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This transparadigmatic study is driven by the guiding curiosity what could a listening based pedagogy entail? in addition to other research questions derived from it. The universe in which this project lives proposes a recognition of more-than-human voices and agency, wondering with(in) phenomena from which data may emerge and glow, and where epistemology emerges concurrently with ontology (knowing, doing, and being are inseparable).

The listening approaches selected for this research attend to relationality, silence, holism, culturally responsive practices, critical consciousness, future-oriented perspectives, vulnerability, collaboration, and playfulness. That way, listening becomes crucial in teaching and researching practices that work against single stories and other consequences of Western-oriented education. Also, how we listen to and engage with stories in educational environments are also dependent on power dynamics (and related to our endeavor to recognize these unbalanced structures and connections). Thus, this study advocates for the fluidity of knowledge as well as for the impact that varied forms of listening might have on accountable, reciprocal, and equitable relationships, which can support schools to become places where not only space but also power is shared.

The Critical + Indigenous + Clown (CIC) theoretical framework of this study comprises three main listening approaches: Dunker and Thebas’ (2019) active + playful listening—which encourages cooperation over competition; Davis’ (1996) hermeneutic listening—which is fractal-shaped and attempts to defy the taken–for-granted future; and Tupi’s seven types of listening (Werá, 2016)—which resonates with Archibald’s (2008) holistic education.

I designed the methodology of this research supported by the CIC theories. My goals were to create a respectful gathering for welcoming more-than-human affordances, to co-construct relational and reciprocal knowledge, and to promote self- and other-awareness through vulnerabilities and openness. The uniqueness of this research is this: if the content might not be unprecedented, the approach stands out as completely different from all of the previous ones. By braiding Critical, Indigenous, and Clown perspectives, I created guidelines, protocols, witnessing opportunities, as well as data analysis approaches that might support a new understanding of listening in academia and schools.

Regarding methods of assembling data, I designed three theory-informed listening encounters to listen to five secondary school teachers from Edmonton, AB. These conversations, alongside a constant ethical and reciprocal engagement, helped me create space for (self- and other-) contemplation and respectful dialogues about beliefs, hurdles, and previous experiences in relation to an education for reconciliation and for a culturally responsive future.

As a final discussion, I argue that due to its fluidity and adaptability, listening approaches both shape and are shaped by relationships and context. As such, they cannot be inadvertently relocated or replicated. It is not a practice to be scaled-up (scaling-across would be more relatable). Listening-based educational practices are certainly something to be shared and learned from one another, but they remain open to be molded to/by each group, context, audience, relationship and purpose.

In conclusion, I believe that listening-based pedagogies can promote a nurturing learning environment, where teachers can create opportunities for students’ voices to be heard and respected, where everyone has the sense of community, and where students’ culture is welcomed and valued as a key part of their learning. Furthermore, this study contributes to the assemblage of a story-listening way of researching, teaching, and learning.