Emotional issues in education: reframing learning theory through participatory action research

1. J.A.Hawkins – PhD by research Manchester Metropolitan University, M15 6BG, UK Emotional issues in education: reframing learning theory through participatory action research Connections – J.A.H. Bright idea – J.A.H. Data Collection Pupils’ written feeling responses on work records – field notes & reports – observations - retrospective summaries - critical points lists & models - Researcher’s autobiographical diary - Mentoring notes - teachers' spontaneous symbolic models - teachers' autobiographies & summaries - Educational evaluation records and notes, project models, questionnaires and photographs • Theoretical domains • grounded theory (Charmaz 1995) • phenomenology (Bruzina 2004) • narrative research (Clough 2002) • ethnographic research (Main & George1985) • action research (Bogdan & Knopp Biklen 2003) • auto-ethnography (Freeman 1993) • communities of practice (Wenger 1998) Methodology – Participatory Action Research (Kagan 2005) Strand 3 - mentoring 8 teachers aged 25 - 55 Teacher Lily aged 32 Strand 1 - tutoring 12 school refusers aged 15 –16 Strand 4 - evaluating an arts festival project with 6 city primary schools “I just got frustrated at school... and I couldn’t go in ‘cos I just used to sit there and have all these books thrown at me... I used to have a special needs class I went to. I used to do loads of art and sit in there for an hour, but when I went to the other school I got held up… Dad noticed it and said like to my teacher, “ She’s not learning properly!” And my teacher said, “ Yes, she can do it! She’s just not trying!”School refuser Tania aged 16 – Strand 1 • “Less talking more doing in the • lessons.” • “I loved everything i hated nothing • …I enjoyed it so much.” • “I think the Theatre is awesome.” • “I liked doing workshop” • “It was fun doing picture and then • writing on it.” • “I liked painting.” • “I learnt to dance like a • perfessional.” • “I enjoyed it soooooooooooooo... • ...much!” (14 o's!) • “I enjoyed doing the play on stage.” • “Important because it develops • their mind.” Parent – Strand 4 Strand 3 Data e.g. a Symbolic Model “There should be room on school reports and in the school curriculum to focus on people as human beings as it is a person's inner qualities that make them a decent (and therefore successful in my view) individual…the emotional / psychological damage caused by negative (not bad) teaching / managing is underestimated.” Teacher Diana aged 34 – Strand 3 References: Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979) The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; Claxton, G. (2002) Building Learning Power: helping young people become better learners. Bristol: TLO;Department for Education and Skills (DfES) 2006 Good Practice:The National Healthy Schools Standardwww.standards.dfes.gov.uk/sie/si/SfCC/goodpractice/nhss/ (accessed 09.06.06);Gilbert, I. (2002) Essential motivation in the Classroom. London: Routledge Farmer; Greenfield, S. (2000) Brain Story. London: BBC Worldwide Rogers, C. & Freiberg, H.J. (1983 rev. ed.) Freedom to Learn. London: Prentice Hall International; Vygotsky, L. S. (1896-1934) Collected Works - volume 1. Ed. Rieber, R.W. & Carton, A.S. (1987). New York: Plenum;