With particular regard to the need for inclusive learning, in their Student Wellbeing and Learning policy, the Victorian Curriculum calls for schools to provide classroom environments that 'incorporate equitable opportunities for all students' (Department of Education and Training, 2018). 

To consider this state curriculum requirement with researched academic input, it is discernible that an effective way for this policy to be translated into practice is by implementing a school-wide focus on positive relationships within the classroom (Mikami et. al., 2017). In doing so, this will allow students to find a mutually respected place among their peers and teachers, therefore fostering an inclusive learning environment (Mikami et al., 2017) in which all students will be 'better equipped to achieve success' (Lourens, McKinney & Swartz, 2016, p.126).

UNESCO pins inclusive education as the means for 'combating discriminatory attitudes and achieving education for all' (UNESCO, 1994). This is consistent with research that suggests in order to find this 'inclusive education', from the broader curriculum down to school policy and classroom practice, we must consider the wellbeing of the teachers and families that comprise the interpersonal world of the learner, and focus on the relationships between all members participating in the education of a child (Rodriguez-Mantilla & Fernandez-Diaz, 2017). This is particularly pressing when considered in the context of the 21st-century classroom, where power is increasingly borrowed from the authority of the teacher and delegated to technological, political and legislative presences in the curriculum (Rodriguez-Mantilla et. al., 2017). 

To further contextualise the impacted field of this teaching resource, Australian classrooms have an immense and increasing range of religious, racial and ethnic minorities (Keddie, 2012. p.264), who, along the Australian Education power hierarchy, remain underrepresented in positions of social, cultural and economic influence (Keddie, 2012). To draw on the language of Nancy Fraser, it seems the Australian Government’s previously employed ‘redistributive’, or physical resource based, solution to inclusive education has provided an element of material equity among young Australians, however the impact of which is very limited without accompanying recognitive and representative changes (Fraser, cited by Keddie, 2012). Not only this, it is arguable that a western-politicised redistributive avenue for inclusion has the ability to sort individuals into white-washed buckets according to their apparent social and cultural ‘groupings’, meanwhile reaffirming the power of the distributors (Keddie, 2012. p.270).

This is where positive classroom relationships find their impact; the authors of this resource put forward that in order for an inclusive pedagogical practice that does not intend to homogenise the ‘cultural capital’ (Bourdieu, cited by McCandless, 2015) of diverse young Australians, or reify social and cultural minorities (Keddie, 2012), we must move our focus to the micro relational space between teacher and student as well as student peers. A network of relationships, strengthened by safe, respectful dialogic exchange alongside curriculum interventions, could begin in the classroom and ripple outward to find a broader recognitive and representational impact, in turn allowing equal opportunity for all Australian learners (Fraser, cited by Keddie, 2012). 

The idea of developing students’ personal and social capabilities via social and emotional learning, and the importance of building respectful relationships, will now be discussed. These are supported by key Australian policies and standards outlined below:

 

In Victoria, the Department of Education and Training (2018a) obligates teachers and schools to provide an environment and an integrated curriculum approach which supports all students to ‘develop knowledge, understanding and skills to manage their own health and wellbeing and to support that of others’. 

In committing to promote positive mental health, the Victorian Government provides a range of advice and resources for teachers to support the teaching of the Personal and Social Capabilities by implementing effective social and emotional learning(SEL) and Respectful Relationships across schools and early childhood services. 

 

The Personal and Social Capability curriculum recognises that it is part of the core business of schools to explicitly foster SEL, which is the foundation of positive relationships (including positive teacher-student relationships and gender relationships) and a key component of social cohesion through a whole school approach at organisational, pedagogical and relational levels (Department of Education and Training Victoria [DETV], 2018b). 

The Social Awareness and Management strand of the curriculum enables students to initiate and manage positive, safe and respectful relationships while gaining understanding and skills to ‘develop empathy for and understanding of others, and recognise the importance of supporting diversity for a cohesive community’ (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2017). These programs require explicit teaching and assessment to provide opportunities for students to practice interpersonal skills necessary to work collaboratively with others, such as communication, negotiation and conflict resolution. 

Research further underlines the importance of positive relationships as they are significantly associated with increased connectedness to school, which is considered the single most important protective factor for young people (Resnick, 1997). In addition, students who feel cared for and connected to learning are more likely to show increased cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagement as well as positive health outcomes; this is pertinent as young Australians face a range of stressors and are exposed to a higher likelihood of mental health issues (DETV, 2018b). 

