Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt

Ortrun’s “teaching” in Australia and overseas included mainly academic and other professional development activities for faculty staff, postgraduate students, and supervisors of research theses, rather than undergraduate students. So it was mainly “training the trainers” and leadership development. This kind of teaching in Higher Education requires focusing and developing participatory pathways, supporting scholarship, and integrating the three core academic responsibilities: (1) university teaching and learning, (2) research, and (3) community engagement. These academic categories were achieved not in isolation but integration through Ortrun’s distinctive approach that integrated the most effective responses to these requirements, guided by the ethos, principles and underlying values of Participatory Action Learning, Action Research (PALAR) and Action Leadership that she summarised summarised in the 3 R’s and 7 C’s of learning, teaching and research:

3 R’s
• Relationships: learning to be trusting and mutually respectful
• Reflection: being critical and self-critical – through critique rather than criticism, and creating the space for collaborative discussion to enable problem solving and continuing improvement
• Recognition: of participants’ and team’s effort, achievements and learning outcomes through rewards, publications and celebration.

7 C’s
• Communication: between facilitator (teacher/researcher/leader) and participants, and among participants through vision and team-building activities from the very start of an ALAR project or program to ensure effective
• Collaboration: among all members of the group, generating team spirit, symmetrical communication and synergy
• Commitment: to the group, to the completion of the project and to positive, sustainable change and development
• Critical reflection: critical and self-critical attitude and reflection on action, being open to feedback from critical friends and to new or different perspectives
• Coaching: mentoring individuals, groups or organisations/communities in a democratic, non-directive, caring and skilful way and learning from one another in dialogue, discussion and by asking fresh questions
• Competence: in facilitating PALAR and R&D activities, using effective processes and methods, with a vision of excellence leading to a high level of performance (action leadership) and enabling participants to develop all seven C’s themselves
• Character building: as a consequence of the above, characterised by integrity, trust (and being trusted), honesty, respect for others, diversity and difference, resilience and an openness to new perspectives, opportunities, innovations and change.

References

Wood, L. and O. Zuber-Skerritt, (Eds.). (2024). Shaping the future of higher education: Positive and sustainable frameworks for navigating constant change (1st ed.). Helsinki, Finland: Helsinki University Press.

 

Zuber-Skerritt, O. and L. Wood (Eds.) (2019, 2022). Action learning and action research: Genres and approaches. Bingley, UK, Emerald Publishing.

Kearney, J. and M. Todhunter (Eds.) (2015). Lifelong action learning and research: A tribute to the life and pioneering work of Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt. Rotterdam, Sense.

Zuber-Skerritt, O., L. Wood and I. Louw (2015). A participatory paradigm for an engaged scholarship in higher education: Action leadership from a South African perspective. Rotterdam, Sense.

Zuber-Skerritt, O. (2011). Action leadership: Towards a participatory paradigm. Dordrecht, The Netherlands, Springer.