Analysing Teaching-Learning Interactions in Higher Education: Accounting for Structure and Agency

176 Pages·2009·0.9 MB·English

by  Paul Ashwin

Analysing Teaching–Learning Interactions
in Higher Education
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Analysing
Teaching–Learning
Interactions in
Higher Education
Accounting for Structure and Agency
PAUL ASHWIN
Continuum
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ISBN:978-0-8264-9418-4(hardcover)
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Ashwin,Paul,1970–
Analysingteaching–learninginteractionsinhighereducation:accountingfor
structureandagency/PaulAshwin.
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ISBN978-0-8264-9418-4(hardback)
1. Collegeteaching.2. Teacher-studentrelationships.3. Interactionanalysisin
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Introduction
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
1 Introduction 1
2 Conceptualizingstructureandagencyinrelationto
teaching–learninginteractions 15
3 Currentwaysofanalysingtherelationsbetween
structural–agenticprocessesandteaching–learning
interactions 29
4 Analysingtherelationsbetweenteaching–learning
environmentsandteaching–learninginteractions 51
5 Analysingtherelationsbetweenstudentandacademic
identitiesandteaching–learninginteractions 71
6 Analysingtherelationsbetweendisciplinaryknowledge
practicesandteaching–learninginteractions 87
7 Analysingtherelationsbetweeninstitutionalculturesand
teaching–learninginteractions 105
8 Implicationsforresearchingteaching–learninginteractions 125
References 143
Index 163
To my wonderful Emma
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Many people have contributed to the development and writing of
this book. There are a few whom I wish to thank particularly. Carolyn
Jackson, Monica McLean, Keith Trigwell, Murray Saunders and Paul
Trowler all spent time discussing different aspects of the ideas that
I explore in this book and assisted considerably in their development.
I have been fortunate to be a member of the Department of Educa-
tionalResearch,LancasterUniversity,inwhichstudentsandstaffalike
are willing to discuss the difficult issues around how to generate and
make sense of data about teaching and learning. In particular, the
discussions I have had with students on the Doctoral Programme in
EducationalResearchandtheMAinEducation/EducationalResearch
contributedgreatlytomyunderstandingoftheissuesIexplore,asdid
my discussions with members of the Teaching and Learning Cultures
Reading Group. I’d also like to thank my department and Lancaster
University for the term of sabbatical leave that gave me the space in
whichtobegindevelopingtheargumentsinthisbook.
Finally, I’d like to thank my family for their encouragement and
care; especially Emma and Rosa who have had to put up with my
preoccupiedmoodinessasIhavecompletedthisbook.
PAUL ASHWIN
vii
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Chapter 1
Introduction
As its title suggests, this is a book about analysing teaching–learning
interactions in higher education. It asks questions such as: when an
academic engages with a group of students in a seminar, how is the
interaction affected by the actions and reactions of those involved?
What impact does the teaching–learning environment have on this
ongoinginteraction?Howdotheidentitiesofstudentsandacademics
influence the ways in which they respond to each other? Does the
disciplinary focus of the material that students and academics discuss
influencethewaysinwhichtheyengagetogether?Doestheparticular
institution in which this interaction takes place have an impact on the
developing form of the interaction? In addressing such questions, I
discusswaysofaccountingforsocialstructureandindividualagencyin
analysing teaching–learning interactionsinhighereducation.
TherearethreebroadaspectstotheargumentthatIdevelopinthis
book.First,Iofferacritiqueofthewayinwhichcurrentresearchinto
teaching–learning processes in higher education analyses teaching–
learning interactions and the way in which it accounts for social struc-
tureandindividualagencywithintheseinteractions.Second,Iexplore
alternativewaysofanalysingteaching–learninginteractionsthatgivea
senseoftheirdynamicnatureandthewayinwhichtheyrelatetowider
socialprocesses.Third,Iexaminetheimplicationsforfutureresearch
of both my critique of current, and my consideration of alternative,
approachestoanalysingteaching–learninginteractionsinhigheredu-
cation.
Inordertoprovideaninitialsenseofthisargument,inthischapter
I address the question of why any of this matters. After an initial word
about terminology, I tackle the issue of why teaching–learning inter-
actions in higher education matter and what are the problems with
the current mainstream approaches to analysing these interactions. A
danger of focusing on teaching–learning interactions is that a sense
1