Thomas, H (2024) "Is there a curriculum voice to reclaim?": exploring the curriculum-teacher space in secondary English literature education in England. PhD thesis, Bath Spa University.
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Abstract
This thesis explores the secondary English literature curriculum in England from a hitherto minimised perspective, that of novice English teachers (NETs) working with it. Decades of standardised curricula have positioned teachers as receivers rather than makers of curriculum; this underplays both teachers’ daily contribution to the curriculum and the tensions and debates generated by it. Following an interpretive paradigm, and taking a narrative approach, the stories of ten NETs are analysed to investigate this under-represented area: the intersection between curriculum and teacher, which I call the ‘curriculum-teacher (CT) space’. The CT space is where teachers hold their values, histories and emotions alongside curricular policy, accountability frameworks and disciplinary knowledge. To examine this space, this thesis critically reflects on the literature curriculum in tandem with literary theory, curriculum theory and narrative theory, creating a novel framework to explore NETs’ stories. The stories are analysed through an innovative meld of Reflexive Thematic Analysis, dramaturgical coding and literary- style interpretation. There are presently no empirical studies from England that address the English Literature ‘CT space’ and yet it is an urgent issue: the current Education Inspection Framework (OFSTED, 2019) has raised curriculum to the top of schools’ agenda due to its new ‘quality of education’ measure whilst the English Literature curriculum (DfE, 2014) continues to divide teachers and, judged by the dropping numbers taking it up at advanced level, disengage pupils. The study’s findings challenge the assumption that the external control of curriculum benefits teachers and their pupils. As well as supporting concerns that assessment warps literary study, findings suggest that NETs are inadequately supported by curricular frameworks which a) run counter to their implicit models of literary study and b) understate the emotional-ethical dimensions of literature. These findings contribute new knowledge to the field, the policy and research implications of which are discussed.
| Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) |
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| Keywords: | education, secondary education, English literature, curriculum, England, novice English teachers |
| Divisions: | School of Education |
| Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.17870/bathspa.00016338 |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Jun 2024 10:14 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Jul 2024 13:37 |
| URI / Page ID: | https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/16338 |
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