Kerry Howells

Research at all levels of education highlights the fact that flourishing relationships are at the core of effective teaching and learning, and thriving communities. They are also fundamental to mental and emotional wellbeing. How relationships are addressed in the early years is going to greatly influence children at each stage of their development. The relational dimension needs to be conceptualised not only at the level of the teacher and student but also with all those who play a part in a child’s development – directors of education and care services, parents, grandparents, and the wider community.

One characteristic of the uncertain times in teacher education is the complexity involved in operationalising the various standards and policy documents when little attention is given to how best to use the time in school-based practicum so that it is both educative and purposeful. This is a “wicked problem” to which various theories and literature miss the mark if not informed by those at the coalface. We argue that to navigate this complex terrain we need to include the voice of the mentor teacher. Up to this point, there has been a global silence on the crucial importance of this voice. Yet, in many instances, the mentor teachers develop considerable expertise and professional judgements about how to produce confident, capable, resilient and reflective novice teachers. This voice needs to be recognised and listened to in, not only informing policy and articulating standards but in bridging the gap between policy and practice. Our research investigated how mentor teachers, working within a program where pre-service teachers had significant amounts of practicum time, and in a context of high Education Needs Index schools, understood teaching pre-service teachers to teach. Through qualitative inquiry using the method of a case study, this chapter investigates the views of 30 mentor teachers across 12 schools (both primary and secondary). The broad themes from our data analysis are relationships, reciprocity, responsibility and reflection. We argue that these aspects add a rich and crucial dimension to standard statements and pedagogy around school-based mentoring.

The burgeoning body of empirical research in the area of positive psychology points to the beneficial effect of gratitude on factors that could be relevant to some of the challenges faced by pre-service teachers. Although the topic of gratitude has also long been discussed in other fields, there has been a noticeable absence of mention in teacher education research, and in education more broadly. This paper presents a theoretical framework for considering gratitude in the context of pre-service teachers’ professional experience. It then outlines a small qualitative pilot study of outcomes reported by six pre-service teachers when they consciously applied gratitude in their second practicum. The practicum was undertaken in a variety of primary and secondary school settings. Each participant reported positive effects in the areas of improved relationships, enhanced wellbeing, and improved teaching outcomes. Although this is a small exploratory study, the findings align closely with wi...

Generic graduate attributes have been recognised as targeted outcomes of degree courses in Australian Universities. A common challenge is how to address these in explicit ways that are relevant to both students and their field of study. Another challenge is that unless students are encouraged to become aware of the kinds of generic attributes they have acquired and their level of development of these, they will focus on the performance of a particular task and corresponding marks or grades, rather than skills that they acquired that can be applied to other situations. This paper shows how, in a first semester unit of the Bachelor of Teaching course, these challenges were addressed. The unit incorporated an innovative assessment task that was constructively aligned with reflective learning activities to promote meta-cognitive awareness of how specific graduate attributes were attained. The assessment task was used to obtain data to analyse students’ development of the generic attribu...

Much research has highlighted the potential of gratitude to enhance wellbeing, improve relationships, and increase our ability to deal with adversity. The application of this research has started to gain some interest in the field of education. In my recently published book, Gratitude in Education: A Radical View, I have explored the potential of gratitude for the teaching and learning process. This is contextualised within the complexities and challenges of considering gratitude amidst the background of teacher stress, student disengagement, and many of the inequities and pressures we currently find in our workplaces. In this article I will draw from my book and the research that I have conducted in several schools, to outline some of principles that can be applied by teachers to improve their resilience and effectiveness.

© Cambridge University Press 2018. In popular opinion, gratitude means saying ‘thank you’. While politeness and appreciation are certainly important, gratitude is a larger issue. Appropriately defined, it encompasses the strengthening of human relationships and qualifies as a moral virtue. This important and timely volume provides the conceptual framework for studying the development of gratitude, with a comprehensive and international set of authors approaching the topic from philosophical, psychological, and educational perspectives. The first section provides the theoretical underpinnings for the study of gratitude as a virtue. In the next section, the authors examine the ways in which gratitude develops, including key cross-cultural variations and some possible effects of its development. The final section then considers the links between parent and child gratitude and the ways in which parents and teachers can help to encourage gratitude, both in their everyday practices a...

This report provides an analysis and evaluation of an intervention designed to introduce a select group of elite athletes to the role of greater attention to gratitude within this context. Dr Kerry Howells was invited by Megan Fritsch, manager of Personal Excellence Program at the Australian Institute of Sport, to adapt her considerable experience and research on this topic in the field of education to this other context. The intervention was in the form of a one-day workshop that focused on the meaning of gratitude and aspects of gratitude practice that could be applied to the sporting context. Outcomes of the workshop were evaluated in the form of a workshop evaluation and a forty-five minute interview with participants after practising gratitude for a period of six weeks. As part of the interview, participants were asked to recommend changes in the way the workshops were delivered and also how they saw this intervention as part of their sport as a whole. The aim of the research was to investigate both the outcomes and the challenges.

