Teaching and learning : a phenomenological perspective

Abstract

This article presents the author’s reflections on teaching and learning from a phenomenological perspective. Drawing examples from research regarding student learning during study abroad experiences, research exploring therapist and client perspectives on their shared psychotherapy sessions, and the author’s experience in teaching an orientation course for undergraduate students, this paper considers the following themes: learning via experience, learning in relationship, and learning by doing. Learning via experience highlights the importance of facilitating new experiences and recognizing that novelty may elicit anxiety for students on the path to transformational learning. Learning in relationship underscores the collaborative and dialogical nature of teaching and learning. This aspect of learning is discussed in terms of Smith’s (1998) portrayal of original argument, as well as Bazerman’s (1988) critique of academic discourse and its implications for traditional approaches to teaching. Learning by doing emphasizes the interconnectedness of knowledge, attitude, and application described by Amadeo Giorgi (1975) in his phenomenological study of learning. Martin Heidegger’s (1962) distinction between the present-at-hand and ready-to-hand modes of engagement are also shown to be relevant to this feature of learning, with the implication that the application of knowledge should be a central part of teaching. The paper integrates these themes to suggest that teaching phenomenologically entails attending to the lived experience of students and approaching teaching as an engaged - and engaging - activity.