Coaching a regular economics research seminar at Lisbon University in 2010-2011: a groupanalytic approach

This paper describes the implementation of a new protocol for the regular economics seminar run by the Economics Department of ISEG and the research center UECE during academic year 2010-2011. The main innovative features of this protocol were: the introduction of a discussant that explains the paper using a clear, non-technical language, thus giving “holding” to the audience; the requirement that the speaker should be “silent” during the discussion stage, in order to “frustrate” the audience and encourage them to reinterpret the paper presented in a personal way, thus giving “exchange” to the presenter. The new protocol was successful in ensuring a satisficing participation level and had a remarkable effect upon change in learning understandings in the School, namely through the engagement of important professors of ISEG as discussants during the sessions. The main shortcoming was the strength of resistances to change within the seminar team, in particular in what concerns the requirement that the presenter should be “outside” the group during the discussion stage.