Respecting diversity towards an organisational change where there is space for existential questions

The need to approach the current climate crisis from our inner worlds is becoming increasingly urgent, as inner transformation is a condition for system transformation (Ives et al., 2019; Wamsler et al., 2022), especially in education where young people are suffering from the pressure of our performance society (Dopmeijer et al., 2022). Creating space in higher education for students to live their existential questions is still a rare phenomenon though, and requires teachers to adopt a very different, more indirect pedagogy (Ristiniemi et al., 2018; Saeverot, 2013). This rareness becomes more evident, when taken the societal context into account. We live in a society, where it is taboo to explore discomfort, that coincides with exploring existential questions. Instead, we pass students with mental problems on to the healthcare system, which becomes overloaded (Denys, 2020). On top of that, being a teachers means that you work with yourself, your own purpose and identity matters (Kelchtermans, 2009; Palmer, 2017). Creating this safe space for existential questions of students means also that you are willing as a teacher to be vulnerable and disclose yourself (Jebbour & Mouaid, 2019). In this paradox of unique differences among teachers we asked ourselves what teachers need to create space for students to live their existential questions? The research took place at the Bachelor Interdisciplinary Social Science at the University of Amsterdam. As this is a system transformation from “within the heart of the regime” (Grin, 2020, p. 1) of higher education, we choose to base our research on a reflective interactive design research framework, which is aimed at system change (Bos & Grin, 2012). This methodology is based on two types of reflection, first the reflection on the current educational system, and second, the reflection on needs and preconceptions that arise in the design process. This was done by actively creating this space together with teachers, thereby inviting the different perspectives on the topic. First by co-creating design principles for creating this space for existential questions of students. Second, by developing teacher manuals for tutor meetings and instructions for students. What became apparent in this mutual learning process, was that the principle in our change approach, to give teachers room for their own interpretation in creating space for existential questions, was essential. As well in the design phase, as in the action phase. We needed to take the diversity among the teachers seriously.

Keywords: Higher education, Existential questions, Teacher reflection, Indirect pedagogy, system change.
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