An improbable leadership: structural limits of educational communication. The case of some Italian primary schools

Article


Farini, F. 2009. An improbable leadership: structural limits of educational communication. The case of some Italian primary schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice. 12 (4), pp. 367-388. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603120902890359
TypeArticle
TitleAn improbable leadership: structural limits of educational communication. The case of some Italian primary schools
AuthorsFarini, F.
Abstract

This paper discusses the results of field research focused on educational communication in the classroom. The research involved 11 primary schools in Italy. Nearly 100 hours of videotaped educational interactions were produced. The empirical analysis of the communication processes allowed us to analyse the main structures of educational communication. Mainstream researches on education analyse this subject in terms of the relationship between an educator and his or her pupils. Educators’ behaviour and practices are discussed and produce normative insights on the way an educator should perform to transmit knowledge, basic values and social norms. We are concerned about the meaning of ‘relationship’, that most works on education seem to be taken for granted as a trivial communicative input–output process where, upon a definite educator’s input and through a specific function, pupils discharge some definite output. But educational communication cannot control its consequences; as its meanings are constructed by pupils, its outcomes are unpredictable. The data highlight the relevance of preparing educators for the complexity of the interconnections between educational relationships and communication; it would implicate the empowerment of education’s reflexivity potential, giving to educators opportunities to recognize and exploit the potentialities of the situations that may emerge in educational settings.

Research GroupCentre for Education Research and Scholarship (CERS)
Interpreting and Translation group
PublisherTaylor and Francis
JournalInternational Journal of Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice
ISSN1360-3124
Publication dates
Print2009
Publication process dates
Deposited27 Jun 2013
Output statusPublished
Accepted author manuscript
Copyright Statement

Author can archive final draft post-refereeing, after an 18 month embargo for SSH journals.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/13603120902890359
LanguageEnglish
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