The use of sandtray with teachers within the context of school development: a case study

[摘要] Teachers have a central role to play in the process of educational transformation.Given their deep contextual understanding of their school it is important toprovide a safe space, so that their voices can be heard. Within the context ofeducational transformation, educational psychologists are challenged to redefinetheir role and to become more involved in the general process of schooling. Thenew role envisaged for educational psychologist suggests an enlargement oftheir scope of practice to include both individual work as well as work within thedifferent systems. The role as organizational consultants suggests that theeducational psychologist must assist with professional teacher development andorganizational development in order to equip schools to become more effective intheir purpose and goals.The study attempts to explore the directive use of sandtray as a non-verbal andprojective technique, within the framework of school development planning, tofacilitate school development. It is envisaged that the outcomes of the researchcan contribute towards the range of skills and interventions that educationalpsychologists can use to effect school reform and development.A qualitative case study within the interpretive paradigm was chosen as researchdesign. The case was a high school in the Namaqua District of the NorthernCape Province. The sample for this study consists of 6 teachers that wererepresentative of the staff.The data was collected through 6 individual sandtray sessions, semi-structuredinterviews and 1 focus group discussion. Photographs of the subjects sandworlds were also taken.The review of literature and the findings of this research, suggest that sandtray,as a projective technique, when used in an ethical and responsible way, duringthe auditing phase of school development, can give the educational psychologistaccess to the underlying personal and structural dynamics that hinders the process of development and renewal within a school. Secondly, it helps todevelop an understanding of the individual perspectives, point of views andemotional reactions of teachers towards the existing context of the school. Sinceschool development is also concerned with personal and professionaldevelopment of teachers, it is important to provide psychosocial support forteachers to deal with personal issues that emerge out of the sandtray process aswell as the challenges within the context of their school. To develop a compositepicture of the school it seems important to involve all role-players in the initialphases of school development planning.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University