Fostering Conversational Leadership: A Response to Barnett’s Call for an Ontological Turn

Olen Gunnlaugson

doi:https://doi.org/

Original article | International Journal of Progressive Education 2012, Vol. 8(2) 49-59

Fostering Conversational Leadership: A Response to Barnett’s Call for an Ontological Turn

Olen Gunnlaugson

pp. 49 - 59 | Manu. Number: ijpe.2012.053

Published online: June 15, 2012 | Number of Views: 75 | Number of Download: 385

Save PDF

Abstract

This article examines Ronald Barnett‘s notion of an ontological turn in higher education as a language for framing the current existential demands and emerging learning needs of young adults. After presenting different interpretations of ontology, I make a case for how contemplative approaches can be applied to communication- based higher education classes to support ontological learning processes and outcomes. I then introduce a case study, drawn from a graduate course entitled Dialogue Processes, that I have taught over the past seven years at University of Massachusetts (Boston). Here I illustrate how a contemplative approach to instruction helps develop conversational leadership, a central learning objective of the course.

Keywords: ontological; higher education; contemplative learning; conversational leadership

How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Gunnlaugson, O. (2012). Fostering Conversational Leadership: A Response to Barnett’s Call for an Ontological Turn . International Journal of Progressive Education, 8(2), 49-59.

Harvard
Gunnlaugson, O. (2012). Fostering Conversational Leadership: A Response to Barnett’s Call for an Ontological Turn . International Journal of Progressive Education, 8(2), pp. 49-59.

Chicago 16th edition
Gunnlaugson, Olen (2012). "Fostering Conversational Leadership: A Response to Barnett’s Call for an Ontological Turn ". International Journal of Progressive Education 8 (2):49-59.

References

Badley, G. (2000) Developing globally-competent university teachers. Innovations in Education and Training International, 37(3), 244–253. [Google Scholar]
Barnett, R. (2000) University knowledge in an age of supercomplexity. Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education and Planning, 40(4), 409–22. [Google Scholar]
Barnett, R. (2004) Learning for an unknown future. Higher Education Research and Development, 23(3), 247-260. [Google Scholar]
Bauman, Z. (2000) Liquid modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press. Bohm, D. (1996) On dialogue. London: Routledge Publishers. [Google Scholar]
Brady, R. (2007) Learning to stop, stopping to learn: Discovering the contemplative dimension in education. Journal of Transformative Education, 5(4), 372-394. [Google Scholar]
Duerr, M., Zajonc, A., & Dana, D. (2003) Survey of transformative and spiritual dimensions of higher education. Journal of Transformative Education, 1(3), 177-211. [Google Scholar]
Eryaman, M. Y. (2007). From reflective practice to practical wisdom: Toward a post-foundational teacher education. International Journal of Progressive Education, 3(1), 87-107 [Google Scholar]
Gunnlaugson, O. (2006) Generative dialogue as a transformative learning practice in adult & higher education settings. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, (12)1, 2-19. [Google Scholar]
Gunnlaugson, O. (2007) Revisioning possibilities for how groups learn together: Venturing an AQAL model of generative dialogue. Integral Review, (3)1, 44- 58. [Google Scholar]
Gunnlaugson, O. (2009) Establishing second-person forms of contemplative education: An inquiry into four conceptions of intersubjectivity. Integral Review. 5(1), 25-50. [Google Scholar]
Gunnlaugson, O. (2011). Advancing a Second-Person Contemplative Approach for Collective Wisdom and Leadership Development. Journal of Transformative Education. 8(2), 134-156. [Google Scholar]
Heidegger, M. (1962) Being and time. New York: SCM Press. [Google Scholar]
Heidegger, M. (1998) Plato‘s doctrine of truth. In W. McNeill (Ed.), Pathmarks [Google Scholar]
(pp.155-182). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar]
Higgins, C. (2001). From reflective practice to practical wisdom: Three models of liberal teacher education. Philosophy of Education Yearbook 2001, 92–9. [Google Scholar]
Hurley, T., and Brown, J. (2010) Conversational leadership: Thinking together for a change. Oxford Leadership Journal, 1(2), 1-9. [Google Scholar]
Isaacs, W. N. (1999) Dialogue and the art of thinking together. New York: Currency Doubleday. [Google Scholar]
Midgley, M. (1997) Visions of embattled science. In Barnett, R., & Griffin, A. (Eds.) The End of Knowledge in Higher Education, (pp.68-83). London, Cassell. [Google Scholar]
Roth, H. (2006). Contemplative studies: Prospects for a new field. Teachers College Record, 108(9), 1787-1815. [Google Scholar]
Roy, B. (2006) A process model of integral theory. Integral Review, (3), 118-152. Sarath, E. (2003) Meditation in higher education: The next wave? Innovative HigherEducation, 27(4), 215-234. [Google Scholar]
Sarath, E. (in press) Jazz, Creativity, and Consciousness: Blueprint for Integral Education. In Esbjorn-Hargens, S., Reams, J., Gunnlaugson, O. (Eds.). Integral Education, New York: Suny Press. [Google Scholar]
Scharmer, O. (2007) Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges. Cambridge, MA: SoL Press. [Google Scholar]
Seidel, J. (2006) Some thoughts on teaching as contemplative practice. Teacher‘s College Record, 108(9), 1901-1914. [Google Scholar]
Senge, P., & wheatley, m. (2001, January) Changing how we work together. Shambhala Sun, 29-33. [Google Scholar]
Senge, P., Scharmer, O., Jaworski, J., & Flowers, B. (2004) Presence: Human purpose and the field of the future. Society for Organizational Learning. [Google Scholar]
Thomson, I. (2002) Heidegger on ontological education, or How we become what we are. In Peters, M. (Ed.), Heidegger, Education and Modernity (pp. 123-148). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. [Google Scholar]
Thurman, R. (2006) Meditation and education: India, Tibet and Modern America. Teachers College Record. 108(9), 1765-1774. [Google Scholar]
Wheelahan, L. (2007) What Kind of Curriculum, Pedagogy & Qualifications do We Need for an Uncertain Future? In Osborne, M., Houston, M., &, Nuala, T. (Eds.)The Pedagogy of Lifelong Learning: Understanding Effective Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contexts. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar]

Volume 8 Issue 2

June 2012

All Articles