Examples Of Transference In Education

Transference is a concept in psychoanalysis, and in order to understand its applicability in theorizing pedagogy and the relationship between a reader and text, it is first important to understand how it applies in the context of therapy. It is essential to distinguish the aspects of the teacher’s relationship to the student which are adapted to reality and those that are not. The student’s reactions that result from them perceiving the teacher in a distorted way fall under the aspects that are not adapted to reality. Most analysts argue that the term transference should be used when referring to the irrational and unrealistic reactions that students have toward their teachers. The common assumption that underlies this assumption is that the

Based on the ideas of Lacan, Freud and others, certain approaches can be implemented in making use of transference within the classroom. As mentioned before, one of them is the indirect use of transference by the teacher. Teachers should always remain mindful of issues related to transference and use them to inform the best practices for instruction rather than employ them actively in teaching (Wolitzky and Reuben 26). This is known as silent interpretation. Lacan (97), in his dialectical reversals, explains that hoe Freud thought about the case influenced how Dora perceived her place n relationships. Hence, how the teacher thinks about a particular case influences how the child perceives their relationships. Here is an example of silent interpretation; a grade school teacher may note that one of the children in their class has been particularly vigilant in seeking approval from the teacher. The child not only participates in activities within the classroom, but also in others organizational tasks such as planning recess activities. The teacher has also noticed that the child inadvertently calls her ‘mum’. In situations where the class is engaged in different activities, it is easy for teachers to accept help offers from these children. A teacher who is psychologically minded may recognize the transference that is occurring and they may politely refuse this help and assign the child other activities with other children. The teacher may have to repeat this action a number of times in other situation before the child becomes independent and self-reliant in their learning. The teacher in this case engaged in silent interpretation that allowed them to move beyond the expected reactions to helping the child. Transference is present in life, including in educational settings. It can be used to understand the pedagogic