- Title
- Shifting the focus in teacher education: foregrounding the value of teacher/student relationships
- Creator
- Dyson, Michael; Plunkett, Margaret
- Date
- 2011
- Type
- Text; Conference paper
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/75299
- Identifier
- vital:7348
- Abstract
- Alternate or non-traditional educational settings within Australia have undergone a period of expansion over the last decade, yet there has not been any substantive recognition of this growth within teacher education programs (Plunkett & Dyson, 2010). However, since 2000 a research partnership that has been operating between one of Victoria’s most innovative alternate educational settings - the School for Student Leadership (SSL) and Monash University, has attempted to redress the dearth of research into alternate settings and related potential change within Teacher Education. This paper reports on part of that ongoing longitudinal mixed method study, specifically highlighting the impact that reflection on practice, which is built into the program, has had on building positive relationships between staff and Year 9 students (Dyson & Plunkett, 2010). Findings support Mezirow’s (1991) contention that transformative learning occurs as the result of the reflection process, which in turn leads to a shift in the role and nature of the teacher and allows for openness in communication with students, creating enhanced relationships. As acknowledged by both Cranton (2007) and Glasser (1998) the recognition of the importance of self and ones values and beliefs in relation to others is an essential part of learning. In particular we suggest that connectedness, especially between teacher and students, promotes active engagement concomitantly enhancing transformative learning. We propose that it is important that an understanding of these factors should foreground any discussions about future developments in teacher education.
- Publisher
- Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA)
- Relation
- The Australian Teacher Education Association Conference p. 1-6
- Rights
- Open access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- 1301 Education Systems; 1303 Specialist Studies In Education
- Full Text
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