Reaffirming the importance of relational pedagogies in higher education: educators’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This article examines the enduring role of relational pedagogies in higher education and their amplified importance during periods of disruptive change. It provides analysis of interviews conducted with academic teaching staff at a research-intensive university during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine participants’ experiences and perceptions of relationality in relation to three dimensions: student–teacher relationships; student–student relationships; and teacher–teacher relationships and highlight responsive changes in both the relationships within the three dimensions, and in educators’ practices. Drawing upon these findings, we argue that the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the importance of relational pedagogies in higher education and caused lasting shifts in our understanding of how relationality can be enacted in teaching and learning practices.