Breakdowns and breakthroughs. Handling challenging moments in university teaching

Abstract

Research on Higher Education (HE) documents a plethora of applicable teaching practices and improvements focused on better instructional planning. Yet, what happens when carefully crafted plans must be abandoned due to something unforeseen? This study documents teaching situations when things do not work as expected, where moments of breakdown alter a planned pedagogical course of action. Analysing these moments and their aftermath directs attention to empirical events rendering visible some overlooked, but revealing aspects of HE teaching. We conducted a qualitative study into the characteristics of breakdowns and how teachers handle such situations. University teachers from different disciplinary backgrounds and academic positions were interviewed about teaching experiences they found challenging. From our nine semi-structured interviews, three were selected for this paper. Inspired by methodology from Science and Technology Studies (STS), breakdowns are theorised as analytically generative moments for understanding ways in which technology, subject knowledge, and teacher-student relations, are intertwined. We offer terminology for discussing breakdowns and how elements of teaching practice can transmute and recombine into novel forms of practice. The study provides evidence relating to how breakdowns manifested in multiple ways, and despite abruptness and threats of disjointedness, gave rise to improved interaction, methodological development, and long-term learning. Three key phases are identified: breakdown, remobilisation and re-stabilisation. Further, rendered visible are ways in which teaching relies on material complexities and interdependencies. Breakdowns were sources of trouble, tension, and discouragement, but also facilitated instructional creativity opening space for unanticipated and inventive approaches to teaching (breakthroughs).