Constructive discussion: conceptualising a framework for productive communication across personal, conversational, institutional and cultural spheres Luis Hernando Lozano Paredes, Chris Riedy, Alex Baumber, Helena Robinson, Fanny Salignac, et al. Global Social Challenges Journal, 2025 Increased polarisation and unwillingness to engage with difference create obstacles to addressing complex societal challenges. This can be observed across numerous countries in relation to controversial issues such as climate change, immigration, inequality, housing affordability and racial justice. In this article, we explore the potential for ‘constructive discussion’ to help address these societal challenges. Constructive discussion emphasises a need for diverse perspectives to be raised and exchanged in a manner that enables reflection and practical decision making. Similarly, in order to define and conceptualise what constructive discussion means, a transdisciplinary approach is required to ensure that diverse perspectives, concepts and knowledge bases are included. This article presents a holistic framework for understanding, identifying and applying constructive discussion strategies in a way that acknowledges the multiple contexts and scales at which the concept can be applied. The proposed framework features four nested spheres: personal, conversational, institutional and cultural. Within and across the spheres, a range of relevant concepts can be drawn upon to enable constructive discussion, including reflexivity, transformative learning, deliberative democracy and appreciative inquiry, to name a few. By reviewing these concepts as a transdisciplinary team and integrating them into the proposed framework, we demonstrate how others may apply the framework in future to enhance constructive discussion in diverse contexts.
Reframing resilience as a systemic issue: Meta-competencies that transform individuals and learning ecologies Monique Potts, Bem Le Hunte Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 2024 Educational systems in Australia are currently in a state of flux and disruption, with student mental health and engagement at crisis levels. Educators need help keeping students engaged and providing the skills and competencies to navigate uncertain futures. Addressing this challenge, our study examines a proposed set of meta‐competencies (or systemic competencies) required for a systems reboot within our educational institutions. These meta‐competencies are agency, adaptability, creativity, compassion, interbeing, self‐awareness and reflexivity. This study analyses the application of these meta‐competencies for transformative resilience or transilience in a secondary school setting, examining how systems awareness and self‐awareness cannot be separated from the rest of the curricula. Using participatory action research methodologies and awareness‐based systems change, this research demonstrates that agency, self‐awareness and systems awareness can engage students in profound ways to create a new generation of systemic changemakers.
On Learning Interbeing Monique Potts, Bem Le Hunte, Katie Ross Journal of Transformative Education, 2024 The experience of interbeing – or a deep, authentic feeling of the continuum between our inner-selves, each other and the natural world – gives a profound sense of interconnectedness. Teachings of interbeing have roots in ancient knowledges yet offer insight into how we might respond collectively and purposefully to the challenges of today. It is also proposed as a core meta-competency contributing to resilience and wellbeing for young people, creating a sense of unity in response to fragmented and technologically mediated environments. This article explores what learning activities and environments support experiences of interbeing and how these might be integrated into secondary school education, focusing on transformative, place-based learning. We present findings from participatory action research in an Australian secondary school undertaken as a pilot program focused on building resilience and wellbeing for students – and contribute ideas for transformative learning practices that support resilience in the face of uncertain futures.
