From Silence to Melody: Adding a Post-Structuralist Lens to More-than-Representational Theory to Analyze Power Dynamics in the Classroom
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| Title: | From Silence to Melody: Adding a Post-Structuralist Lens to More-than-Representational Theory to Analyze Power Dynamics in the Classroom |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Sahar Tueg (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of the Learning Sciences. 2025 34(2):140-178. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 39 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Power Structure, Classroom Environment, Foreign Countries, Educational Theories, Undergraduate Students, Communities of Practice, Humanism, Kinesthetic Perception, Kinesthetic Methods, World Views, Jews, Arabs |
| Geographic Terms: | Israel |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10508406.2025.2509216 |
| ISSN: | 1050-8406 1532-7809 |
| Abstract: | Background: This study examines power dynamics within a Humanistic Knowledge Building Community (HKBC) in an Israeli BA education course at the University of Haifa--a setting shaped by diverse and conflicting narratives. Using post-structuralist frameworks and More-Than-Representational (MTR) theory, we investigate how MTR mediums interact with representational mediums to either reinforce or challenge power structures. Methods: The analysis focuses on a reflective group activity, employing interactional analysis alongside post-structuralist and MTR methodologies. This approach explores how MTR mediums and representational discourse shape power relations within the classroom. Findings: Our findings reveal that while representational discourse often reinforced existing hierarchies, MTR mediums offered marginalized students subtle yet impactful ways to resist hegemonic power structures and assert agency. Moments of circulating affect, kinesthetic togetherness, and emerging mobile architectures provided opportunities for subjugated knowledge to surface, disrupting dominant narratives. Contribution: This research demonstrates how resistance and agency manifest in learning communities marked by diverse and conflicting narratives. We argue that integrating MTR frameworks into learning community designs can foster inclusive environments where diverse identities and knowledge are valued. Our findings advance theoretical and practical understandings of learning in sociopolitical contexts. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1494034 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Background: This study examines power dynamics within a Humanistic Knowledge Building Community (HKBC) in an Israeli BA education course at the University of Haifa--a setting shaped by diverse and conflicting narratives. Using post-structuralist frameworks and More-Than-Representational (MTR) theory, we investigate how MTR mediums interact with representational mediums to either reinforce or challenge power structures. Methods: The analysis focuses on a reflective group activity, employing interactional analysis alongside post-structuralist and MTR methodologies. This approach explores how MTR mediums and representational discourse shape power relations within the classroom. Findings: Our findings reveal that while representational discourse often reinforced existing hierarchies, MTR mediums offered marginalized students subtle yet impactful ways to resist hegemonic power structures and assert agency. Moments of circulating affect, kinesthetic togetherness, and emerging mobile architectures provided opportunities for subjugated knowledge to surface, disrupting dominant narratives. Contribution: This research demonstrates how resistance and agency manifest in learning communities marked by diverse and conflicting narratives. We argue that integrating MTR frameworks into learning community designs can foster inclusive environments where diverse identities and knowledge are valued. Our findings advance theoretical and practical understandings of learning in sociopolitical contexts. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1050-8406 1532-7809 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10508406.2025.2509216 |
