Open this publication in new window or tab >>
2026 (English) In: Journal of Social Science Education, E-ISSN 1618-5293, Vol. 25, no 3, p. 1-21, article id 8888Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en] Highlights:
-Teachers initially treated relational pedagogy and multiperspectivity separately in their discussions.
- Teachers increasingly articulated them as interconnected, relational pedagogy enablingmultiperspectivity.
- Demonstrates how teachers describe relational work as shaping classroom climate and participation.
- Shows how teachers develop concrete strategies for addressing multiple perspectives inclassroom practice.
Purpose: This study explores how social studies teachers understand and relate multiperspectivityand relational pedagogy when teaching content perceived as sensitive or controversial.
Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on a two-year participatory research circle withteachers. Data from workshop discussions were analysed thematically, focusing on how teachers'understandings developed over time.
Findings: The findings show a shift from treating the approaches as separate to understandingrelational pedagogy as a key condition for working with multiperspectivity. Trust-basedrelationships were perceived as enabling student participation and engagement with multipleperspectives. Analytically, this relationship can be understood as the coordination of social andsymbolic milieus, making joint action around complex content possible.
Research limitations/implications: The context-specific sample limits generalizability. Thefindings are based on teachers' perspectives and do not include direct observations of classroompractice or independent measures of student learning. Future research should examine diversesettings and student experiences.Practical implications: The study conceptualises teaching complex content as requiring thecoordination of relational and epistemic dimensions of classroom practice
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
sowi-online e.V., 2026
Keywords social studies education, relational pedagogy, multiperspectivity, sensitive and controversial issues (SCI), joint action
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-88328 (URN) 10.11576/jsse-8888 (DOI)
Funder Utbildning, Lärande, Forskning (ULF)
2026-09-232026-09-232026-09-25 Bibliographically approved