesrelationshipsthataccentuatedifferencesbetweenthoserelatingas“I-it”relationships.Theserelationshipstendtoobjectifytheparticipants,therelationship,andthetransactionalnatureoftherelationship.Palmer’s(1999)concernisthatrelationshipsthatarereducedtosuchanobjectifiedformofrelatingprivilegetechniqueandefficiencyoverrelationship.

Forothers,relationshipspeaksaboutaconnectednessthatexists,aconnectivitythatisbasictoourhumanity(Bennett1997).Relationalconnectednessemphasisesholisticrelationshipratherthanthespace

216 David Giles, Elizabeth Smythe and Debra Spence

betweenthoserelating.Thisviewofrelationshipshiftstheattentionfromthefunctionalityofthespacebetweenpeopletoaninherentconnectednessthatisintegraltorelationship(Hooks2003;Gibbs2006).Educationalprocessesthatvaluerelationalconnectednessseektonurturethewholenessofstudentsthroughagenuineconcernfortheteacher-studentrelationship(Miller&Nakagawa2002).

Re-framingrelationshipswithinthecontextofacommunitydrawsattentiontotheinter-connectednessofthemanysharedrelationshipsthatco-existineverydayexperiences(Palmer1997).Themanyrelationshipswithinaparticularcontextresemblea‘webofcommunalrelationships’(Palmer1998:95).

Whilethereisvalueintheorisingfromempiricaldataaboutrelationship,itisequallyimportantthateducationalresearchconsiderthe‘livedexperiences’ofrelationshipsineducationasthisdrawsustowardsessentialunderstandingsoftherelationship.

Research foundations

ThisresearchinquirywasunderpinnedbythephilosophicalwritingsofHeideggerandGadamer(Giles2008).Theirworkswerevitaltoanongoingunderstandingoftheontologicalnatureofphenomenologyanditsquestforexploringtheapriorinatureofeverydayexperiencesinthelifeworld(Caelli2001;Koch1996).Theaimofphenomenologicalresearchistoestablisharenewedcontactwithoriginalexperience,priortotheorisingaboutit,andtobringto‘lightthemeaningswovenintothefabric’(Raingruber2003:1155)oftheexperience.‘Thelifeworld,theworldoflivedexperience,isboththesourceandobjectofphenomenologicalresearch…[indeed]thestartingpointandendpoint’(vanManen1990:36,53).

Thereweretwocentralunderstandingsofthisresearch.Firstly,itisphenomenological,inthesensethattheinquiryexploresaparticularphenomenon,theteacher-studentrelationship;secondly,


theinquiryishermeneutic,inthesensethattheinquiryseekstolayopenpriorandvariableunderstandingsofthings,disclosingessentialmeaningsofthephenomenaintheprocess(Annells1996).Hermeneuticphenomenologicalresearchisathinkingandwritingactivity.‘Researchandwritingareaspectsofoneprocess’(vanManen1990:7).Uponhearingtherecountoflivedexperiences,theresearcherwritesandre-writesfromthestoriesuntiltheyconsidertheirinterpretationcapturesthenatureoftheexperience.Theimportanceofphenomenologicalwritingcannotbeunderstatedasphenomenologicalresearchisthe‘bringingtospeechofsomething’(vanManen1990:32).Inmostresearchapproaches,researcherswriteuphis/herunderstandings.Inphenomenologicalresearch,theresearcherwritestounderstand.Intheexperienceofwriting,theresearchercontemplativelyarticulatesessentialunderstandingsandmeanings,lettingmeaningscomethattheyhavenotseenbefore.

Theprocessofbeing-inhermeneuticphenomenologyislikeajourneyofthinkingthatweavesthroughthereading-writing-contemplationoftheinquiry(Smythe,Ironside,Sims,Swenson,&Spence2008).Theresearchisexperiencedasa‘felt’anduncertainjourneywherenewpossibilitiesarise,akindofbeing-in-the-playofresearching.Theprocessofhermeneuticalreflectioninvolvesatoandfrocirclingmovementtowards‘ontologicallypositivesignificance’(Gadamer1994:226),thatis,theessentialmeaningsofthephenomenonbeingresearched.

Research method

Phenomenologicalresearchbringstogetherphilosophicalfoundationsandmethodologicalconsiderationsinanongoingdialogue.Thepathsormethods,suggestsvanManen(1990:29),‘cannotbedeterminedbyfixedsignposts.Theyneedtobediscoveredorinventedasaresponsetothequestionathand’.Inthisway,thephenomenologicalmethodisnotunderstoodasasetofinvestigativeproceduresbutratheras


methodsthatarecontingentuponthephenomenoninquestion;informedbyphilosophicalliterature,theinsightsofpreviousphenomenologicalresearchers,andlivedthroughexperiencesasresearcher(Ironside2005).Insummary,thephenomenologicalmethodologyisaturningtowardsaphenomenonratherthanapreoccupationwithresearchtechniques(Gadamer1994).

