Body, Caring and Power in Teacher–Pupil Relationships: Encounters in former pupils' memories

Abstract

This narrative inquiry aims to look at teacher-pupil relationships through teacher memories. When 49 university students of education were asked to write their memories of teachers, they told about their teachers in relation to pupils. The data were analysed thematically and, based on that, re-read through the concepts of body, caring and power in order to answer the question of how these can be understood as elements of the teacher-pupil relationship. We will also discuss the potential for encounter in teacher-pupil relationships, since we noticed that students especially seemed to recall encounters and non-encounters in the relationship. By listening to former pupils, it is possible to elicit significant memories of what, from their point of view, is in the core of being a teacher. The meaning of recalling one's own teachers in teacher education is also emphasised.

Moral Functioning: Navigating the Messy Landscape of Values in Finnish Preschools

“…Educators showed a commitment to values that have been connected to caring in previous research (Broström, 2006;Estola, 2003;Taggart, 2011;Uitto & Syrjälä, 2008;Van Manen, 2000;Ylitapio-Mäntylä, 2013). These caring values emphasize maintaining loving relationships in particular situations, rather than fulfilling objective-like, general ethical codes (Gilligan, 1982).…”

Reflecting Caring and Power in Early Childhood Education: Recalling Memories of Educational Practices

“…The analysis indicates that educational situations between adult and child include power and caring, which are intertwined at the same moment. Power and caring are included in the same kind of phenomena in educational situations (see also Uitto & Syrjälä, 2008). The definitions of caring and power contain similarity: caring is a commitment, physical caring, and care-as-worry, elements that direct the use of power and authority.…”

“…Power and caring were also the topic in Ropers-Huilman's (1999) research, in which she examined these issues in the field of higher education from both the student and teacher's perspectives. Uitto and Syrjälä (2008) have studied body, caring, and power in the teacher-pupil relationship and analysed the memories of university students of education. Their study was focused on stories and memories of comprehensive school in Finland.…”

Determinants of minsunderstandings between students and teachers

“…С једне стране, ранија педагошка истраживања обухватала су само поједине аспекте тог односа. Фокус је стављан на природу и квалитет односа наставника и ученика (Wubbels, Den Brok, Van Tartwijk & Levy, 2012), на дескрипцију сећања наставника о њиховим међуљудским односима с ученицима (Uitto & Syrjälä, 2008). Но, већина истраживања није јасно и директно била усмерена на испитивање детерминаната (узрока, предуслова или антецедената) неразумевања у односима ученика и наставника.…”