The teaching relationship in a changing world. Outlines for a theory of the reframing setting

The teaching-learning process is grounded on cultural assumptions concerning the sense of the teaching relationship: who are the people engaged in the shared scholastic activity, what and why they are doing what they are doing. Generally, these assumptions are taken for granted and acted out, rather than being negotiated between student and teacher. Starting from the analysis of a transcript of communicative interaction in class, we discuss conditions and constraints concerning the educational model that we call “taken for granted setting”. Moreover, we highlight the fact that due to the profound cultural change in the student population, the teaching-learning relationship can no longer take these relational assumptions for granted. Consequently, we propose to consider teaching as being aimed at constructing, developing and governing the relational conditions required for the teaching to take place. We call such a methodological approach: reframing setting.