A commentary on the chronotopes of different ‘cultures of learning’: Transforming classrooms from trading-places into relational-places of learning

The device of the ‘telling case’ has been used by the authors in this special issue of IJER to convey insights regarding specific cultures of learning—how they were interactively and iteratively designed, implemented and maintained over time in ordinary everyday contexts. I draw upon Bakhtinʹs notion of chronotope to explore how the authors were able to construct these ‘telling cases’. Chronotope is a concept particularly relevant to this special issue on ‘cultures of learning’, because like ‘culture’ itself, it foregrounds consideration of the taken-for-granted times and spaces through which particular types of classroom pedagogies and identities are made possible. I contrast two chronotopes that inform current thinking about the reform of learning—one foregrounds learning as an individualistic and acquisitive journey, while the other foregrounds learning as a relational journey of entering into new social identities and relationships with peers and teachers. It is the latter chronotope that has informed the articles in this issue. The authors describe the learning journey as a process of establishing social bonds with peers and teachers, accepting certain common practices as personal routines and habits of living, and adopting and adapting available identities within the community. These articles challenge policy-makers to consider worthwhile learning as a relational journey of community-building not simply the production of competent individuals for future markets. The articles also speak to teachers and practitioners in very direct ways through their detailed descriptions of how certain routines and practices were established.