Participants

Theparticipantsinthisstudywerestudentteachersandlecturersfromfivedifferentpre-serviceteachereducationproviderswithinNewZealandwhowereengagedinpre-serviceteachereducationasastudentteacherorasalecturer.Seventeenparticipantsagreedtotakepartinthisstudy.TheyrepresentasampleoflecturersandstudentteachersinteachereducationprogramsinNewZealand.Nineoftheparticipantswerelecturersandeightwerestudentteachers.ThreeparticipantsidentifiedthemselvesasMaori,oneidentifiedasPasifika,oneasMalaysian;alltheremainingparticipantsidentifiedthemselvesasPakeha.PākehāisaMāoritermforNewZealandersofpredominantlyEuropeanheritage.Fourteenoftheseventeenparticipantswerefemale.Theparticipantswereagedbetween20and60years.

Data collection

ThefirststoriesthatweregatheredinthisresearchinquirywereDavid’s.Thestoriesbecameatextforanexplorationofhisprejudicesandpre-assumptionsinrelationtothephenomenon.Wewereawarethattheproblemofphenomenologicalinquiry‘isnotalwaysthatweknowtoolittleaboutthephenomenonwewishtoinvestigate,butthatweknowtoomuch’(vanManen1990:46).Aninterviewwasrecorded,transcribedandinterpretedasawayofmakingmoreexplicithow David wastowardsthephenomenonattheinitialstagesofthisresearch.vanManensuggeststhatraisingawarenessofone’sownexperienceofaphenomenoncanprovide‘cluesfororienting


oneselftothephenomenonandthustoalltheotherstagesofphenomenologicalresearch’(1990:57).

Aphenomenologicalinterviewprocessgatheredthickdescriptionsoftheparticipant’severydayexperiencesoftheteacher-studentrelationship.OnceeachtranscriptwascompletedDavidfollowedaprocesssimilartothatdescribedbyCaelli(2001).Hebeganbyreadingthetypedtranscriptalongsidehandwrittennotesandhighlightedwords.Usingtheparticipant’swords,hethenreconstructedorcraftedstoriesinachronologicaland/orlogicalorder.Thewordsandmeaningsthatdescribedtheexperiencewerekept,whileadditionalandsuperfluouswordsweredeleted.Eachparticipantwassenttheirsetofstoriesfortheirverification,clarification,additionor,ifpreferred,deletion.

Havingcraftedonehundredandnineteenstoriesandcompletedadescriptionandseveralinterpretationsforeverystory,webelievedwehadsufficientdata.Weweresatisfiedthatnewstorieswerelargelyre-tellinganessentialmeaningthathadbeenpreviouslyexpressedinaninterpretation.Atthispoint,thegatheringofstorieswassuspendedsothatDavidcouldmovetoadeeperinterpretativeappreciationofthestoriesinrelationtothephenomenonunderinquiry.

Thestoriesandtheirinterpretationsbecamethebasisofdialoguewithothers.Duringthistime,thequalityoftheinterpretivewritingwasdiscussed,interpretationswerechallenged,andprejudicesbecameamatterofdebate.Havingreachedthisstage,Davidbeganengagingextensivelywiththephilosophicliterature,focusingparticularlyonthewritingsofHeideggerandGadamer.Davidcarriedintohisreadingofthisliterature,theinterpretivewritingthathadbeencompletedonthestories.Inthisway,conductingasearchforontologicalunderstandingsthatcouldfurtherilluminatetheanalysiswasinitiated.Thepurposewastofindphenomenologicalthemesinawholesenseratherthanthemesrelatingtoeachparticipant;themes


thatvanManendescribesashaving‘phenomenologicalpower’.vanManen(1990:107)notesthatthe‘essentialqualityofatheme…[isthatwe]…discoveraspectsorqualitiesthatmakeaphenomenonwhatitisandwithoutwhichthephenomenoncouldnotbewhatitis’.

Trustworthiness

Researchendeavoursneedtobetrustworthyandhaverigour;standardsthathavebeensetbythephilosophersofthisresearchapproach.Smytheetal.(2008)suggestthatthetrustworthinessofastudyisknownfirstbyresearchersthemselves,whotestouttheirthinkingbyengagingineverydayconversationswiththosewhoarelivingthephenomenon.Thetrustworthinessofthisresearchprojectcanbeseeninthetransparentmannerinwhichtheinterpretivewritingwaslaidopenforconsiderationonaregularbasiswithscholars,researchers,researchseminarsandconferencepresentations.Onnumerousoccasions,theresonanceofothersduringadialogueprovidedahallmarkoftrustworthiness.

Findings

Thefindingsofthisresearcharepresentedunderthreethemes.Thefirstdescribeshowteachersandstudentsarealwaysinrelationship,thesecondexploresthenatureofcomportmentandthethirdrevealstheplayofrelating.Whiletheyarepresentedasseparatethemes,theyareneverthelessallpartofthedynamic,inter-relatedwhole.

Always in relationship

Whentherelationshipmatters,teachersandstudentsrelationalexperiencesareengaged,connectedandrespectfuloftheother.Thisaspectofthephenomenonrevealsthat,whilevariouslyexperienced,therelationshipmatters.Ateacherwhoserelationshipswithstudentsmatterrecallsthefollowingstory.Thestorydescribestwoverydifferentexperiencesbetweentheteacherandstudentsacrossconsecutiveclasses:


Aboutthreeweeksagoonthesecondlastdaybeforethesemesterbreak,outoftheblueonestudentsaid,‘Wereallyenjoyyourclasses’.ItwasfunnythatonthatdayIwasteachingbeyondthefinishtimeof4pmbutitdidn’tfeellikeit.

