The Reciprocal Rebellion: Promoting Discussion in Authoritarian Schools

ABSTRACT

In her ethnographic study, Factories for learning: Making race, class and inequality in the neoliberal academy (2017), Christine Kulz depicts an oppressive system in a United Kingdom secondary school, Dreamfields. Kulz illustrates how many children and teachers are stripped of their autonomy, rights and dignity. In this article, Northfields, a school like Dreamfields, is profiled. Like Dreamfields, Northfields is an authoritarian, heavily surveilled institution with both teachers and pupils often being reprimanded for minor transgressions. This case study shows how an English teacher managed to successfully use Reciprocal Teaching in her classroom, even though its emphasis on co-operative learning was contrary to the spirit of Northfields. Reciprocal Teaching changes the way pupils and teachers see themselves, improves their discussion, reading and exam results. Reciprocal Teaching re-orders education by fostering meaningful relationships, challenging the hegemony of neoliberal schools: it is a rebellion against their authoritarianism.

KEYWORDS:

• Reciprocal Teaching
• Factory For Learning
• high stakes testing
• collaborative learning
• authoritarian schools
• teacher & pupil autonom

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Francis Gilbert

Dr Francis Gilbert is a Senior Lecturer in Education at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he is Head of all the Masters’ programmes in the Department of Educational Studies, Head of the MA in Creative Writing and Education, and the Sustainability Co-ordinator. He worked for twenty-five years in various English state schools teaching English, Drama and Media Studies to 11-18-year-olds before taking up his post at Goldsmiths. He has appeared many times on radio and TV talking about schools and universities, including Newsnight, the Today Programme, Woman’s Hour and Channel 4 News. His most recent publications include the audiobooks of his novel Who Do You Love (Blue Door Press 2017) and educational commentary Analysis and Study Guide: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (FGI Publishing 2014). He has been for many years fascinated by the concept of Reciprocal Teaching, publishing videos, blogs and academic research on it. www.francisgilbert.co.uk