Care and compassion in large-group teaching: uncovering teachers’ experiences

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi35.1346

Keywords:

lectures, large-class teaching, learning spaces, compassionate pedagogies

Abstract

Large-group teaching has long been a mainstay of university education, often through lectures. In the UK, neoliberalism in higher education has pushed universities to increase cohort sizes as a way to meet higher education demands and ensure economic sustainability. Consequently, the proportion of staff undertaking large-group teaching has increased to ensure students receive adequate contact hours for direct learning from teaching staff on a larger scale. Our project explores the nature of this contact: what type of teaching experience does it provide? For staff dedicated to pedagogies of care, how do high student-to-staff ratios affect their ability to connect with students? Using professional
conversations (Leonard, 2012; Jarrett, 2021) as a participatory research method, we capture the experiences of participant-teachers who lead large group lectures. These professional conversations elucidate the intricate ecology of lecture spaces, encompassing the human, spatial (physical and technological) and structural or policy factors that influence the teaching experience. This approach enables us to examine how these forces shape the large-group teaching experience, uncover the complexities of teaching large classes and contribute to the broader discourse on a pedagogy of kindness (Denial, 2019; Bali, 2021). We aim to challenge the notion that care, compassion and kindness flow only from teachers to students and are solely a human-driven process. Our findings suggest pathways to mutual compassion and care in large-scale pedagogy, involving both human and nonhuman elements.

Author Biographies

Emma Kennedy, University of Greenwich

Emma Kennedy is an Associate Professor in HE Learning and Teaching in the Academic and Learning Enhancement Team at the University of Greenwich. She has worked in Educational Development since 2015. Her research interests include staff engagement and wellbeing, inclusivity and multimodal learning in higher education. She is a co-editor of the SEDA blog and member of SEDA’s Educational Developments committee.

Suzan Koseoglu, University of Greenwich

Suzan Koseoglu is Senior Lecturer in HE Learning and Teaching in the Academic and Learning Enhancement Team at the University of Greenwich. Her research and writing focuses on feminist pedagogy, critical pedagogy and open education. Her works include ‘Critical digital pedagogy in higher education’ (published by Athabasca University Press), ‘30 Years of gender inequality and implications on curriculum design in open and distance learning’ (published by JIME) and ‘Access as pedagogy: a case for embracing feminist pedagogy in open and distance learning’ (published by AJDE).

Shreyashi Chakraborty, University of Greenwich

Shreyashi Chakraborty is Senior Lecturer in Human Resources and Organisational Behaviour in the Department of Management and Marketing at the University of Greenwich’s Business School. Her research interests include gender diversity management policies and practices, especially in the Indian software industry. She is actively engaged in consulting with firms on developing training and development modules and devising solutions and initiatives for better workplaces.

Punitha Puttuswamy, University of Greenwich

Punitha Puttuswamy is Lecturer in Computer Science in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Greenwich. Her research interests and technical expertise include computer vision, artificial intelligence and machine learning. She has over two decades of experience in academia and industry.

References

Ake-Little, E., Von der Embse, N. and Dawson, D. (2020) ‘Does class size matter in the university setting?’, Educational Researcher, 49(8), pp.595–605. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X20933836

Arvanitakis, J. (2014) ‘Massification and the large lecture theatre: from panic to excitement’, Higher Education, 67(6), pp.735–745. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9676-y

Atkinson, S.P. (2011) ‘Embodied and embedded theory in practice: the student-owned learning-engagement (SOLE) model’, The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 12(2), pp.1–18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v12i2.929

Bali, M. (2015) ‘Pedagogy of care - gone massive’, Hybrid Pedagogy, 20 April. Available at: https://hybridpedagogy.org/pedagogy-of-care-gone-massive/ (Accessed: 28 June 2024).

Bali, M. (2021) ‘Pedagogy of care - caring for teachers’, Reflecting Allowed, 10 April. Available at: https://blog.mahabali.me/pedagogy/critical-pedagogy/pedagogy-of-care-caring-for-teachers/ (Accessed: 28 June 2024).

Blatchford, P. and Russell, A. (2020) Rethinking class size: the complex story of impact on teaching and learning. London: UCL Press.

Brewster, L., Jones, E., Priestley, M., Wilbraham, S.J., Spanner, L. and Hughes, G. (2022) ‘“Look after the staff and they would look after the students”: cultures of wellbeing and mental health in the university setting’, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(4), pp.548–560. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1986473

Brookfield, S. (2009) ‘The concept of critical reflection: promises and contradictions’, European Journal of Social Work, 12(3), pp.293–304. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13691450902945215

Cuseo, J. (2007) ‘The empirical case against large class size: adverse effects on the teaching, learning, and retention of first-year students’, The Journal of Faculty Development, 21(1), pp.5–21. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228378064_The_empirical_case_against_large_class_size_Adverse_effects_on_the_teaching_learning_and_retention_of_first-year_students (Accessed: 13 March 2025).

Denial, C. (2019) ‘A pedagogy of kindness’, Hybrid Pedagogy, 15 August. Available at: https://hybridpedagogy.org/pedagogy-of-kindness/ (Accessed: 28 June 2024).

Donovan, P. and Hood, A. (2021) ‘Experiential learning in the large classroom using performative pedagogy’, Journal of Management Education, 45(3), pp.344–359. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920965625

Evans, C., Rees, G., Taylor, C. and Fox, S. (2021) ‘A liberal higher education for all? The massification of higher education and its implications for graduates’ participation in civil society’, Higher Education, 81(3), pp.521–535. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00554-x

Feldman, A. (1999) ‘The role of conversation in collaborative action research’, Educational action research, 7(1), pp.125-147. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09650799900200076

Gergen, K. (2002) ‘The challenge of absent presence’, in J.E. Katz and M A. Aakhus (eds.) Perpetual contact: mobile communication, private talk, public performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 227–241. Available at: https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-psychology/569

Harrison, D.A. and Klein, K.J. (2007) ‘What’s the difference? Diversity constructs as separation, variety, or disparity in organizations’, Academy of Management Review, 32(4), pp.1199–1228. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2007.26586096

hooks, b. (2003) Teaching community: a pedagogy of hope. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Howard, C.D. and Das, A. (2019) ‘Designing competitive discussions for equity and inclusion’, International Journal of Designs for Learning, 10(1), pp.1–13. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14434/ijdl.v10i1.24670

Jarrett, K., Cooke, B., Harvey, S. and López-Ros, V. (2021) ‘Using professional conversations as a participatory research method within the discipline of sport pedagogy-related teacher and coach education’, Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 2(1), pp. 1-9. Available at: https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.18249

Jones, C. (2019) ‘Capital, neoliberalism and educational technology’, Postdigital Science and Education, 1(2), pp.288–292. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-019-00042-1

Kinman, G. (2019) ‘Effort-reward imbalance in academic employees: examining different reward systems’, International Journal of Stress Management, 26(2), pp.184–192. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000128

Korczynski, M. and Ott, U. (2004) ‘When production and consumption meet: cultural contradictions and the enchanting myth of customer sovereignty’, Journal of Management Studies, 41(4), pp.575–599. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00445.x

Laiho, A., Jauhiainen, A. and Jauhiainen, A. (2022) ‘Being a teacher in a managerial university: academic teacher identity’, Teaching in Higher Education, 27(2), pp.249–266. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1716711

Laundon, M. and Grant-Smith, D. (2023) ‘Defining and advancing a systems approach to achieving educator wellbeing: an integrative review of wellbeing in higher education’, Student Success, 14(3), pp.104–119. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.3191

Leonard, S. (2012) ‘Professional conversations: mentor teachers’ theories-in-use using the Australian National Professional Standards for Teachers’, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(12), pp.45-62. Available at: https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2012v37n12.7

Mahabeer, P. and Pirtheepal, T. (2019) ‘Assessment, plagiarism and its effect on academic integrity: experiences of academics at a university in South Africa’, South African Journal of Science, 115(11–12), pp.1–8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2019/6323

Marginson, S. (2016) ‘Martin Trow: higher education and its growth’, in S. Marginson The dream is over: the crisis of Clark Kerr’s California idea of higher education. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, pp. 28–35. Available at: https://www.luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.17/read/?loc=016.xhtml (Accessed: 13 March 2025).

Maringe, F. and Sing, N. (2014) ‘Teaching large classes in an increasingly internationalising higher education environment: pedagogical, quality and equity issues’, Higher Education, 67(6), pp.761–782. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9710-0

Mo, D.Y. Tang,Y.M., Wu, E.Y. and Tang, V. (2022) ‘Theoretical model of investigating determinants for a successful Electronic Assessment System (EAS) in higher education’, Education and Information Technologies, 27(9), pp.12543–12566. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11098-1

Morrish, L. (2019) Pressure vessels: the epidemic of poor mental health among higher education staff. Higher Education Policy Institute, Occasional paper 20. Available at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2019/05/23/pressure-vessels-the-epidemic-of-poor-mental-health-among-higher-education-staff/ (Accessed: 28 June 2024).

Msiza, V., Ndhlovu, B. and Raseroka, N. (2020) ‘“Sausage factory, in and out”: lecturers’ experiences of assessing in an era of massification in a teacher education institution’, Educational Research for Social Change, 9(spe), pp.40–57. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17159/2221-4070/2020/v7i0a3

Mula-Falcón, J., Caballero, K. and Domingo Segovia, J. (2021) ‘Exploring academics’ identities in today’s universities: a systematic review’, Quality Assurance in Education, 30(1), pp.118–134. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-09-2021-0152

Nixon, E. and Scullion, R. (2022) ‘Academic labour as professional service work? A psychosocial analysis of emotion in lecturer–student relations under marketization’, Human Relations, 75(9), pp.1798–1823. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211022270

Noddings, N. (1984) Caring: a feminine approach to ethics and moral education. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Noddings, N. (2005) ‘Caring in education’, The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education. Available at: https://infed.org/mobi/caring-in-education/ (Accessed: 4 July 2024).

Quinn, J. and Burtis, M. (2022) ‘Introduction’, in J. Quinn, M. Burtis, S. Jhangiani and C.J. Denial (eds) Designing for Care. Hybrid Pedagogy Inc. Available at: https://pressbooks.pub/designingforcare/front-matter/introduction/ (Accessed: 28 June 2024).

Shams, F. (2019) ‘Managing academic identity tensions in a Canadian public university: the role of identity work in coping with managerialism’, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 41(6), pp.619–632. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2019.1643960

Trow, M. (1973) Problems in the transition from elite to mass higher education. Berkeley, California: Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED091983.pdf (Accessed: 29 June 2024).

Veletsianos, G., Johnson, N. and Houlden, S. (2024) ‘How do Canadian faculty members imagine future teaching and learning modalities?’, Educational technology research and development [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-024-10350-4

Wang, Y. (2023) ‘“It is the easiest thing to do”: university students’ perspectives on the role of lecture recording in promoting inclusive education in the UK’, Teaching in Higher Education, 29(8), pp. 1974–1991. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2022.2162814

Wang, L. and Calvano, L. (2022) ‘Class size, student behaviors and educational outcomes’, Organization Management Journal, 19(4), pp.126–142. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/OMJ-01-2021-1139

Watermeyer, R., Phipps, L., Lanclos, D. and Knight, C. (2024) ‘Generative AI and the Automating of Academia’, Postdigital Science and Education, 6(2), pp.446–466. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-023-00440-6

Downloads

Published

27-03-2025

How to Cite

Kennedy, E., Koseoglu, S., Chakraborty, S., & Puttuswamy, P. (2025). Care and compassion in large-group teaching: uncovering teachers’ experiences. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (35). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi35.1346

Issue

No. 35 (2025): Special Edition, Liberating Learning

Section

Caring and compassionate pedagogies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).