StudyCircles: Promoting a Restorative Student Community

• In Event: 72.026 - "Funds of Knowledge": Community and Family as Educators

Abstract

This paper presents a model of teaching and learning conceptualized as the StudyCircle Model of Restorative Communication. It was co-developed among second year psychology students at the University of Sassari (Italy) in 2014-2015 with the purpose of facilitating active learning, promoting a culture of peace and well-being/life skills among students and faculty, and creating robust mechanisms for integrating marginalized students to the university community; thus preventing school detachment among vulnerable student populations. Drawing on Peace Circles as a holistic methodology for promoting a restorative student community, this article presents the constructivist theoretical framework underpinning the StudyCircles Model, describes the model in practice and discusses student outcomes which include active learning, conflict transformation and community building.

Authors

• Anna Bussu, University of Edge Hill

• Carolyn Boyes-Watson, Suffolk University

• Carmen Narvaez Veloria, Suffolk University