THE AUXIN PROJECT THROUGH THE HERMENEUTIC LENS: DOES IT CONTRIBUTE TO THE VISION AND MISSION OF A CENTRE FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING?

Abstract

The Stellenbosch University (SU) Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers professional learning opportunities for academics, such as Auxin sessions, to engage in courageous conversations about teaching and learning. Like many other centres that wish to flourish, the CTL has a vision and mission statement, to define the direction the Centre is moving in. The Centre’s Vision states that it strives to be a knowledge partner that advances the teaching and learning culture at SU in a way that promotes a just society in South Africa. The CTL Mission is to create professional learning opportunities for academics and to be thought leaders for scholarly teaching and learning. Against this background, the research question is: does the CTL Auxin Project contribute to the realisation of this Vision and Mission? The question is explored by analysing self-evaluation documents. The analysis is grounded in the philosophical hermeneutic methodology, which is associated with textual interpretation. I employ the hermeneutic circle in combination with the notion of ‘rhythmic action’ as exploratory framework. The hermeneutic circle is described by Bontekoe (in Kinsella, 2006:5) as a circle with two poles: one being the object of comprehension and the other, the various parts thereof. Through this analysis, I show how the two poles, represented by the CTL Vision and Mission on the one hand and the Auxin project on the other, are bound together in a relationship of mutual clarification. In addition, I employ ‘rhythmic action’ (Agamben 1999) as a lens through which to understand the nexus between educational theory and practice. When there is an interruption in the rhythmic flow, it reveals a particular status of the practice. The interruption, in this case, is the CTL Self-Evaluation Reports. It opens up the rhythm, thereby offering a lens through which to understand the nexus. Findings suggest that there seems to be an interplay between the CTL Vision and the Auxin Project, characterised by successful and less successful aspects. The SU CTL Self-Evaluation Reports, as ‘interruption’, give more insight into the ‘rhythmic action’ between theory and practice, and presents an opportunity for implementing possible change. Regardless of the seeming interplay, there are two main concerns: (1) there is an apparent gap between the social justice intension expressed in the CTL Vision, and the way it plays out in practice; (2) the extent to which the activities of the Centre are responsive to transformation. The analysis can be regarded as meaningful educational research because it adds value on both theoretical and practical levels. On a theoretical level I demonstrated the use of the hermeneutic circle as exploratory framework to illuminate an academic development project. I also show cased how Agamben’s ‘rhythmic action’ can be used as a lens to understand the nexus between educational theory and practice. On a practical level I suggest that academic development units should find ways to encourage the scholarship of teaching and learning amongst academics. It can therefore be argued that the findings could enhance the professional growth of academic developers.