Indigenous knowledge Bem Le Hunte, Tyson Yunkaporta, Jacqueline Melvold, Monique Potts, Katie E. Ross, et al. Handbook Transdisciplinary Learning, 2023
PROMOTING SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THROUGH META-COMPETENCIES - TO DEVELOP TRANSFORMATIVE QUALITIES OF BEING 67th Annual Proceedings of the International Society for the Systems Sciences Isss 2023, 2023
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Transforming individuals, transforming relations: the contribution of transdisciplinary learning in shifting educational paradigms M Potts, D Ferreira, G Kligyte, A Baumber, S Pratt, H Higgins, B Le Hunte Higher Education Research & Development, 1-17 , 2026 2026
Constructive discussion and city-making: discursive dynamics and opportunities to influence housing outcomes in Sydney, Australia S Wearne, A Baumber, M Potts, C Riedy, S Matter, H Robinson, ... Urban Transformations , 2026 2026
Constructive discussion: conceptualising a framework for productive communication across personal, conversational, institutional and cultural spheres LH Lozano Paredes, C Riedy, A Baumber, H Robinson, F Salignac, ... Global Social Challenges Journal 4 (2), 275-302 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Reframing resilience as a systemic issue: Meta‐competencies that transform individuals and learning ecologies M Potts, B Le Hunte Systems Research and Behavioral Science 41 (5), 750-760 , 2024 2024 Citations: 11
Towards an Understanding of Resilience and Experiential Learning for Young People in the Context of Uncertain Futures and Climate Disruption ME Potts PQDT-Global , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
On learning interbeing M Potts, B Le Hunte, K Ross Journal of Transformative Education 22 (1), 42-63 , 2024 2024 Citations: 9
Indigenous knowledge B Le Hunte, T Yunkaporta, J Melvold, M Potts, K Ross, L Allen Handbook transdisciplinary learning, 187-194 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
iyarn: Developing the Evidence Base: Final Project Report S Knight, M Potts, C Mills, P Lee Report produced by UTS researchers with contributions from iyarn CEO Lockie … , 2023 2023
PROMOTING SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THROUGH METACOMPETENCIES THAT DEVELOP TRANSFORMATIVE QUALITIES OF BEING AND AGENCY M Potts, B Le Hunte Journal of the International Society for the Systems Sciences 67 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3
Strengthening inner knowing for resilient leadership M Potts, B O'Neill, K Ross 14th International Transformative Learning Conference 2022 , 2022 2022
Human Rights and Technology Issues Paper: UTS Submission S Buckingham Shum, N Vincent, D Lindsay, M Potts, T Anderson, ... Australian Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights and Technology Issues Paper , 2019 2019
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Reframing resilience as a systemic issue: Meta‐competencies that transform individuals and learning ecologies M Potts, B Le Hunte Systems Research and Behavioral Science 41 (5), 750-760 , 2024 2024 Citations: 11
On learning interbeing M Potts, B Le Hunte, K Ross Journal of Transformative Education 22 (1), 42-63 , 2024 2024 Citations: 9
PROMOTING SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THROUGH METACOMPETENCIES THAT DEVELOP TRANSFORMATIVE QUALITIES OF BEING AND AGENCY M Potts, B Le Hunte Journal of the International Society for the Systems Sciences 67 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3
Towards an Understanding of Resilience and Experiential Learning for Young People in the Context of Uncertain Futures and Climate Disruption ME Potts PQDT-Global , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Constructive discussion: conceptualising a framework for productive communication across personal, conversational, institutional and cultural spheres LH Lozano Paredes, C Riedy, A Baumber, H Robinson, F Salignac, ... Global Social Challenges Journal 4 (2), 275-302 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Indigenous knowledge B Le Hunte, T Yunkaporta, J Melvold, M Potts, K Ross, L Allen Handbook transdisciplinary learning, 187-194 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Transforming individuals, transforming relations: the contribution of transdisciplinary learning in shifting educational paradigms M Potts, D Ferreira, G Kligyte, A Baumber, S Pratt, H Higgins, B Le Hunte Higher Education Research & Development, 1-17 , 2026 2026
Constructive discussion and city-making: discursive dynamics and opportunities to influence housing outcomes in Sydney, Australia S Wearne, A Baumber, M Potts, C Riedy, S Matter, H Robinson, ... Urban Transformations , 2026 2026
iyarn: Developing the Evidence Base: Final Project Report S Knight, M Potts, C Mills, P Lee Report produced by UTS researchers with contributions from iyarn CEO Lockie … , 2023 2023
Strengthening inner knowing for resilient leadership M Potts, B O'Neill, K Ross 14th International Transformative Learning Conference 2022 , 2022 2022
Human Rights and Technology Issues Paper: UTS Submission S Buckingham Shum, N Vincent, D Lindsay, M Potts, T Anderson, ... Australian Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights and Technology Issues Paper , 2019 2019
