Chapter 9 Beyond Me-Ism
Teamwork, Team Building and Cooperation in Flexible Learning Environments
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Abstract
Teachers who work in alternative education environments in Australia are often motivated by a desire to make a difference and to change educational trajectories and work opportunities for young people. Relationships, between staff and with young people, are considered to be vital in this process. However, teachers in flexible learning environments have reported a high level of individual focus amongst students, where young people think that learning is all about me [them], and their successful reengagement in education is determined by their own motivation and actions. Recent findings indicate a different picture, where young people acknowledge the team project that surrounds them in Flexible Learning Programs. In this paper we draw on the findings from a wellbeing project conducted with staff and students in Edmund Rice Education Australia Youth+ Flexible Learning Centres to investigate staff and student perceptions of relationships, and their acknowledgement of the group project required to re-engage young people in education.