SEL and Respectful Relationships programs provide opportunities for students to develop strategies for relationships where there is an imbalance in power such as disproportionate discrimination, bullying, harassment, and violence based on race, gender and sexuality, with negative implications for health and wellbeing (DETV, 2018b). In this context, explicit classroom programs and initiatives may assist young people to critically examine the inequality and barriers that may prevent marginalised students being all they can be. In terms of pursuing equity for relatively disadvantaged minorities, these practices support and align with the notion of cultural, political and socioeconomic justices addressed in Fraser’s framework, focusing on ‘social arrangements that permit all to participate as peers in social life’ (Fraser, 2007, p.17). Schools implementing successful violence prevention and respectful relationships initiatives provide an inclusive learning environment where all marginalised groups  have equal voice in democratic decision making and where ‘a problematising of the relations of racialised, classed and gendered privilege and authority within schools’ are challenged (Keddie, 2011, p.23). Towards greater equity for these students, the SEL programs also support students to develop empathy for and understanding of others in their communities, and recognise the importance of cultural responsiveness or cultural recognition which is central to creating a culturally inclusive environment (Keddie, 2011). 

In goal 2, the Melbourne Declaration articulates that the school sectors should support all young Australians to become confident and creative individuals and underpins the importance of ESL, which enables students to manage their mental and physical wellbeing, ‘relate well to others and form and maintain healthy relationships’ and be ‘well prepared for their potential life roles as family, community and workforce members’ (Barr et al., 2008, p.10) . 

 

Barr, A., Gillard, J., Firth, V., Scrymgour, M., Welford, R., Lomax-Smith, J., ... & Constable, E. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Melbourne, Australia: Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs.

Beaty-O’Ferrall, M. E., Green, A., & Hanna, F. (2010). Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships. Middle School Journal, 4(4). Retrieved from: https://ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/loginzurl=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.23044778&site=eds-live&scope=site

 

Cazden, C. B. (2012). A framework for social justice in education. International Journal of Educational Psychology, 1(3), 178–198. Retrieved from: http://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/ijep/article/view/432

Department of Education and Training, Victoria. (2016). Respectful Relationships - Vox Pops [video]. Australia: Department of Education. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Pt5dA-mo1kk

Department of Education and Training, Victoria. (2016). Respectful Relationships, Vox Pop. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt5dA-mo1kk

Department of Education and Training, Victoria. (2016b). Respectful Relationships, A Resource Kit For Victorian Schools Retrieved from: fusecontent.education.vic.gov.au/cfee82ef-67f8-488c-a167-52759afda882/respectfulrelationshipsresourceakitforvictorianschools.pdf

Department of Education and Training Victoria. (2018a). Student Welling and Learning. Retrieved from: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/curriculum/Pages/wellbeing.aspx

Department of Education and Training Victoria. (2018b). Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships [Data file]. Retrieved from: http://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/ResourcePackage/ByPin?pin=2JZX4R

Department of Education and Training, Victoria. (2018c) Fuse, 3:1 Positive connections lesson plan: 2. Retrieved from: https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/Resource/LandingPage?ObjectId=dfba7663-0a1e-49b8-9397-e73b91dc148b&SearchScope=Secondary

Department of Education and Training, Victoria. (2018d) Fuse, Smiling Mind; Meditation Resources. Retrieved from: https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/ResourcePackage/LandingPage?ObjectId=3291a9a2-0903-461f-bde2-ad4c473025a6&SearchScope=Secondary

 

Fraser, N. (1995). From Redistribution to Recognition? Dilemmas of Justice in a Post-Socialist Age. New Left Review, 1(212), 68-93.

Fraser, N. (2007). Identity, exclusion and critique: A response to four critics. European Journal of Political Theory, 6(3), 305-338.

Grenfell, M. J. (Ed.). (2014). Pierre Bourdieu: key concepts. Retrieved from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Kariippanon, K. E., Cliff, D. P., Lancaster, S. L., Okely, A. D., & Parrish, A.-M. (2018). Perceived interplay between flexible learning spaces and teaching, learning and student wellbeing. Learning Environments Research, 21(3), 301–320.

 

Keddie, A. (2011). Educating for diversity and social justice. Retrieved from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Keddie, A. (2012a). Schooling and social justice through the lenses of Nancy Fraser. Critical Studies in Education, 53(3), 263–279. 

 

Keddie, A. (2012b). Chapter 2: Removing Barriers in Students’ Lives: An International Perspective on Issues of Justice and Cultural Diversity. In Educating for Diversity and Social Justice (pp. 13–37). New York, United States of America: Taylor and Francis. Retrieved from: http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/unimelb/reader.action?ppg=21&docID=958249&tm=1499744700607

Killen, R. (2013). Effective Teaching Strategies: Lessons from Research and Practice (6^th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia.

