Unlocking the Potential of Relational Pedagogy: Reimagining Teaching, Learning and Policy for Contemporary Schooling

This book is a useful guide for educators who seek to better engage students in rich, meaningful learning, outlining a clear set of key concepts and principles for relational pedagogy in school classrooms.

Emphasising the complex interpersonal encounters that mediate the social, cultural and political dynamics of the school as a shared space, the authors draw attention to the myriad relationships that constitute the social context of the school and the effects these have on teaching, learning and engagement. The relationships between students and teachers directly affect the experience of education, how learning unfolds and overall educational outcomes. Building on scholarly work and school practices, this book argues that relational pedagogy should be at the centre of teaching and learning in schools, in order to drive positive educational change. It further demonstrates the potential of relational pedagogy in the classroom through vignettes and examples from practice to highlight how these concepts can be applied in teaching and school leadership.

Presenting a compelling new framework for relational pedagogy, this book will be of interest to teacher educators, postgraduate students of education, policy and school leaders.

Stewart Riddle is a Professor in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. His research examines the democratisation of schooling systems, increasing access and equity in education and how schooling can respond to critical social issues in complex contemporary times.

Andrew Hickey is a Professor in Communications in the School of Humanities and Communication at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. His research is focused on the socio-cultural dimensions of education and learning, and the relational dynamics that influence how individuals learn and engage in the social dimensions of schooling.