Students as partners practices and theorisations in Asia: a scoping review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Engaging with students as partners (SaP) in learning and teaching is fundamental about quality learner-teacher relationships. It is a growing and contested arena of pedagogical practice that is dominated by western scholarship. Seeking to expand understanding of partnership approaches, we conducted a scoping review guided by the question: what is known from the current literature about SaP practices and theorisations in Asia? The review identified 18 studies with half published in the last two years and a high frequency of citations to a limited number of western scholars. This signals that partnership in Asia is in its infancy and influenced by western practices. Yet, Asian scholars raised distinct cultural considerations that positioned Confucianism as an obstacle to learner-teacher relationships through partnership praxis. We outline implications to guide future research into student-teacher relationships in Asia that evoke broader interpretations of Confucianism that are seemingly more compatible with partnership praxis.