Academic Othering and the problem of I-centred philosophy of teaching

Abstract In this article, I explore the problem of homogenity—or what I refer to as Academic Othering—in education. This problem is rooted in the oppressive nature of I-centred teaching, where the Other (the student) is seen as secondary and subordinate to, as well as dependent on, the I (teacher). In this discussion, I expose the unbalanced power relations assumed in an I-centred classroom and highlight the need for alterity in education, leading me to argue for an Other-oriented approach to teaching and learning. This article discusses how Derridean deconstruction helps us confront the problem of Academic Othering and how ‘friendship informed by Différance’ may, following Sinha, provide solutions to the limitations of a teacher-centred paradigm of education. Discourse on alterity and the Other, as well as the role that the Derridean concepts of hospitality, justice, and friendship play in eliminating the traces of violence as the root cause of Academic Othering, are necessary in answering these problems. Towards the end of the article, I situate Academic Othering in the context of what Biesta calls the ‘learnification of education’, which Todd also refers to as instrumentalism in education. A reflexive account of my teaching experience frames my arguments.