2 Partnership as a pedagogy

Many current pedagogies used in schools and in Higher Education settings are inherently individualistic, but the evidence review by the Educational Endowment Foundation (EEF) in 2021 showed there are clear benefits in using collaborative pedagogies, including partnership ways of working, in terms of improved learning. Such a view is antagonistic to the current neoliberal society but is considered a necessity by UNESCO if society is to move towards living sustainably. Neoliberalism (Venugopal, 2015) refers to the current political, economic and social arrangements within society that emphasise market relations, re-tasking the role of the state and individualism.

Partnership as a pedagogy is an important focus in learning and education as it allows individuals to learn about ways of working which will benefit them and progress their learning. Partnership echoes Littleton and Mercer’s (2013) book on ‘interthinking’ as a way to enhance learning, in that each partnership must move towards meeting agreed goals together, including listening to and respecting the views of each member of the partnership. Importantly in partnership, as in interthinking, the shared responsibilities, risks, and benefits are set out at the beginning of the cooperative task. Working in partnership whilst in formal education will build the learners’ skills and understanding that learning and knowledge can be used for the betterment of not just themselves, but of society and the world.

Partnership pedagogies in formal education are vital because: