SEKONDÊRE SKOOLLEERDERS SE BELEWENIS VAN ...

During the investigation it became clear that the teacher can and must enter into a
respectful dialogue with learners. During this respectful dialogue the helping
relationship between teachers and learners is formed and maintained. This kind of
interaction, built on the respectful, creative, altruistic dialogue between learners and
teachers depends to a large extent upon the unconditional positive regard or, respect
for the learner as a developing person, by the teacher. The teacher basically
communicates to the learner that he or she is respected for who they are, before they
are guided to who they can be. This kind of respectful dialogical communication also
opens the way for learners to restructure some of their points of view and beliefs
under empathetic guidance of the teacher. In this way frustration and aggression
during communication between teachers and learners can be minimised. Teachers
can also restructure some of their frames of reference and become teachers that learn
from their learners about their learners by active and empathetic listening.
The respectful dialogue between teachers and learners can thus be described as:
creative, unconditional and altruistic in nature and offers resistance against the
increase in aggression associated with the egocentrically motivated parallel
monologue. In closing I can recommend that teachers should be made aware of and
should also develop skills, knowledge and attitudes that recognise the importance of
their interpersonal communication with learners. An awareness of how teachers
communicate with learners will take greater empathy from teachers with learners but,
in the long run it will also create more empathy for learners with teachers. The
importance of how teachers say what they say is described in this research. Teachers
should not allow themselves to be, egocentrically trapped, by their own perspective
and role as sender during communication with learners. They must be able to
transcend their own understanding and come to a new and bigger understanding
between them and their learners. This bigger perspective is created by respectful
dialogical communication and also facilitates a helping relationship that offers
resistance to increases in aggression. In this relationship learner feels unconditionally
accepted for who they are and it opens the way to self-respect and self-actualisation
for the learner.
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