Negotiating the distance: exploring the tension between the pedagogical relationship and the formal curriculum

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore the experience of teachers and the impact of the curriculum on their relationships with students. Four teachers were interviewed over the course of five months and their experiences were interpreted and discussed within a hermeneutic framework. What emerged from those discussions was a more informed understanding of the barriers that impede good learning, how these barriers can be negotiated and why they must be explored in order to facilitate learning. A postmodern re-interpretation of the discussions revealed how the modernist conception of learning interferes with our students' ability to belong not only in the school, but also on the planet.