ThenextdayIhadthesameclassonthelastdayofterm.Ihadalottoteach.Iwasfeelingpressurised.Theydidnotseeminterested.Isaid,‘Nowlookhere,I’vegotthingsI’vegottofinish’.Theywereabituptight.Afterawhile,Idrewthemintoadiscussion.Icarriedonandtaughtto4pm.Inspiteofthis,theystillsaid,haveagoodbreak.WhenIlefttheclass,Ilookedaroundthecampusandtherewasnoonearound.IshouldhavejustsaidIknowtherearetimeswhenIcantrustyoutogohomeandlookthroughthesereadings.Ishouldhavejustacceptedthatthiswasthelastday,accommodatethat,andsay,Itrustyou.Iwasverytroubledandwentandsharedthiswithacolleague.Iwenthomeandwentoutfordinner.ThroughoutthewholedinnerIwasthinkingaboutthisclass.Itspoiledmyholiday.

Inthisstorytherelationshipmatterstoeveryone.Thestudentsshowtheircarethroughtheirinformalcommentstotheteacheraboutthecourseandintheirfarewellspriortovacation(Rayle2006).Thisteachermatteredtothestudentsbefore,duringandbeyondtheclassroomexperiences.

Theteacherrevealsadifferentkindofmattering.Theteacherrecallsfeelingpressuredbytimeandthetaskstocompleteinthelesson.Concernedbythemovementandpaceofthelesson,theteacherworkstokeepthestudentson-task.Theteacherissofocusedonensuringthestudentsreceivethecontenttheyneed,thatsheoverlookstheirmorehumanneeds,togetawayforaholiday.Whatmatteredinitiallythenforthisteacherwasdifferenttowhatmatteredforthestudents.Astheteacherreflectsonthelesson,sheisconcernedthatsheprioritisedthecompletionofthetaskswhensheshouldhaverecognisedtheimplicationsofthevacation.Onthisoccasion,theteachersensesaconflictaboutwhatmattersmost.


Asthestudentsdeparted,theyremindtheteacheroftheirrelationshipandhowtheteachermatteredintherelationship(Frymier&Houser2000).Similarly,astheteachernoticestheabsenceofotherpeopleoncampus,theteacherisremindedagainof‘hermattering’oftherelationship.Theteacher’sconcernforthestudentscontinuestomatterastheeventsofthelessonaresharedwithacolleagueandthencarriedintoaneveningmeal,aholiday,andbeyond.Thustherelationalexperienceofbeing-withthesestudentsisnotoverfortheteacher.Itaffectstheteacher’sprofessionalandpersonallife.Lessonsdonotendwiththeclocktimes.Theyliveonintheteacher’sandstudent’shistoricityasendlessandopentofurtherunderstanding.

Therearealsooccasionswhentheteacher-studentrelationshipdoesnotappeartomatter.Inthesesituations,thereseemstobealackofcareandanattempttosubordinatetheother.Theteacherinthenextstoryappearstobesuchateacher:

Mymathsteacherwasveryabruptandthoughtthathiswaywasright—theonlyway.Hecameinandsaid,thisiswhatyouhavegottobeabletodo.Ifyoucan’tdothis,thenyouaregoingtofail.Thisishowyoudoit.Arrrrggghhhh!

Hegotworse.HeactuallyyelledatsomepeopleandIwasthinking,amIbackinschool?Hewouldtotallyhumiliatepeople.Acoupleofpeoplechallengedhimbecausehewassorude.Hewouldneverbackdownorapologise.Hewouldjustgetreallyblownupaboutit.Itwasdisgusting.Itwaslikeschool.Hewasyellingatus.AndIthought,hello,we’readults.Istilldon’tknowwhyhewasyellingatus.

Itwashorrible.Iwasthinking,howcanthisguybeinthisinstitution?Who’slethimin?Hewasn’tthereforusinanyway.Hedidn’tcareaboutusatall.Someclasseswehadwereinthemorning,whatabadwaytostarttheday.Actuallyacoupleoftimes,weshowedupandhedidn’t.


Thestudentinthisstoryexperiencesateacherwhoappearstocarelittleabouttheirrelationship.Thestudentquestionstheteacher’swayofrelating.Whymustthisteacherbethisway?Whymusttheexperienceofrelatingwiththisteacherbesodifficult?Theabsenceofcareisnoticeable.

Thisteacheriswiththestudentbutnotforthestudent;present intheteacher-studentspacebutnottowardsthestudent.Theteacher’swayofrelatingwaslessofabeing-to-beingrelatingandmoreofanobjectifiedI-itrelating(Buber1996).Thistypeofrelationshipcanbeseeninthewaytheteacherdoesnotwelcomeanyappearanceofthestudentasaperson,asanindividual.

Hultgrensuggests‘theresponse-abilitythatwehaveas…educatorsistocreatesuchaspace…sothat…studentsrealizethepoweroftheirowninsightsandthebeautyoftheirownvoices’(1992:237).Thesestudentsseemedtohavelittleornoabilitytodefendthemselvesand,intheabsenceofameaningfulandreciprocalrelationship,thisstudentloseshopeintherelationship.Thestudentisalsoconcernedwiththeteacher’srighttobe-withthestudentsatall.Afterall,thiswasaprogramthatshouldbestaffedbyexperiencedteacherswhosewayofbeingshouldbeexemplary.Thisstudentfeltdistantfromtheteacherandsomewhat‘lost’inanexperiencewherethemeaningand‘way’wasdifficulttofathom.

