The use of educational objects

Abstract

This conceptual paper looks at the Winnicottian notion of object use as it relates to education. Object use is understood as the process of attaching to but then attempting to destroy the educator in an effort to create new knowledge and relationships. The paper argues for educational object use as a way of understanding and normalising resistance to learning. The paper relies on a combination of autobiographical and archival material to understand and elucidate object use. Drawing on curriculum theory as well as psychoanalysis, the author argues that the use of teachers as objects enables a creative and affectively meaningful education but simultaneously raises questions regarding the exploitation of teachers. The paper closes with implications for empirical research regarding educational object use.

Keywords:

• Curriculum theory
• psychoanalysis
• Winnicott
• pedagogy
• resistance
• archives

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Paula Salvio and Winston Thompson for comments on previous drafts of this manuscript.