College Teaching and Synchronicity: Exploring the Other Side of Teachable Moments

This study examined 144 experienced community college teachers’ perceptions of teachable moments. Our proposition is that a teachable moment, rather than being an objective predetermined cause-and-effect pedagogy, is a highly subjective-reflective event or intuitive learning process that occurs at unanticipated moments. We believe that Jung's (1977 Jung , C. G. ( 1977 ). Jung on synchronicity and the paranormal: Key readings , (2nd ed.) . Princeton , NJ : Princeton University Press . Google Scholar]) theory of synchronicity can shed new light on such teachable moments. Our survey found that about half of the teachers surveyed had beliefs consistent with Jung's theory of synchronicity. Teachers that felt comfortable dealing with the unexpected were most likely to experience teachable moments. Additional teacher attitudes and beliefs about teachable moments are explored.