Thestudentandteacherarealwaysinrelationship.Whilethestudentorteachermightappearto‘break’thisrelationship,thisisinfactnotpossible.Theontologicalnatureoftherelationshipmeansthattherelationshipisalways-alreadyanintegralpartofboththeteacher’sandthestudent’severydayworlds.Whentherelationshipdoesnotmattertotheteacher,thecharacterofthisexperienceisofconcerntothestudent.Relationalexperiencescanalsocarry‘dis-ease’abouttheclosenessoftherelationship.Inthestorythatfollows,ateacherexperiencesthiswithastudent:


Karenwasastudentwhousedtobesouptight.Shefeltthe‘system’hadwrongedherbecauseshealreadyhadexperiencesandskillsandknewhowtomanagechildren.Shewasgoodatherpracticeandyetshehadtogothroughthisretrainingcourse.Intheprocess,wehadtoencouragehertogothroughsomepersonalcounselling.

Thefollowingyear,Karenrequestedtobeinmyclassagain.Sheactuallywrotethisinaletter.ShesaidIunderstandher,Iamthereforher;Iunderstoodherproblemsandherissues.Duringthisperiodoftime,Karenwouldtakealotofmytime.Shewaslikethat.IneededtostepbackbecauseIwasgettingtooinvolvedwithher.

Inthisstoryateacherrecallsastudentwhowascompletingheracademicstudyunderduress.Theneedtoretrainisinterpretedasaninjusticebythestudent,giventheextentofthestudent’spriorknowledgeandexperience.Amutualdeepeningoftheteacher-studentrelationshipreachesapointwheretheteacherbecomesuncomfortable.Notonlyhasthestudenttakenalotoftime,butthestudentwantstocontinueinasimilarmannerinthenextsemester.Therequesttotakethisstudentagainenablestheteachertorealisethatshehasbeentoogiving,andherinvolvementhasbecometooclose.Therelationshipappearstohaveacompulsionandexclusivitythathastheteacherfeelingisolatedandtrappedbythestudent.Howcloseshouldtheteacher-studentrelationshipbeand/orbecome?Thisrelationshipmattersdifferentlytotheteacherandthestudent.Thestudentiskeentocontinuetheirrelating,theteacherlessso.

Teacherscanfeelasifcertainstudentsareabusingthetrustwithintheirrelationship.Concernedbythelackofhonesty,teacherswonderabouthowtheyrelatewiththestudents.Somehowtheboundariesofcomfortandsafetyarechallenge,raisinganalertinsituationswherestudents’way-of-beingcanfeeltoofamiliarorevenintrusive.

Thestoriesinthisthemesuggestthatwearealwaysinrelationshipandthatrelationshipsmatter.Theprimordialnatureofbeing


humanisoneofbeing-with-othersinarelationalco-existencethatisessentialtotheworldwesharewithothers.Onceastudenthasenrolledinaparticularcourse,theteacherandstudentare‘always’inrelationship;ontologically,theycannotexistinanyotherway.Whilehumanbeingshavesomeinfluenceastothe‘nature’oftherelating,weisintegraltobeinghuman.

Comportment

Teachers’andstudents’comportmentissensedbyothersandshowhowtheyare.Whilethiscomportmenthasatemporality,thecomportmentalsohasthefamiliarityofaparticularstandthatshowswhatismostintegraltotheperson.Thisfamiliarityisexperiencedrelationallyinhowtheteacherandstudentcomport.

Inthefollowingstory,astudentdescribesaveryknowledgeableteacherwhodoesnotappeartohaveabreadthofexperienceinthesubjectsheisteaching.Thestudentsensesalackofexperienceinthewaytheteachercomportstowardstheirteaching.

Therewasonelecturer…Idon’tknowthattheyhadworkedinaschool.IthinktheyhadtheiracademicqualificationbutIdon’tknowhowmuchexperiencetheyactuallyhad.ThingscanbeOKintheorybutinpractice,that’snotalwayshowithappens.Shereallyknewheracademicinformation,thetheories,therightanswers,theacademicsideofthingsbutIfeltthatsomewheretherewassomethingmissinginherpracticalknowledge.Idon’tknowhowIknewthatbutitwasjustsomething.She’sthesortofpersonthatyouwishedyouhadherheadonyourshoulderwhenyouweretryingtowriteyourassignmentsbecausesheknewtherightthingstosay.

ShedidcomeandvisitmewhenIwasonapracticuminaschool.Shewasverypositiveandshewasveryspecificwithherpraise,butsomeofthecommentsshemade,Ifelt,weremadefromaperspectiveofsomeonenothavingbeenonthefloorteachingherself,notquiteknowinghowitistobethere.Lecturersneedto


havetheexperienceonthefloorteaching,howcanyouteachwhenyouhaven’tdoneityourself?

