L2 describes the atmosphere and hierarchy in her tutorials thus:<\/p>\n
“<\/strong><\/strong>[My classes are] more about a group of people coming together and sharing some information and having a joke and [\u2026] I would see it as myself as an auntie looking after the kids and sharing the knowledge with them.\u201d (Interview with L2<\/a>)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
By referring to herself as an “auntie” and to the students as her “kids”, L2 creates the impression of a very relaxed and familiar atmosphere<\/strong><\/strong> between all participants of the class. Furthermore, she seems to include herself in the collective term “group of people” and thus makes no hierarchical distinction<\/strong><\/strong> between herself and the class. This idea of equality is further elaborated by her when she suggests that it would be best to learn sitting in a circle because: \u201cif you\u2019re in a circle there\u2019s no leader [\u2026] And everybody is equal [\u2026] including the teacher and I think that\u2019s why I sort of sat in the class cause [\u2026] I consider the students to be my peers\u201d (Interview with L2<\/a>). L2’s concept of “peers”, like Craven et al.’s idea of the teacher as “facilitator” and “co-learner” (2011: 290\/91<\/span>), suggests that students, tutors and lecturers all stand on one level<\/strong><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
In addition, the idea that the teacher is the students’ peer, or in more common terms their friend, also implies that s\/he will help them, as L2 does in this example:<\/p>\n
“Meanwhile, the second presenter has come back into the room and is ready to start her presentation. When she stops again, everyone, including L2, gives her tips. L2 talks about the first lecture she was holding in which she was also very nervous. The only thing you can do to fight this insecurity is to keep going, she says. Therefore, she stands next to the presenter and helps her change the slides while the student is reading out her presentation.” (Class 1: Tutorial 03\/09\/2015<\/a>)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In this incident, L2 supports the student less with knowledge, as one would expect a tutor to, but rather bolsters the student’s confidence<\/strong><\/strong> by claiming that she used to feel the same and by literally standing by her side. This “social support<\/strong><\/strong>” is identified by Yunkaporta et al. as “the key pedagogy” in Aboriginal teaching (2009: 71<\/span>).<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the equality of students, tutors and lecturers makes the latter more accessible<\/strong><\/strong> for the students, as S2 explains below:<\/p>\n
“I feel like I\u2019m talking to a friend and I feel like when I\u2019ve got any problems then I can approach the lecturer rather than feeling too academically stupid to wanna show my stupidity. I can be more open and honest and say \u2018I just don\u2019t get this. Can you tell me?\u2019” (Interview with S2<\/a>)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Feeling more comfortable to approach the lecturer or tutor with a question, S2 is also more likely to do so. Thus, her good and equal relationship with the teacher helps her to understand the class content in depth and, thus, extend her knowledge<\/strong><\/strong>. In addition, L3 invites the students to stay in touch with him after the end of the semester (Class 2: Tutorial 29\/10\/2015<\/a><\/span>) and thus remains accessible even beyond the scope of the class. This makes S2 feel like “he cares about us<\/strong><\/strong>” (Interview with S2<\/a>) which according to Morgan et al. was also a common believe among the students of their research (2010: 13<\/span>). Thus, L3’s accessibility which originated from the peer relation between him and his students, in turn further enhances this relationship<\/strong><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
All in all, a close relationship between students, tutors and lecturers on an equal level positively influences the students’ learning experience<\/strong> as it leads to social support, accessibility and caring. At the same time, these results further enhance the peer relation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
To move on to the next section of the analysis discussing the inclusion of the lecturers’ and tutors’ personal life into the class content, please click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
To return to the overview over the\u00a0second part of the analysis, please click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
(Also see the categories “Relationship<\/a>“, “Informal vs. academic<\/a>“, “Fun<\/a>“, “Peers<\/a>“, “Positive learning environment<\/a>” and “Accessibility<\/a>“.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
L2 describes the atmosphere and hierarchy in her tutorials thus: “[My classes are] more about a group of people coming together and sharing some information and having a joke and [\u2026] I would see it as myself as an auntie … Continue reading