
Pedagogical Tact
Reconnecting Theory and Practice in Education
Peter Lang Verlag
Published on 26. January 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
218 pages
978-3-0343-5865-1 (ISBN)
Description
At a time when education is becoming ever more standardized and technocratic, there is renewed interest in the interpersonal, even intimate phenomenon of pedagogical tact. Some speak of a renaissance. Like tact in general, pedagogical tact is a ready and delicate sense of what is fitting and proper in dealing with others. In pedagogy, these "others" are typically children, youth, or students, and tact is exercised as a kind of disposition that is oriented to the learners' maturation and eventual autonomy. It takes the form of a subtle but active discernment that arises when theories and prescriptions simply do not help.
This edited collection, the first to appear on pedagogical tact in English, includes contributions from several authors who are a part of the renaissance in this area. It also features a substantial introduction to the tradition of pedagogy from which tact emerges, and one that also traces the international development of understandings of pedagogical tact.
This rich collection of recent texts on pedagogical tact provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the intricate relationship between theory and practice. It explores various characteristics, contexts, and applications of pedagogical tact, featuring contributions from distinguished scholars from the USA, Sweden, France, Germany, and Switzerland. As the first English-language volume dedicated solely to this topic since Max van Manen's The Tact of Teaching (1991) and Pedagogical Tact (2015), it is an essential resource. Highly recommended.
- Evi Agostini, Director of Studies - Education Directorate of Doctoral Studies, University of Vienna
Reviews / Votes
This insightful collection explores the art of pedagogical tact, the skilful and sensitive way educators respond to students in different situations. It provides a clear introduction to the balance needed between teaching theory and real-world practice, showing how educators adapt their approach in various contexts. Featuring contributions from leading scholars in the USA, Sweden, France, Germany and Switzerland, this is the first English-language volume focusing solely on pedagogical tact since Max van Manen's The Tact of Teaching (1991) and Pedagogical Tact (2015). A valuable resource for educators and researchers alike. Highly recommended.Evi Agostini, Associate Professor at the Department of Teacher Education and the Department of Education at the University of Vienna Pedagogical tact is a key construct for educational practice. It addresses the practitioner's translation of his or her subjective theory into concrete practice in complex situations. In the German pedagogical tradition, tact has been addressed the context of very different paradigms. As this volume shows, these include human science pedagogy, phenomenology, empirical research, critical theory, philosophy, ethics, and more. This multiplicity presents a particular challenge: On the one hand, these different perspectives complement each other, but on the other, they are often considered as mutually exclusive. By contrast, good teachers combine various approaches in their practice, mostly intuitively. By investigating tact from multiple perspectives, this volume contributes to their integration in the theoretical conceptualization of tact.
Jean-Luc Patry. O.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Educational Science, Paris Lodron University Salzburg
More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Peter Lang Group AG, International Academic Publishers
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
1 Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 21 cm
Width: 14.8 cm
Weight
3323 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-0343-5865-1 (9783034358651)
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Norm Friesen (PhD) has edited and translated Klaus Mollenhauer's Forgotten Connections and a selection of key pedagogical texts titled Tact and the Pedagogical Relation. Friesen has worked as a visiting researcher at the Humboldt University and the University of Vienna.
Thomas Senkbeil's (PhD) diverse experience bridges the fields of pedagogy, therapeutic practice, and academic research, with a focus on the relational dimensions of education. He is co-editor of The Human Being as Facticity: Educational Anthropological Approaches and of "Pedagogical Tact: Connections Old & New", a special issue of Ethics & Education.
Content
Introduction
Pedagogical Tact: An Historical Introduction - Norm Friesen
Chapter Synopses - Norm Friesen
Theorizing Tact
Reconsidering Tact - Eirick Prairat
A Matter of "Character, Mind, and Heart"? - Sales Severin Roedel
Tact as Pedagogical Daimon? Arendt on Tact, Exemplarity, & Judgment - Morten Korsgaard
Tact in Context
Pedagogical Tact and the Limits of Community - Hans-Ruediger Mueller
Pedagogical Tact and Education in the Family - Dominik Krinninger & Kaja Kesselhut
Embodiment and Tact
Antimonies and Aporias: The Reciprocal Ambivalence of Tact & the Body - Norm Friesen
Tactful Views on Forms of Educational Precaution and Measure - Joerg Zirfas &
Daniel Burghardt
Creating Contact, Making Things Sound: Tact and Resonance - Jens Beljan
Postscript: Tact and Pedagogical Professionalism
Pedagogical Tact and Teacher Professionalization: A Conceptualization - Thomas
Senkbeil & Norm Friesen
Pedagogical Tact: An Historical Introduction - Norm Friesen
Chapter Synopses - Norm Friesen
Theorizing Tact
Reconsidering Tact - Eirick Prairat
A Matter of "Character, Mind, and Heart"? - Sales Severin Roedel
Tact as Pedagogical Daimon? Arendt on Tact, Exemplarity, & Judgment - Morten Korsgaard
Tact in Context
Pedagogical Tact and the Limits of Community - Hans-Ruediger Mueller
Pedagogical Tact and Education in the Family - Dominik Krinninger & Kaja Kesselhut
Embodiment and Tact
Antimonies and Aporias: The Reciprocal Ambivalence of Tact & the Body - Norm Friesen
Tactful Views on Forms of Educational Precaution and Measure - Joerg Zirfas &
Daniel Burghardt
Creating Contact, Making Things Sound: Tact and Resonance - Jens Beljan
Postscript: Tact and Pedagogical Professionalism
Pedagogical Tact and Teacher Professionalization: A Conceptualization - Thomas
Senkbeil & Norm Friesen