Pedagogical Relational Teachership (PeRT) – a multi-relational perspective

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical relational perspective of education, Pedagogical Relational Teachership (PeRT), which supports the development of new knowledge about teachers' relational proficiencies to create opportunities for students to participate in their education and to emerge as unique individuals and speak with their own voices. Within the field of inclusive education, it is a relational approach where teaching is to be understood relationally. The fundamental bases in this inclusive perspective on education are the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Salamanca Statement. The concept of relational teachership is elaborated on to emphasise the importance of teachers' relational proficiencies in the classroom. The article also clarifies how PeRT includes a multi-dimensional model to illuminate relational processes and relationships on different levels within the educational system. PeRT is a relational approach for scholars and practitioners, which can be seen as a new beginning and an invitation to a relational pathway that explores participation, accessibility and equity.

Facilitating service-learning through competencies associated with relational pedagogy: a personal reflection

“…Other studies present an analyses on the reflection component in service-learning (Ash et al, 2005;Eyler & Giles, 1999;Gelmon, Holland, Driscoll, Spring, & Kerrigan, 2001) and approaches to institutionalising service-learning in higher education (Bennett, Sunderland, Bartleet, & Power, 2016;Stater & Fotheringham, 2009). Given the impact of service-learning on students, communities and universities -and the need for a supportive teacher-student relationship -this paper presents the principles and teaching practices associated with relational pedagogy (see Aspelin, 2017;Bingham & Sidorkin, 2004;Ljungblad, 2019) as a guide to developing relational competencies that can facilitate service-learning in higher education.…”

“…Relational pedagogy is based on the philosophy that teaching, learning and education is a relational process (Aspelin, 2014;Ljungblad, 2019;Pearce & Down, 2011). It is based on an anthropological notion that human beings exist in relationships and that the individual is 'an aspect or a by-product of relationships' (Aspelin, 2014, p. 235).…”

“…It shifts the focus of teaching from student-centred and teacher-centred to a focus on teacher-student relationship, such that the relationship between both entities is ontologically more important than the single entities in the learning process (Aspelin, 2014;Biesta, 2004;Ljungblad, 2019;Pijanowski, 2004). Proponents of relational pedagogy (see Aspelin, 2014;Ljungblad, 2019;Pearce & Down, 2011) develop further understanding of the relational approach to teaching from the works of Buber (1970), Noddings (1984) and Bingham and Sidorkin (2004). For instance, building on the works of Buber (1970), studies by Aspelin (2014) and Aspelin and Jonsson (2019) advocate that the learning process shifts from the teacher-centred and student-centred approach to a more relational-interaction approach built on authentic dialogue.…”

“…This relatively new approach in educational theory acknowledges the individuality and differences of learners (Bingham & Sidorkin, 2004;Ljungblad, 2019). It posits students more as human beings and not as academic clients (Thayer-Bacon, 2004).…”

“…In the search for understanding relational competences, this study turns to the works of Aspelin (2017Aspelin ( , 2012, Ljungblad (2019) and Bingham and Sidorkin (2004) on relational pedagogy and its associated teaching practices that aid the development of relational competences in teachers. In this reflective paper, I present my personal experiences in applying the principles and practices associated with relational pedagogy.…”