Open AccessWhat's bred in the bone: Transference and Countertransference in Teachers
Author(s) -
John F. Sherry,
Leslie Warner,
Andrew Kitchenham
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
brock education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2371-7750
pISSN - 1183-1189
DOI - 10.26522/brocked.v30i1.859
Subject(s) - countertransference , unconscious mind , psychology , schema (genetic algorithms) , context (archaeology) , transference , phenomenology (philosophy) , pedagogy , psychoanalysis , psychotherapist , psychoanalytic theory , epistemology , paleontology , philosophy , machine learning , computer science , biology
Countertransference and transference have been well researched in the context of the client-therapist relationship, but there are few studies looking at these unconscious processes in other helping professions, such as teaching. Utilizing a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, we investigated how transference and countertransference are understood and experienced by classroom teachers. We interviewed four school teachers on their understanding and management of the two concepts in the classroom and arrived at the following themes derived from the transcribed interviews for transference and countertransference, respectively: Schema, Relationship, Context, Unconscious; Background experience, Self-awareness, Self-reflection. We conclude with implications for teachers and counsellors, alike.