“I think it is because it’s more interesting. Because it’s more stimulating. Because I’ll probably remember things that you’ve said to me more than some random lecturer because we have some kind of relationship. So if you’ve got a relationship with your teacher of course you gonna remember stuff more.” (Interview with S2)

This is how S2 reacts to the question why she feels that learning happens easily in Class 2. In her opinion, the relationship she has with the lecturer and tutor makes the content of the class more interesting and easier to retain. This idea can also be found in Burgess’ article where she claims that by building relationships with students, the teacher can “improve their educational experiences and outcomes” (2016: 109).

Burgess provides two explanations for this: On the one hand, a participant of her research reveals that the relationship with the teacher makes the student “try to do better” (Burgess 2016: 115). On the other hand, Burgess quotes van Manen who argues that a personal relationship with a teacher is such a strong emotional experience that it becomes “part of life itself” (Burgess 2016: 115). Thus, what the lecturers and tutors teach their classes also receives a connection to the students’ life and consequently becomes more relevant.

In the Aboriginal Studies classes, three aspects facilitate and relate to the establishment of a relationship between lecturers and tutors on the one side and students on the other:

a) a positive learning environment
The positive atmosphere which is needed to create a beneficial relationship between students and teachers is established on a physical as well as a psychological level and maintained even in critical situations to avoid threats and encourage independent learning. (Click here to read more)

b) the idea of being peers
A close relationship between students, tutors and lecturers on an equal level positively influences the students’ learning experience as it leads to social support, accessibility and caring. At the same time, these results further enhance the peer relation. (Click here to read more)

c) the inclusion of the lecturers’ and tutors’ personal life
The lecturers and tutors make active use of their cultural capital by including their lived experiences and other aspects of their personal lives into their teaching practices (Burgess 2016: 113). By the students this is mainly perceived in the light of the relationship between them and their teachers which is thus enhanced and protected. However, this is not the only effect. The stories also “infuse the curriculum with ‘real life’ examples”, as Burgess describes it (2016: 113) and thus render the content more understandable and relevant to the students in the same way as the methods discussed in the first section of this analysis. (Click here to read more)

To move on to the conclusion of my analysis, please click here.

(Also see the categories “Relationship“, “Connection to students’ world” and “Effectiveness“)