'Your story matters': the affective and relational work of teachers in sites of poverty and trauma
Files
(Published version)
Date
2025
Authors
Garrett, R.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Australian Educational Researcher, 2025; 52(2):1557-1573
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
While teachers work is increasingly constrained by a focus on quantifiable measures and accountability, the persistent underachievement of students from disadvantaged backgrounds is an ongoing and unsolved problem. There is increasing expectation for schools to take responsibility for the social-emotional as well as intellectual capabilities of students. However there has been little exploration into the complexities of teaching in low socio-economic and vulnerable communities. In this paper, I explore the experiences, thoughts and perceptions of teachers who work with complex student cohorts in disadvantaged settings. My interest extends to the affective and relational dimensions of their work. Drawing from two research projects conducted in areas marked by poverty, the paper utilises segments of interviews to illustrate the deeply embodied and sensory and aspects of teachers’ relational practice. In presenting their perspectives and experiences I tell the story of their complex work as well as what ‘comes to matter’ in schools and classrooms where trauma and adversity are ever-present.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
Copyright 2024 Crown. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.)