Relationality, Emotions and Affect in Education and Research

This book examines the more intangible—relational, emotional and affective—aspects of educating and researching as conceptualised through the theory of practice architectures. It also extends the theory of practice architectures, and in particular, the ‘relatings’ aspect of practice, to more fully encompass the relational, affective and emotional aspects of educating and researching. This book advances scholarship in practice theory, foregrounding the crucial role played by emotions, affect and the relational aspects of educating in the evolution of educational and researching practices. Educating and researching are intensely relational practices. Yet, despite a major turn to the emotions and affect in the social sciences, and laterally in education, the emotional and affective aspects of practice theorising have been largely overlooked/minimised. This book aims to redress this absence through a particular focus on the relational aspects of educational and researching practices, encompassing the domain of affect and emotions. Although the theory of practice architectures conceptualises practices as sites of the social through the notion of practices actualised in the sayings, doings and relatings of a practice, the relational, the emotional and affective aspects of the theory remain somewhat underdeveloped. This book addresses this gap and in so doing, makes a key contribution to practice theory development. 

Dr Jane Wilkinson is a professor of educational leadership at the Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. Her research and teaching interests are in the areas of educational leadership for social justice, practice theory, refugee education and women and leadership. Jane has conducted extensive research with principals and schools in Australia and Finland on leading change in schools and educational districts; refugee education in schools and universities; and the role of schools and school leadership in building social cohesion in volatile times. She is the lead investigator for the Australian Research Council Discovery study, ‘Invisible Labour: Principals’ Emotional Labour in volatile times’ (2023–2026) with colleagues at Monash, Deakin and Sydney Universities. Utilising practice architectures theory and feminist theories of the emotions, it is generating new knowledge about the sustainability of the principal workforce.

Dr. Katrina MacDonald is a senior lecturer in the School of Education at Deakin University, Australia. She is a member of the Centre for Research for Educational Impact School of Education (REDI). Katrina’s key research interests include educational leadership, social justice, public education, and the sociology of education through a practice lens (feminist, Bourdieu, practice architectures). She is particularly interested in how school autonomy reform has influenced social justice outcomes and the implications this has for school principals. One of Katrina’s recent books is ‘Socially Just Educational Leadership in Unjust Times: A Bourdieusian Study of Social Justice Educational Leadership Practices’ (Springer, 2023). 

Dr. Fiona Longmuir is an associate professor in educational leadership at the Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. Her research interests are in advancing understanding of just and equitable schooling arrangements by examining the relational and performative intersections that emerge in policy and practice. Fiona has led a significant national study to identify issues in the Australian teaching workforce and contributes regularly to public and policy discussions that inform the sustainability and wellbeing of teachers and teaching in Australia. She is interested in emotional and relational theorising and is working on an Australian Research Council Discovery project investigating the emotional labour of educators and its impact on practice and career sustainability.

Dr. Mandy Cooke is a senior lecturer in Early Childhood Education in the School of Education at Deakin University, Australia. She is the course director for the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education. Following 20+ years teaching and leading in early childhood and primary schools, Mandy’s teaching and research now focus on pedagogical practices, professional flourishing and workforce sustainability in early childhood education and early childhood initial teacher education. She has a particular interest in pedagogical risk-taking and courage as tools for transformation, advocacy and social justice. Mandy works with the theory of practice architectures in both her research and teaching. She has recently published the book ‘Transforming early childhood practices: Thinking with the theory of practice architectures’ with Leanne Gibbs. This book introduces the theory to practising early childhood education professionals.

Megan Adams is an associate professor of inclusion, in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, Australia. Her research and teaching interests focus on inclusion and diversity, and she is working towards understanding ways to reduce education inequalities for marginalised groups. Megan works with school leadership and teachers (locally and internationally) to understand different perspectives concerning the recent and rapid changes in education and how this affects the professional learning of teachers and in turn learners. She is the lead investigator for a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades (DFAT) study entitled ‘Teacher and schools’ needs analysis for high-demand curriculum content and pedagogy’ with colleagues at Monash University. Utilising the theory of practice architectures, the project expects to generate new knowledge about teachers and leadership needs in relation to global education and international development assistance. 

Dr. Fleur Diamond is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. Her research focuses on the professional identities of teachers, investigating how teachers negotiate with different understandings of teacher professionalism over the course of their careers. Fleur inquiries into the impact of standards-based, performative and technicist understandings of teacher professionalism and how these play out in teachers’ lives and work. With a particular emphasis on the biographical dimensions of teachers’ identities, Fleur uses life history method, practice theory, and feminist memory work. As lead investigator on the project, ‘The cultural memory of English teaching’, Fleur worked with long-serving English teachers to develop narratives of professional memory and practice histories that offered critical perspectives on current understandings of both the subject English and teacher professionalism. The following project, ‘Teaching English in the time of COVID-19’, investigated how the shift to remote schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated trends to technologise and digitise English and literacy education.

Dr. Kristin E. Reimer is an associate professor in Cape Breton University’s (Canada) Department of Education and an adjunct associate professor in Monash University’s (Australia) Faculty of Education. Kristin works to advance the idea of education as a humanising practice where the whole needs (not just academic) of the individual and the larger world are met. Restorative Justice Education (RJE), the main focus of Kristin’s work, is one such humanising approach in schools. With RJE, educators focus on building strong relationships in schools and rigorous, just and healthy learning environments. Beyond RJE, other threads of Kristin’s research and practice reinforce education as a connective practice: alternative education for justice-involved youth; access to higher education for non-traditional students; experiences of refugee and asylum-seeking university students; non-hierarchical professional learning; intergenerational teaching relationships; and relational pedagogy.