On on 5-9th July the second T-learning research school, hosted by SWEDESD in Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden. It constituted a rich gathering for sharing and deepening our understanding(s) of T-learning as it has emerged over the past year. Since the previous meeting, T-learning has been animating itself variously across nine different country contexts (Colombia, Ethiopia, Sweden, Zimbabwe, India, Netherlands, South Africa, Vietnam and Malawi. Read more about these cases here).

All those present at the meeting brought a sense of the importance, seriousness and value of T-learning: It is increasingly clear that people everywhere will need to learn to transform to sustainability in ways that are socially just, peaceful and ecologically sustainable. The space held by T-learning relates to various ways of thinking about learning: learning to transform ourselves and our systems, learning to transgress the various boundaries in which we reproduce unsustainable and unjust systems, and learning across multiple disciplines and contexts, and finally learning collaboratively.

The purpose was to understand how T-learning is being characterised across the case studies, how it can be effectively analysed and how we might narrate and share these findings through research. At the meeting T-learning was experienced, embodied and in this way, richly theorised throughout the four days as we dialogued, strengthened relations, learned and danced together. This is the result of drawing together 25 people who are passionate about education, passionate about the world and therefore driven towards realising action towards a more just situations.

These sessions allowed us to collectively experience and explore the various aspects of T-learning and research including: theory, methodology, analysis and ethics. The meeting has inspired several collaborative writing projects. Finally the relationships strengthened and established within the network will help us to further an understanding of the emerging character of T-learning in the network form.

This report will be followed up by longer posts sharing what surfaced from the meeting.