‘We must get together and really talk …’. Connection, engagement and safety sustain learning and teaching conversation communities

Abstract

Over time, reflective conversations seem to have disappeared from everyday academic practice, yet such conversations have the potential to influence teachers’ sense of self as well as their teaching practice. To investigate the question – how can university teachers develop a community where conversations about learning and teaching continue to flourish? – this article analyses a case study of three groups of university teachers who took up the challenge to Talk About Teaching And Learning (TATAL). Each group employed social models of reflection to construct teaching philosophy statements and teaching portfolios through a process of writing stories as reflective inquiry. The investigation suggested three factors – connection, engagement and safety – facilitated these small groups of university teachers to build conversation communities. Further interrogation of these factors suggested a model to support the construction of ongoing teaching and learning conversations within and beyond higher education settings.

Keywords:

• collaborative inquiry
• teaching philosophy
• teaching portfolio
• reflection
• conversation communities

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge support for the TATAL program from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Branch of HERDSA and the University of Canberra Australian Learning and Teaching Council Promoting Excellence Initiative. We also wish to thank the participants in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 TATAL groups for their enthusiasm and willingness to take the risk of talking to others about their teaching, and Amy Griffin, who redrew Figure 1 for us.

Notes

1. Harper, 1996, p. 252 (original emphasis).