Page 160 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 160
coordinating the responses of different practices (e.g. the teacher
downplays the demands made in the curriculum so as to accommo-
date the social worker’s support). Three key components of relational
expertise have been identified: relational expertise, relational agen-
cy and common knowledge. All hold the potential to promote co-
operation among multi-professional team members and be used as
tools to prevent ESL. Moreover, relational expertise can be learnt as
part of addressing the challenges of multi-agency professional learn-
ing (e.g. developing new processes for sharing knowledge and new
pathways for practice) and parallel to encouraging the various pro-
fessionals to change their working practices (e.g. such as developing
better material and tools, and being more responsive to other profes-
sionals and clients).
Key words: multi-professional collaboration, multi-professional
teams, relational expertise, relational agency, early school leaving
Introduction
Multi-professional teams operating at the school or community level are
seen as an essential tool in the struggle against ESL. Such partnership
practices are already well established in some European countries, while
in others they are still being developed (European Commission/EACEA/
Eurydice/Cedefop, 2014). Many different ideas have emerged on how to en-
hance the way they work with each other and which factors or competen-
cies are required to achieve that. As the European Commission noted (2013,
p. 15), one important element of such inter-professional cooperation is the
need for members to possess “relational expertise, which enables profes-
sionals to recognise and work with the expertise of others”.
Those who participate in teams are individuals with a wide range of
professional backgrounds, entailing differences in knowledge, mindsets
(concerning ESL, but also more generally), vocabulary, main concepts,
perspectives etc. The challenge is how to ensure efficient communication
among them that is supportive of the individual – communication not in
terms of structure (when, how often, where), but content (what). This is what
Edwards (2010) refers to as the “relational turn in expertise”, defining rela-
tional agency as the capacity to work with others to resolve complex prob-
lems. The core of this relational expertise is acknowledging and respond-
ing to other professionals’ standpoints, while also utilising the knowledge
that underpins one’s own practice. Although the term “relational agency”
160
downplays the demands made in the curriculum so as to accommo-
date the social worker’s support). Three key components of relational
expertise have been identified: relational expertise, relational agen-
cy and common knowledge. All hold the potential to promote co-
operation among multi-professional team members and be used as
tools to prevent ESL. Moreover, relational expertise can be learnt as
part of addressing the challenges of multi-agency professional learn-
ing (e.g. developing new processes for sharing knowledge and new
pathways for practice) and parallel to encouraging the various pro-
fessionals to change their working practices (e.g. such as developing
better material and tools, and being more responsive to other profes-
sionals and clients).
Key words: multi-professional collaboration, multi-professional
teams, relational expertise, relational agency, early school leaving
Introduction
Multi-professional teams operating at the school or community level are
seen as an essential tool in the struggle against ESL. Such partnership
practices are already well established in some European countries, while
in others they are still being developed (European Commission/EACEA/
Eurydice/Cedefop, 2014). Many different ideas have emerged on how to en-
hance the way they work with each other and which factors or competen-
cies are required to achieve that. As the European Commission noted (2013,
p. 15), one important element of such inter-professional cooperation is the
need for members to possess “relational expertise, which enables profes-
sionals to recognise and work with the expertise of others”.
Those who participate in teams are individuals with a wide range of
professional backgrounds, entailing differences in knowledge, mindsets
(concerning ESL, but also more generally), vocabulary, main concepts,
perspectives etc. The challenge is how to ensure efficient communication
among them that is supportive of the individual – communication not in
terms of structure (when, how often, where), but content (what). This is what
Edwards (2010) refers to as the “relational turn in expertise”, defining rela-
tional agency as the capacity to work with others to resolve complex prob-
lems. The core of this relational expertise is acknowledging and respond-
ing to other professionals’ standpoints, while also utilising the knowledge
that underpins one’s own practice. Although the term “relational agency”
160
