Nurturing research relationships: Showing care and catalysing action in a South African school research-and-intervention project

Abstract

In this article we offer an account of a research-and-intervention project -called The 500 Schools Project: Making Schools Better -in which we were involved in various capacities. We focus on the design of this project in terms of its links with what Mertens in various publications calls the 'transformative paradigm'. Further, we discuss the way in which Tlale tried to carry out the transformative remit in a particular case by his encouraging participants in a school -the case discussed as our exemplar -to recognise that learners' experienced challenges can often be considered to be socially systemic (and not rooted in individual deficits). We report Downloaded by [Dalhousie University] at 15:03 05 June 2016Nurturing research relationships Romm and Tlale on the catalytic effect of Tlale's engagement with the various participants, by our co-reflecting on some of their accounts as expressed during the 'intervention visit' and in follow-up telephonic interviews. We consider how indeed researchers can nurture research relationships towards inspiring the participants with whom they become involved, and what this might amount to. Nurturing research relationshipsTlale: How did you experience the whole process of our intervention? Principal: Your intervention was very good. Tlale: Regarding the orphans whom you mentioned during our visit are often staying alone, did you maybe try to call the guardians or do some follow up? Principal: Since your visit we have a project called CSLT for learner support. Tlale: What does CSLT mean? Principal: It means care and support for teachers and learners. It is a programme by the Department of Education: not all schools are involved but we are -an agent comes to the school to try to assess problems that learners are facing and it is helping us very much.Tlale asked what had led to this agent becoming involved in their school and the principal explained that it was due to help that had been sought by the SGB. (See the conversation with the SGB chairperson below.) Tlale proceeded to ask the principal:Tlale: Remember we spoke during my visit about the formation of an SBST and we also spoke about the toilets: has anything happened since then? Principal: With respect to the SBST we have established a committee -with the chairperson of the SGB taking the lead in this ... We are very happy that you came here and we are not relaxed on our side: we are trying to make things work.

A systemic approach to processes of power in learning organizations

“…This is not just about the teacher or the learner but it is about making sure we all amalgamate our efforts to deal with challenges. (as cited in Romm and Tlale, 2016, p. 25)…”

“…We also discussed that we need to encourage the kids to learn not by saying “if you don’t study you will go into punishment” but by explaining to them the value of learning for them and for their future. (as cited in Romm and Tlale, 2016, p. 25).…”

“…The account as expressed here is based on sound recordings of Tlale’s visit (June 2014) and follow-up telephone calls that he made six months later (with the agreement of the participants). The significance of the recordings was reflected upon in the course of writing up two articles (Romm and Tlale, 2016; Tlale and Romm, 2017). The recordings of the visit, combined with the recordings of the phone calls, capture the way in which Tlale presented what by all accounts was an inspiring presentation.…”

“…Thereafter, he would suggest that participants form groups to discuss and to keep notes on issues which they felt should be covered that day. Finally, a “plenary session” would follow whereby groups would share and discuss the issues of greatest concern to them (Romm and Tlale, 2016, p. 24).…”

“…For these and other such reasons, he stated, “we cannot have an inflexible curriculum […] we need one that can be adapted to suit a particular child”. He drew attention to other barriers including psychological problems, emotional difficulties, learning difficulties and so on, which all point to the need for a differentiated curriculum (Tlale’s statements are documented in Romm and Tlale, 2016, p. 24).…”