McCandless, T. (2015). Classing schools. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 36(6), 808–820. Retrieved from:
https://doi-org.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/10.1080/01596306.2014.970129   

McKnight, K., Graybeal, J., Lacey, G., Yarbro, J.(2018). What Makes an Effective Teacher. Retrieved from: http://www.pearson.com.au/media/1356978/rinvn9283_summaryaustralia_092016.pdf

Meador, D. (2018). Thought Co, Strategies for Teachers to Develop Positive Relationships With Students. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/develop-positive-relationships-with-students-3194339

Mikami, A. Y., Ruzek, E. A., Hafen, C. A., Gregory, A., & Allen, J. P. (2017). Perceptions of Relatedness with Classroom Peers Promote Adolescents’ Behavioral Engagement and Achievement in Secondary School. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(11), 2341-2354. Retrieved from:
https://doi-org.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/10.1007/s10964-017-0724-2

Office of the eSafety Commissioner. (2018). The Lost Summer. Retrieved from:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources/lost-summer

Office of the eSafety Commissioner. (2018b). Young & eSafe. Retrieved from: https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/classroom-resources/young-and-esafe

Pierson, R. (2013). Ted Talk, Every Kid Needs A Champion. Retrieved from: https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion?language=en

Resnick, M. (1997). Close ties to parents, school improve adolescents’ lives. Minnesota Medicine, 80(12), 24-26.

Rodriguez-Mantilla, J. M., & Fernandez-Diaz, M. J. (2017). The effect of interpersonal relationships on burnout syndrome in Secondary Education teachers. Psicothema, 29(3), 370-377. Retrieved from:
https://doi-org.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/10.7334/psicothema2016.309

Student Wellbeing Hub. (2018). Building Positive Relationships. Retrieved from: https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/topics/building-positive-relationships#/

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2017). Personal and Social Capability. Retrieved from: http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/personal-and-social-capability/introduction/rationale-and-aims

Victorian Institute of Teaching (2018). The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct. Retrieved from: https://www.vit.vic.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/35604/Code-of-Conduct-2016.pdf

Wolk, S. (2003). Hearts and minds: Classroom relationships and learning interact. Educational Leadership, 61(1). Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept03/vol61/num01/Hearts-and-Minds.aspx

White, M. & Kern, P. (2017). Wellbeing: if you treasure it you will measure it. Independence 42(2), 50-54. Retrieved from:
https://search-informit-com-au.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/fullText;res=AEIPT;dn=218117

 

Student wellbeing at school has presented as an increasingly in vogue concept for 21^st century educators. Policy administrators, academics and teachers are increasingly demonstrating awareness of wellbeing and its influence on student classroom engagement and learning outcomes (Hattie, 2012). In particular, teachers are ascribed with a multitude of responsibilities for their students that extend well beyond the provision of discipline-specific knowledge, such as the modeling of social and emotional skills themselves, as well as the facilitation of an environment where students can safely explore appropriate social and emotional behaviours (Arends, 2015; Killen, 2013). Thus, it is of crucial importance that teachers are aware of the need for students to feel safe, engaged and positive – the state of being well – within their classroom, and utilize strategies and behaviours to reflect this. For instance, our suggested strategies will describe ways in which teachers may better present an environment for students with diverse social and cultural experiences to better engage with their peers as well as the taught classroom content. In this respect, teachers seek to facilitate greater access to cultural capital that individual students may then more readily bring to their classroom interactions. This perception of accessibility of ideas and physical and ideological safety may inadvertently encourage greater interaction, and thus the enhancement of student social capital as well, consistent with Bourdieu’s construction of such (cited in Grenfell, 2014).

 

Further, the capacity for positive relationships within the classroom (and thus, supporting student wellbeing) may be augmented by the built space in which such interactions occur. For instance, research has identified the impact of spaces where heightened student comfort – due to factors such as natural light, temperature regulation and flexibility of classroom layout - led to improvements in students’ ‘sense of emotional wellbeing’ and ‘attitudes toward learning’ (Kariippanon, Cliff, Lancaster, Okely, & Parrish, 2018, p.311). From this we may infer that by providing a space to learn in which students feel comfortable, they may be more willing to engage in collaborative, student-led activities and thus form more meaningful social interactions with both peers and the teacher. This relationship building is foundational to our discussion of wellbeing. Similarly, this is pertinent to our identified teaching resources (columns 4, 5 and 6), which focus on espousing positive student connections and shifting away from the paradigm of didactic teacher-led instruction of previous generations.