This case study explores some of the complexities and dilemmas raised for those wishing to conduct research in indigenous cultures. In narrating experiences of researching the role of gratitude in indigenous South Africa, a rich context is presented for contemplating not only choice of methodology but how one positions oneself with "the other" in a country where there is strong political and cultural divisiveness. The case study provides resources for how one can navigate some of the challenges and recommends the methodology of dialogical inquiry as appropriate in cultures where one needs to be acutely aware of empowering those who have a history of disempowerment and for accessing the thinking of those who have a strong oral tradition. Using the concept of gratitude as an example, the case study illustrates that key to appropriate and effective research in indigenous cultures is strong acknowledgment of the rich dimensions of concepts that are already in place in indigenous cultures, and using this as the starting point for one’s investigation. As there has been very little research on the implications of cross-cultural understandings of gratitude for our teaching and learning pedagogy, this case study is positioned as an exploratory investigation. It points to the need for further examination of how we can appropriately access the differences in value and expressions of gratitude—or other concepts—in different cultures and the impact on the effectiveness of relationshipbuilding and appreciating cultural diversity in our educational communities.

Much importance is given to the interpersonal skills of an effective school leader. Empirical research has shown the potential of gratitude to build and maintain healthy relationships (e.g. Algoe, Haidt & Gable, 2008). Sociologist Georg Simmel (1996) sees gratitude as the most important cohesive element for an effectively functioning society. It is the “moral memory of humankind”, the bridge connecting one human being with another where, “If every grateful action which lingers on from good turns received in the past was suddenly eliminated, society (at least as we know it) would break apart.” (p.45). When one gives back out of acknowledgment for what one receives, a connecting force comes into play. Importantly, when one neglects to do so, consequent disconnection gives rise to resentment and misunderstanding. School communities where there is little gratitude are in danger of breaking apart.

ABSTRACT While increasing attention is being placed on the crucial importance of a positive supervisor–student relationship, few studies have investigated how to enhance this. Our paper investigates the effect of gratitude practices, proposing it brings both focus and intentionality to the student–supervisor relationship resulting in better research outcomes and, by implication, a positive impact on attrition rates. Recent research has demonstrated that increased attention to gratitude can enhance relational well-being, but only a few studies investigate the role of gratitude in the higher education context. This qualitative case study explores the impact of gratitude as an intervention, following eight Ph.D. students and their two supervisors, in the schools of physical sciences, and medicine over a six-week period of focused attention on practices of gratitude. Findings revealed that all participants noted a positive impact in the areas of communication, social and emotional well-being, as well as on the research process itself.

Once I had an innermost attitude of gratefulness I found the world to be a different place. The class was not as long and I seemed to be more attentive because I was trying to use my time there wisely." Margaret is one of hundreds of students who have found that the practice of gratitude while partaking in academic study not only leads to greater engagement and motivation but also a deeper understanding of concepts and academic texts. However, the importance of this profound practice is overlooked in most teaching and learning pedagogy, with due consequence not only for the increased impetus that gratitude could bring to the university community, but also the added dimension it could give to the academic learning process itself. This paper will outline the finer distinctions that are needed to discern the meaning of the term "gratitude" in an academic context and offer suggestions as to its relevance as a way of thinking in higher education. Rather than seeing gratitu...

This paper reports on some of the factors that contribute to an effective partnership between an urban Australian university and a State Department of Education. The partnership, currently in its the third year of implementation, entails as a key purpose the development of school Centres of Excellence which contribute to the preparation of pre-service teachers. The foundational aims of the partnership include addressing the gap between theory and practice, facilitating student recruitment and providing a guarantee of future employment for identified Education students through the provision of student Scholarships. Data for the study were collected via two program reviews, conducted at the end of the first year and third years of the program. Findings point to ways in which the partnership has enhanced student engagement and learning and also indicate ways in which partners in both institutions might further enhance the partnership.

Many thinkers in the fields of philosophy, sociology, positive psychology, theology, and anthropology have discussed the central place of the conscious expression of gratitude to enrich our relationships and sense of community. Most recently, social anthropologist Margaret Visser has provided an important basis upon which to consider cultural differences in the ways in which we express gratitude, and the miscommunication that can occur if we are not sensitive to these differences. This paper brings together such discourse to postulate how the conscious practice of gratitude can assist us to more fully value diversity in the context of education. It argues that the potential of such a notion lies in its requirement that we look beyond our self-interest and come to know the other before we can give back in ways that can be appropriately and meaningfully acknowledged and received. Key hypotheses underlying the theoretical exploration of the paper are illustrated with vignettes from tea...