1 Power of education—Dewey, Apple, Freire, Gramsci, Greene

453 Pages·2010·6.36 MB·English

by  David Mueller

Primary School Children’s
Processes of Emotional
Expression and Negotiation of
Power in an Expressive Arts
Curricular Project

IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

HILLARIE JEAN HIGGINS
DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
SCHOOL OF HEALTH IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

AUGUST 2010
2

Declaration

I, Hillarie Jean Higgins, declare that this thesis:

(a) has been composed by myself

(b) contains my own original work

(c) has not been submitted for any other degree or
professional qualification.

__________________________________
Signature
3
ABSTRACT

Therapeutic education initiatives embodying a whole child approach
can be seen to address the intellectual, emotional, bodily and
spiritual as being part of a child’s educational self. Through
designing and implementing the concept of “aesthetic life
narratives” in a primary school classroom, my research produces a
curricular example of how therapeutic notions such as those found
in psychological thought can be integrated into contemporary
Scottish education through narrative and aesthetic means,
exemplifying how individual children can make sense of expressive
processes and roles introduced to them in an educational context.
The specific characteristics of the research space and the particular
interactive quality of research participation also illustrate how
different children are able to participate in a short-term emotional
education intervention specifically designed to be empowering. At
the same time, my experience shows that the complex dynamic
between the subjective life of a researcher and the historical nature
of a child’s experience with caregivers in their home life can shape
educational/research experience, as well as its adult and child
participants, in ways unanticipated. What transpired in the process
of applying philosophical ideas to the real lives of children in my
research produced ethical implications regarding critical reflexivity
and the socio-cultural regard of the child that are of wider relevance
to educators, researchers, counsellors and policy makers who
interact with children in their own work.
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Table of Contents

Title Page
Abstract 2
Table of Contents 3
Appendices List 9
Dedication 10
Acknowledgements 11
Thesis Introduction 13
Thesis Structure 15
Chapter One: Background and Personal Statement 18
Introduction 18
Personal Core: Child as Artist, Life as Art 19
School Classrooms: a Transitional Space 20
Introduction of Research Concept 22
Language 22
Reflexivity 24
Introduction Chapter Summary 29
Chapter Two: Literature Review 30
Introduction 30
Part I: Research Framework 32
Education and Epistemology 32
Constructivist Epistemology 34
Learning Life—Educational Ontology and 35
Personal Position
Schools: a Contested Space 37
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Finding Freedom in Captured Spaces 44
Negotiating Educational Power through 46
Languages of Communication
Part II: Research Concept 49
Narrative and Aesthetic Life Narratives 49
Expressing the Experiences of our Lives 51
through Narrative
Authoring our Life Stories 53
“Self” as Subject 54
Self as Author and Audience 57
Narrative as Therapeutic Tool 59
Narrative Research with Children 62
in an Educational Context
Expressing the Stories of our Life through Art 66
Emotional Life of Art 68
Self as Artist and Audience 70
Art as Therapeutic and Liberating Tool 76
Art Research with Children 82
in an Educational Context
Part III: Psychological Tools of Analysis 90
Introduction 90
Introduction of Internal Working Model 91
Conscious, Unconscious and Physiological 95
Processes
Emotions in Attachment Theory 96
Open Communication: Home and School 99
Part IV: Research Context 101
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Therapeutic Education 101
Introduction 101
Emotional Expression through “Empowerment” 102
in Modern Education
Scottish Curriculum and the Child 103
Educating the “Whole Child” 107
Educating the Emotional Self 109
Emotionality of Education 111
“The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education” 113
Literature Review Chapter Summary 119
Chapter Three: Philosophical Background and 121
Methodological Approach
Introduction 121
Phenomenology: Overview of Philosophy and Practice 124
Husserl’s Revelation 124
Heidegger’s Phenomenology 127
Phenomenology of Contexts 128
Being in Context 130
Hermeneutics: Overview of Philosophy and Practice 132
Using Multiple Subjective Interpretations 132
Capturing Temporal Subjectivity 133
Gadamer’s Broadening of Horizons 136
Reader-Response Debate: Power of 137
Author and Audience
Reflexive Hermeneutic Application 139
Hermeneutic Phenomenology: Developing 140
Methodological Approach
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Role of Language in Developing Understanding 142
Therapeutic Regard through Reflexive Ethics 144
Applying Ethical Regard through Therapeutic 145
Regard
Project Concept and Design 147
Project Curriculum 150
Research Data Set 155
Application of Methodological Design 156
Ethical Concerns 158
Redefining the Child in Education: Participant 159
Action Research
Consent and Information Forms 164
Addressing Potential Outcomes 166
Philosophy and Methodology Chapter Summary 168
Chapter Four: Implementation—a Reflexive Narrative 169
Account
Introduction 169
The Project Beginning: Finding Co-Researchers 172
and a Context
Negotiating Research through Contextual 176
Reflexivity
Designing Curriculum for Context 178
Design Implementation Overview 180
Implementation: Primary School Short-Term 182
Expressive Arts Intervention
Application of Ideas: Classroom Implementation 182
Class Art Exhibit 189
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Researcher Sharing Role of Artist 194
Child as Co-Researcher: First Interview 197
Child as Editor: Second Interview 202
as a Reflective Space
Research Book: Final Product 209
Reflexive Aftermath: Explaining Interpretation 211
Implementation Chapter Summary 220
Chapter Five: Case Studies as Findings 222
Introduction 222
Fernando 227
Abby 234
Aaron 256
Jeff 277
Case Studies Summary 296
Chapter Six: Further Discussion 298
Introduction 298
Collaborative Effect of Interactive Reflective Space 300
Introduction 300
Brevity 304
Newness 309
Distinction 311
Limitations of Research Space 313
Summary 316
Making the Ethical Case for Aesthetic Expression 317
in Educational Context
Introduction 317
Owning and Exhibiting Artwork 320
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in an Educational Space
Anonymous Potential of Aesthetic Self 324
Reflexive Research with Children 326
Presence of the “Whole” Child in Education 330
Chapter Seven: Summary and Educational 339
Implications of Research
Thesis Summary 339
Project Implications 342
Closing Discussion 348
References 350
Appendices 371
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Appendices List
Appendix 1 Induction outreach contacts

Appendix 2 Research pack
2.1 project curriculum
2.2 head teacher invitation letter
2.3 teacher information sheet
2.4 teacher consent form
2.5 child information sheet
2.6 child participant consent form
2.7 guardian information sheet
2.8 guardian opt-out consent form

Appendix 3 Child artwork re-presented
3.1 original photo
3.2 “photo-shopped” artwork

Appendix 4 Poster design

Appendix 5 Research storybook examples
5.1a storybook draft pre-edit #1
5.1b edited storybook #1
5.1c final storybook post-edit #1
5.2a story book draft pre-edit #2
5.2b edited storybook #2
5.2c final storybook post-edit #2

Appendix 6 Further examples of children artwork