Theteacherinthisstoryrespondsappropriatelyinanacademicsensebutappearstolackpersonalexperienceofthetopicsheisteaching.Theteacher’scomportmentmakesanimpressionuponthestudent’sbeing.Thestudentfeelsthat‘somewheretherewassomethingmissinginherpracticalknowledge’asiftheteacherdidnothaveanexperientialknowledgefromhavingworkedwithchildren.Thisstudentisunsurehowsheknowsthis‘butitwasjustsomething’.Somethinginthewaytheteachercomports,speakstothestudentofsomeone‘notquiteknowinghowitistobethere’withchildren.Hadtheteacherbeenexperienced,hercommentsandinteractionswouldhavebeendifferent,andshowninthewayshecomportsherself.

Theteacher’scomportmentinfluencesthewaythisstudentstandsinherrelationshipwiththeteachermomentbymoment(Heidegger2001).Itisinthewaythattheteacheriswiththestudentthatthestudentfeelsa‘knowing’aboutwhothisteacheris.Whothisteacheriscomesacrosstothestudentondifferentoccasions,suchisthenatureandinfluenceoftheteacher’scomportment(Dreyfus1991).Who this teacher is andhow she iswiththestudentisintegraltotheteaching-learningexperiences.Unlessthestudentcantrustthatateacher’sknowingcomesfromandisrootedinexperience,thenconfidenceintheteacher’spracticalwisdomisundermined.

Forsometeachershow they areinspiresthestudentstheyteach.Theteacher,inthestorythatfollows,comportsinawaythatshowsadeeprespectforthestudent.

Oneteacheraskedusforideasandlistenedtous.Shewasinterestedinus.Shewasn’tinterestedinjusttellingus;shewantedtogetourthoughts.Shewasn’tteachinganythingsignificantlydifferent,butshejustputitintoawaythatwasuseful.Itmadesuchabigdifference.Wehadourclassinthemusicroom.Wehadnodesksoranytables.Therewereheapsofus;toomanyforthe


seatsintheclass.Foralotofthelecturers,weweretreatedlikewewerekidsinaclass.Theysaidwe’reallcolleaguesbutalotofthemdidn’ttreatuslikethat.Whereasthisteachermanagedtoteachuswithoutactuallymakingusfeellikewewerechildren.Itmadeabigdifference.

Thisstudentdescribesateacherwhoexpectsreciprocityinrelatingwiththestudents.Theteachercomportsanopennessthatcallsforengagementas‘shewantedtoget[thestudent’s]thoughts’.Theteachercommunicatesanattunementtowardsthestudentsregardlessofthelimitationsofthephysicalenvironment.Itisthepeoplewithinthespacethattheteacherisattunedto,ratherthantheproblemsofthespace.

Theteacher’sstandtowardsthestudentisregularlyexperiencedasthisishow this teacher was.Learning,forthisteacher,requiresengagementwithanotherandsharingideasindialogue.Therolesofteacherandlearneraresharedthroughactivelylisteningtohow the students arerelationally.Theexpressionofeachperson’svoiceinthereciprocityofdialoguereleasesthepotentialityoflearning.Thesestudentsfeelasiftheyareanintegralpartoftheirteacher’slearning.Intheprocesstheteacher’sway-of-beingreleasesthisstudenttolearningaboutthewhatandhowofteachingandlearning.

Otherstoriesshowhowateacher’scomportmentcanhavestudentsdreadthethoughtoffurtherencounters.

Ihadalecturerinmyfirstyearwhotreatedmelikeakid.Thewayshespoketome,thewaysheaskedanotherstudenttostoptalking;ImeanitwasprobablyevenmorederogatorythanthewayIaskedmykidstostoptalking.Iwouldn’teventalktothekidsinmyclasslikethat,becausethey’retoooldforthat.Shespokerightdowntome.Shewasscary.Iwasn’ttheonlyonethatwasscaredofher.Shewasscary.IneverhadascaryteacherwhenIwasatschoolbutIlearntwhatonewaslike.Shenoticedabsolutelyeverything.IgotaletterfromthedepartmentsayinghowwellI


haddoneanassignmentinhercourse.Idon’trememberhereversaying,oh,thatwaswelldone.

Thisstudentfeelsbelittledbyateacherwhosebehaviouris‘scary’.Thisteachercommunicatesmessagesaboutthenatureofrelatingandthe‘place’thatthisstudenthas.Byspeakingtothestudentasanobject,thisteacherletsthestudentsknowthattheyarenotequals.Infact,thestudentfeelslessthanachild,spokendowntoandwithoutanyaffirmation.Thisstudentenduresapassion-lessandfrustratingposition.

Absentfromtheteacher’scomportmentisanacceptanceofthisstudentasa‘particular’personwithparticularinterests.Theteacherdoesnotwanttolistentothestudent,indicativeofcomportmentthatisnotopentobeing-withthestudent.Ratherthanfindingvoice,thestudentissilenced.

Comportmentisour‘modeofbeing’andrelatestohowweareintheworld.Everycomportmentisalwaysalreadyinacertainattunement.Theaccessibilityofanother’scomportingoccurswithintheontologicalexperienceofrelating.

In the play

Therelationshipbetweenateacherandastudentisalwaysinplay.Theplay’smovementhastheteacherandstudentcontinuouslyengagedintheimmediateandconcretesituation(MacintyreLatta&Hostetler2003).Immersedindynamicandunpredictablerelating,theteacherandstudentmoveandbecomeineachsituation.Previouslylearnedtheoreticalknowledgeaboutrelatinggiveswaytoadirectionthatisfoundinthephronesisofthesituation(Dunne1997).Whilethetechne(theknowledgethatinformsthe‘know-how’ofrelating)mightbeusefultothesituation,itisthelivedexperienceofrelatingthathastheunpredictability.Thisthemeshowshowteachersandstudentsexperiencebeing-in-the-playofrelatingandthephronesis(practicewisdom)ofbeing-intherelationalplay.Inthe


followingstory,ateacherdescribesastudentwhosecontributiontoaclassroomdiscussionisverydifferentfromthewaytheconversationhadbeenunfolding.

Iwasteachingonemorningaroundunderachievementinschools.Howcanteachersmeettheneedsofsomestudentswithregardtoassessment?Inthecourseofthediscussion,weweretalkingaboutgoingthatlittlebitextratoformarelationshipwithstudentsandgivealittlebitofextratimetothosewhoweren’tdoingOK.Wastheresomethingoutsideoftheclassroomorthestructuredlessonthatyoucoulddothatwouldhelpthemachievemore?

Oneparticularstudentsaid,well,thatsoundsreallyniceandveryidealisticbutwhyamIgoingtogiveanextrahourorthreehoursaweektothatstudentifI’mnotgettingpaidforit?Heinstantlyblewmeaway.Whereareyoucomingfromonthis?

BeforeIhadtimetoreact,oneoftheotherstudentsopenlychallengedhimandsaid,ifyou’vegotthatattitude,ifyou’rejustinittofillinhoursandtakehomewages,whydoyouwanttobeateacher?Isn’tteachingabouthelpingpeople,ofgoingthatextradistance,ofmakingadifference?Andhesaid,yeah,aslongasI’mgettingpaidforit.Hewasabsolutelyserious.Hewasstraightup.Where’sthisguycomingfromonthat?He’snolongerafaceamongthestudents.

Amidaconversationexploringthesupportthatmightbeofferedtostudentswhoarestrugglingwiththeirlearning,thisparticularstudentexpressesaconcernforhissalaryinprovidingsuchsupport.Otherstudentshadbeenofferingtheirthoughtsbutwhatcaughtthisteacher’sattentionwasthestudent’sapparentself-interestatatimewhenthesupportforunder-achievingstudentswasbeingexplored.Thisparticularmomentinfluencesthemovementofhowthisteacherandstudentrelate.Thisteacherisconcerned,attuningherselftotherelationalplaythatisunfoldingbetweentheteacher,thestudent,andtheotherstudentsintheclass.


Theteacherfindsherselffeeling‘blownaway’,thrownbythestudent’scommentsandstrugglestounderstandwherethisstudentiscomingfrom;whoisthisonewhospeaks?Thethrownnessisareminderthat,asHeidegger(1996)states,weareliterallysituatedinthemidstofaworldofinterplaysbeyondourcontrol.ForHeidegger,ourthrownnessisnota‘finishedfact’(1996:179);rather,beingthrownintoanalreadyexistingworld,weprojectontoanalways-alreadypresentworldfromwithinourthrownness.Hostetler,MacintyreLattaandSarroubsuggestthatperhaps‘afirststepforteachersinpursuitofmeaningistoacknowledgetheirthrownness’(2007:234).

Theteacherisnotreadyandabletorelatedifferently;sheissearchingformeaningintheplay.Thisteachermightchoosetoremoveherselffromtheexperiencebutinsteadshefindsherselfcaught,ifnot‘trapped’,intherelationalplay.Theteacher’sexperienceofrelatingwiththestudentisoneofwrestlingfora‘way-to-be’amidtheuncertaintyofaverypresentandfluidreality.

Thisstoryrevealstheseriousnessandthefrailtyoftherelationshipbetweenateacherandastudent.Theseriousnessisseeninthedelicateopeningandclosingofrelationshipwithinaclassroomdialogue.Broughttogetherforaneducationalendeavour,therelationshipmovesand‘becomes’intheplay.Thisbecomingisexperiencedinmomentsthatchangethenatureandmovementoftherelatingbetweenateacherandstudent.Beinginsuchexperiencesisanembodiedmoment,filledwithanxietyandcarryingtheparticipantsintheplay,thatistherelationship.

Thefollowingstoryshowsvariousaspectsofphronesisthatareprimordialtobeingintheplayofrelating.Withinthestory,thephronesisisshownintermsofitsresoluteness,techne,tact,pedagogicalthoughtfulness,moralknowingandattunement.ThisstoryfocusesonaninteractionbetweenTania,astudentteacherwithexperienceinearlychildhoodcontexts,andherlecturer.


Taniahadbeenoutthereworkinginthefieldforsixyearsandkneweverythingtherewastoknow.Iwentouttoassessherteachingpracticeandwasconcerned.Icouldhearalotofhervoiceandnotalotofthechildren’s.Istartedtalkingtoheraboutthisandshesaidtome,well,whatamIsupposedtotalktothemabout?Well,whatcanyoutalkaboutwithchildren?Whatdidyoudothismorning?Whatdidtheydowhentheygotupthismorning?Wouldn’tthatbeastartingpoint?Shesaid,Idon’tknowwhetherIcandothat.

