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The transformative possibilities of restorative approaches to education

Abstract:

This chapter presents a model of teaching and learning conceptualized as the StudyCircle Model of Restorative Communication (SCM). The model was generated by a pilot program which was first implemented in the Italian higher education system and then subsequently in Ecuador and the UK. The aim of the model is to foster cooperation and support the development of students' life skills. The model adopts a holistic methodology that integrates peer mentoring, restorative practices and proposes that educators adopt a teacher- as- learning facilitator and coach stance. This entails the recognition and respect of students' cultural identities, lived-expereinces and the personal resources they pocess in order to promote relationship building. The authors describe the paradigm in practice, discuss student outcomes such as active learning, conflict transformation and community building, and suggest promising practices that can be implemented in various educational contexts.