A paradigm shift using circle dialogue: a narrative study to investigate the impact of restorative justice education on graduate students

Abstract

This study examined the impact of restorative justice education (RJE) on students after completing a graduate course in ED 6936 (Restorative Justice in Education-Promises and Challenges) at Memorial University of Newfoundland. As a graduate student in this course, I experienced a paradigm shift in my worldview after completing the 3-credit course. This shift encouraged me to investigate whether my classmates experienced the same impact. Out of eleven students in the course, I selected 5 for the study. The investigation was conducted using narrative and autoethnographic methods. I collected data through narrative and semi-structured interviews. Findings from the thematic analysis revealed a change in the worldview of all the participants. Further findings revealed that the circle dialogue pedagogy, the leadership quality of the facilitator and the philosophical foundation of the course contributed to the shift experienced.