SoIjustsatwiththechildrenandstartedtalkingtothemaboutdrivinguptotheirtownonthatdayandwhatI’dseenontheroaddrivinguptherethatday.Isawthisreallyreallycutesheep.ItwassolittleandsofluffyandIjustwantedtogetoutandholdit.Thensomeonesaid,I’vegotabearathomeandhe’ssoft.ShecouldseewhatIwasdoing.ThenIsaidtoher,nowyougoandsitwiththem,yousharesomethingwiththem.Theywerealloverher.Shecouldn’tgetawordinedgeways.Shewasalmostintearsbecauseshewasstaggeredathowmuchtheyweretellingher.Shehadn’trealised.She’satotallydifferentperson.Ithadsuchaneffectonher.

Inthisstory,alecturerfindsthattalkingwithastudentaboutherconcernsismetwithquestionsanduncertainty.Respondingtothemoment,thelecturersitswiththechildrenandengagestheminsuchawaythatareciprocityofrelatingbegins.Shedidnotcometothisexperienceexpectingtobeengagingwiththechildrenfirst-hand.

Thisisnotashowbytheteacher.Thesincerityoftheteacher’srelatingwiththechildrenopensaverydifferentdialogue.Thesechildrenwere‘playing’freelyindialoguewiththeteacher.Thisteacherleaptin,uncertainofwhatmighttranspirebutwithanimprovisationthatisinthestudent’sbestinterests.Anexclusivefocusonthetechneofthismoment(e.g.thelessonplan)might‘squeezeouttheselfinteachingasthe“who”issidelinedandsilencedbythe“what”’.Thewisdomintheteacher’sactionschangehowthisteacherandstudentexperiencetheplayoftheirrelating.


Thissituationisnothopelessforthestudentasshecannowseehowtheteacherwasinteractingdifferently.Acceptingtheopportunitytobewiththechildreninadifferentway,thisstudentisoverwhelmedandmoved.FieldandLatta(2001)suggestthatsomeexperiencesre-memberus,causingustobeadifferentpersoninadifferentplace.

Inthisstory,theteacher’sphronesisopensthepossibilityofthestudent’slearning.Themomentcallsforthestudenttobeintheuncertaintyoftherelationalplaywithchildren.Bothteacherandstudentteacherexperiencetheunrehearsedto-and-fromovementofbeingin-the-playofrelating.

Thisthemehasfocusedontheplaythatisrelating.Theplayerstakeforgrantedthemomentsandmovementoftheplay.Theunpredictabilityanduncertaintyoftheplayisopenedinthemomentinresponsetotheplay.Suchpracticalwisdom,orindeedtheabsenceofsuch,isnotengenderedasacognitiveactbutratheraperson’ssensitisedattunementtothemovementoftheplay.Thecreativeprocessofbeingintheplaydrawsupontheperson’spracticalknowledgefortheimmediateandparticularsituation.

Conclusion

Relationshipsareessentialtotheeducationalexperiencewhethertheyarerecognisedornot.Whentherelationshipbetweenateacherandastudentisgoodweseldomattendtotherelationship.Whiletherelationshipmatterstotheexperience,therelationshipliesoutofsightandislargelytakenforgranted.Indeed,theredoesnotappeartobeanythinkingorwonderingabouttherelationshiportheabilityoftheteacherandstudenttorelate.Onotheroccasions,theassumptionthatrelationshipsmatteriscalledintoquestion.Inthesetimes,theteacher-studentrelationshipconcernsthestudentandisstressfulfortheteacher.Inthesemoments,theconcernovertherelationshipforegroundstheteaching-learningexperienceforthoseinvolved.


Whilerelationshipscanbeincorrectlyassumedtomatter,itiscriticallyimportantthateducatorsbecomemoreattentivetohowtheirrelationshipiswiththeirstudentsindividuallyandcollectively.Educatorsneedtohavetheabilitytorelatetotheirstudents,aswellasremainattunedtorecognisehowtheserelationshipsaremattering.Student—teacherrelationshipsarefeltandinterpretedbythoseinvolved,whethertheyareconsciouslyawareofthisornot.Thisresearchinquiryfoundthatwhentheteacher-studentrelationshipmatters,thiscanbeseenandfeltineachperson’sway-of-being.

Aneducator’sdispositionsandsensibilitiestowardsrelationshipsareessentialtotheeducationalendeavour.Inspiringteachers,havingsuchdispositionsandsensibilities,leapintorelationalexperiencesandavailthemselvesoftherelationalmomentanditsmovement.Theybecomeincreasinglyadeptatreadingtherelationshipandlivingphronesisinthemoment.Foregroundingrelationshipsineducationhasthepotentialforhumanisingeducationalpraxisinthefaceofpowerfulanddominanteducationaldiscoursesthathavetakentheteacher-studentrelationshipforgrantedforthesakeofthesystemthatoughttoserveit.

References

Annells,M(1996).‘Hermeneuticphenomenology:Philosophicalperspectivesandcurrentthemesinnursingresearch’,Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23(4):705–713.

Bennett,JB(1997).‘Theacademy,individualism,andthecommongood’,Liberal Education, 83(4):16–24.

Buber,M(1996). I and thou (Trans.W.Kaufmann,Trans.),NewYork:Touchstone.

Buber,M(2002).Between man and man (R.Gregor-Smith,Trans.),London:Routledge.

