313 Conclusion and Discussion 10 The second topic departs from the realisation that a (w)holistic approach places the pedagogical relationship at the centre of attention. The way in which the development of children is currently being measured (through academic outcomes and achievement) is justly criticised by WCD because it seems to damage the centrality of the pedagogical relation. This leaves open the question of what type of assessment really provides space to the pedagogical relation without subjecting the student to the arbitrariness of the individual teacher he or she encounters. Above, I mentioned the joint experience of the conversational community’s members to be that the system sometimes seemed unruly or obstinate and, in that sense, difficult to transform. It is my impression that this has a lot to do with the high reliance on standardised testing and measurability. I can only hope that further research will shed more light on how to address this dilemma. While Chapter 5 presents quantitative and qualitative data from the baseline survey, it would be interesting to measure in a later phase, with DCU’s new curriculum fully established and operating, whether the abovementioned practical elaborations for the curriculum generate a significant impact on the student’s citizenship. As this study represents an application of WCD to Christian teacher training, it would also be interesting to see how other faithbased institutes relate to it from the perspective of their religion. It would also be interesting to determine if their own research would lead to similar conclusions regarding the focus on the human heart and transcendent teleology. Moreover, it would be helpful to find out how the broader movement for WCD would respond to the contention that an overarching teleology for wholeness and stimulating a sense of belonging is still lacking. This would, possibly and hopefully, lead to a fruitful exchange of vision, intentions, design and practices through communication between different frameworks, as this study wished for.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw