Diving Deeper into Teacher-Student Partnerships
The recent ERO report ‘Time to Focus: Behaviour in our Classrooms’ may have taken a glass-half-empty approach, in its stance that “good classroom behaviour is critical for creating learning environments in which students can learn and achieve”. Using the analogy of a floating iceberg, the ERO report focuses on ‘problem behaviours’, seen above the waterline, with little recognition of the complexities that lie beneath the surface. Below the waterline are numerous influences on behaviour, including the worldviews, belief systems, cultures, and lived experiences of students; their thoughts, feelings and emotions; their anxiety, and self-doubt; the influences of family, teachers, friends, and peers, and the list goes on. Juxtaposed with these complexities are wider social issues such as unemployment, the cost-of-living crisis and poverty among others. We believe it is important to focus on the whole iceberg to understand behaviours deemed problematic and challenging in our education system.
Our alternative narrative to the ERO report advocates for creating the supportive learning environments that are fundamental for students learning, achievement and belonging. We want behaviours to be understood from a human rights perspective, underpinned by inclusive educational philosophies. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education is a human right for all, while Goal Four of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aims for global, high-quality, inclusive education for every child and young person. Providing every child with high-quality, inclusive education requires us to remove barriers to learning, and to proactively create a school ethos where all students learn and thrive. This necessitates intentionally setting up school cultures, policies and classroom practices that align with the inclusive values of joy, peace, respect, honesty and hope, which every child and young person has a right to experience as part of their learning and development.
The ‘triangle’ of proactive and reactive strategies, and the five action areas and recommendations in the ERO report, are no doubt a good compilation of approaches. However, these ideas are not new, and ironically, most are strategies that have not worked! Clearly, evidence-based practice must avoid making the same mistake with increasing confidence over and over (O’Donnell, 1997). Instead, we propose placing learning at the centre of the discussion. Evidence-based practice in Aotearoa tells us that the ‘emotional climate’ of the classroom is essential in creating a sense of belonging and enabling students’ learning. In addition, longitudinal empirical research in Aotearoa emphasises relational pedagogies (Bishop et al., 2014), wherein relationships between teachers, students and whānau are valued, where care is evident, connections are made, and trust is built.
While the report’s suggested reflective questions may prompt innovative thinking for teachers who are ‘competent professionals’ (O’Neill, 2023), they still need time for self-evaluation and transformative conversations if they are to reimagine pedagogy. Additionally, teachers are only half of the equation when we view learning through a Human Rights lens. Children and young people are equal and competent stakeholders in education. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, we have an ethical imperative for children and young people to be heard, taken seriously and for their opinions acted upon. The report from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner on ‘What makes a good life” is one exemplar of children and young people’s insightfulness.
Fundamentally, we argue that there needs to be a shift from the report’s focus on “What” - What are the behaviours? What teachers must do - to ‘Why’ - Why are some behaviours challenging? Why is it important to understand them? Rather than offering a list of strategies, let us give teachers the much-needed time to engage in these conversations to create positive learning environments, and let us encourage students to use their rightful voice and place while focusing on learning. Teachers do not need more strategies and students do not need to remain invisible in decision-making. Seeking more innovative ways of engaging students and moving away from the status quo is the way forward. Additionally, adopting an inclusive philosophy, informed by human rights, will allow educators to focus on learning. As Slee (2018) prompts, “if our schools aren’t idealistic we are doomed” (p. 29).
References:
Bishop, R., Berryman, M., & Wearmouth, J. (2014). Te Kotahitanga: Towards effective education reform for indigenous and other minoritised students. NZCER Press. https://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/te-kotahitanga
O'Donnell, M. (1997). A sceptic’s medical dictionary. BMJ Books.
O’Neill, J. (2023). The degradation of teachers’ work, loss of teachable moments, demise of democracy and ascendancy of surveillance capitalism in schooling. New Zealand Journal of Teachers’ Work, 20(2), 179-189.
Slee, R. (2018). Inclusive education isn't dead, it just smells funny. Routledge.
Kayleen Clark-Howard K.Clark-Howard@massey.ac.nz
Kayleen is a lecturer in the Institute of Education at Massey University. Prior to joining Massey University, she worked as a teacher, Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) in various secondary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her Master’s of Education (Inclusive Education) explored New Zealand secondary school teachers' understanding of inclusion and how this understanding influences their practice. She is currently working on her PhD which aims to reimagine human development within an inclusive paradigm. Passionate about inclusion and inclusive education, where a human rights approach informs her understanding, she aims to promote inclusive education philosophies, aligning her research with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 4, which aims towards global, inclusive, equitable, quality education and lifelong learning for all.
Vijaya Dharan v.m.dharan@massey.ac.nz
Vijaya is an associate professor in the Institute of Education at Massey University, where she is involved in Educational and Developmental Psychology and other postgraduate and undergraduate programmes. She is a registered psychologist and a teacher. Her research interests are in the field of inclusive education, Autism, emotional and behavioural difficulties, student disengagement and pedagogy. She is keen that her research activities are centred on being useful to wider communities and supporting the cause of equity and diversity.