Caelli,K(2001).‘Engaginginphenomenology:Isitmoreofachallengethanitneedbe?’Qualitative Health Research, 11(2):273–281.

Dreyfus,HL(1991).Being-in-the-world: A commentary on Heidegger’s being and time, Division I, Cambridge,MA:MITPress.


Dunne,J(1997).Back to the rough ground: Practical judgment and the lure of technique, NotreDame,IN:UniversityofNotreDamePress.

Field,JC&Latta,MM(2001).‘Whatconstitutesbecomingexperiencedinteachingandlearning?’,Teaching and Teacher Education, 17:885–895.

Frymier,AB&Houser,ML(2000).‘Theteacher-studentrelationshipasaninterpersonalrelationship’,Communication Education, 49(3):207–219.

Gadamer,HG(1994).Truth and method (2ndreviseded.) (J.Weinsheimer&D.G.Marshall,Trans.),NewYork:Continuum.

Gibbs,CJ(2006).To be a teacher: Journeys towards authenticity, Auckland,NewZealand:PearsonEducation.

Giles,DL(2008).‘Exploringtheteacher-studentrelationshipinteachereducation:Ahermeneuticphenomenologicalinquiry’,unpublisheddoctoralthesis,AucklandUniversityofTechnology,Auckland,NewZealand.

HartrickDoane,GA(2002).‘Beyondbehavioralskillstohumaninvolvedprocesses:Relationalnursingpracticeandinterpretivepedagogy’,Journal of Nursing Education, 41(9):400–404.

Heidegger,M(2001).Zollikon seminars: Protocols, conversations, letters(F.Mayr&R.Askay,Trans.), Illinois:NorthwesternUniversityPress.

Hooks,B(2003).Teaching community: A pedagogy of hope,London:Routledge.

Hultgren,FH(1992).‘Thetransformativepowerof“beingwith”studentsinteaching’,inPeterat,L.&Vaines,E.(eds.),Lives and plans: Signs for transforming practice(Vol.HomeEconomicsTeacherEducationYearbook12),MissionHills,CA:Glencoe:221–242.

Ironside,PM(2005).‘Introduction:Thinkingbeyondmethod’,inIronside,PM(ed.),Beyond method: Philosophical conversations in healthcare research and scholarship,Madison:UniversityofWisconsinPress:ix–xx.

Koch,T(1996).‘Implementationofahermeneuticinquiryinnursing:Philosophy,rigourandrepresentation’,Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2:174–184.

MacintyreLatta,MA&Hostetler,KD(2003).‘Thecalltoplay’,International Journal of Education of Education and the Arts, 4(3),http://ijea.asu.edu/v4n3/.

Metcalfe,A&Game,A(2006).‘Theteacher’senthusiasm’,The Australian Educational Researcher, 33(3):91–106.

Miller,JP&Nakagawa,Y(2002).Nurturing our wholeness: Perspectives on spirituality in education, Brandon,VT:FoundationofEducationalRenewal.


Palmer,PJ(1997).‘Theheartofateacher:Identityandintegrityinteaching’,Change, 29(6):14–21.

Palmer,PJ(1998).The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life,SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.

Palmer,PJ(1999).‘Thegraceofgreatthings:Reclaimingthesacredinknowing,teachingandlearning’,inGlazer,S.(ed.),The heart of learning. Spirituality in education,NewYork:Tarcher/Putnam:15–31.

Raingruber,B(2003).‘Video-cuednarrativereflection:Aresearchapproachforarticulatingtacit,relational,andembodiedunderstandings’,Qualitative Health Research, 13(8):1155–1169.

Rayle,AD(2006).‘Matteringtoothers:Implicationsforthecounselingrelationship’,Journal of Counseling & Development, 84:483–487.

Smythe,EA,Ironside,PM,Sims,SL,Swenson,MM&Spence,DG(2008).‘Heideggerianhermeneuticresearch:Aslived’,International Journal of Nursing Studies, 45(9):1389–1397.

vanManen,M(1990).Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy,Albany,NY:SUNYPress.

About the authors

David Giles is Dean of the School of Education at Flinders University. His research interests focus on the relational nature of pedagogy, educational leadership, and organizational cultures. Hermeneutic Phenomenology and Appreciative Inquiry are his preferred research methodologies. For David, the relational and moral imperative of education is essential to our praxis.

Elizabeth Smythe is an Associate Professor in the Health Faculty at Auckland University of Technology. Her research expertise is mainly related to Heideggerian hermeneutic methodology. She supervises doctoral students across a wide range of disciplines as they seek to reveal more of the experience of ‘being human’. Her own discipline background is nursing and midwifery.

Deb Spence is joint Head of Nursing in the Faculty of Health at Auckland University of Technology. She supervises and researches using hermeneutics and phenomenology. Her background is in nursing and education.


Contact details

Dr. David L. Giles, Associate Professor, School of Education, Flinders University, GPO 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001 Tel: +61 8 8201 5187 Fax: +61 8 8201 3184 Email: [email protected]

Elizabeth A. Smythe, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand Email: [email protected]

Deborah G. Spence, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand Email: [email protected]

Exploring relationships in education: A phenomenological ... › fulltext › EJ1000159.pdf ·...

Documents

Transcript of Exploring relationships in education: A phenomenological ... › fulltext › EJ1000159.pdf ·...