Understanding Creativity and Alienation in Language Teacher Education PDF
Preview Understanding Creativity and Alienation in Language Teacher Education
Understanding Creativity and Alienation in Language Teacher Education: a critical ethnographic study Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Chester for the degree of Doctor of Education by Bethan Hulse February 2015 Declaration I declare that the material being presented for examination is my own work except where otherwise identified by references and that I have not plagiarised another’s work. I also declare that this work has not been submitted for any other award of the University of Chester or that of any other Higher Education Institution. Signed: Date: Acknowledgements I would like to thank the Ed.D tutors at the University of Chester for sharing their knowledge and expertise with me over the course of my studies. In particular, I would like to thank my supervisors Professor Rob Hulme and Dr Paul Moran for their guidance, encouragement and inspiration. Dedication For Dad Understanding Creativity and Alienation in Language Teacher Education: a critical ethnographic study Bethan Hulse Abstract This research explores the processes of learning to teach Modern Languages (MLs) in the rapidly changing landscape of teacher education. It employs a postmodern critical ethnographic methodology (Lather, 1991) to examine the experiences of a group of student teachers and me, as their tutor, over the course of a one year PGCE programme. The focus is on how experiences in University and in School shape their emerging professional identities, in particular how these experiences encourage or discourage the development of a creative approach to the practice of language teaching. There is evidence which suggests that ML teaching is often mundane and does not inspire young people to study Languages (The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), 2011). However, the pressures of ‘performative’ requirements which privilege that which is measurable (Ball, 2003) act as a discouragement to creativity. This thesis finds that whilst student teachers express a desire to be more creative, they find it difficult to implement their ideas in School. I draw on postmodern interpretations of Marx and Freud to problematize the notion of ‘professional autonomy’ and to argue that the early formation of professional identity is a process of acquiescence to oppressive external structures over which individuals have no control, resulting in the alienation of the individual from the work they do. I also explore questions concerning the nature of subjectivity and the relationship between the individual and the external world through Romantic philosophy and poetry. As both subject and object of this ethnographic study, I employ a reflexive methodology to explore the evolution of my own professional identity. The critical narrative emerges from the data, which reveals how professional identities are simultaneously constructed and alienated. 1 2 Summary of portfolio This thesis builds on work I have undertaken as part of the Doctorate in Education over the course of the past four years. Below I provide a brief summary of the assignments I completed. Research Methods In this first assignment, I encountered postmodern critiques of positivist research traditions which enabled me to question the research methods I had previously employed in my work. I drew on Gadamer’s (1975) notion of hermeneutic listening to develop my interview techniques and began to study postmodernist researchers such as Patti Lather and Lisa Mazzei (2007). Creativity This module encouraged me to explore different ways of presenting data. As part of the assignment, I produced a short DVD which included video clips of a University seminar in which I introduced my students to drama. This was interspersed with a reflective commentary. Through this assignment I became acquainted with the literature on creativity which helped me to probe some of the issues relating to my practice. Social Theory For this assignment I was required to undertake an in-depth study of a theorist of my own choice. My interest in French philosophy, and newly acquired interest in postmodernism led me to select Derrida. I also read works by Foucault and Bourdieu and found a deeper connection with Derrida’s ideas. Policy analysis This assignment gave me the opportunity to probe the relationship between policy and practice in Modern Languages. I undertook an analysis of Modern Languages policy documents which employed Derrida’s notion of deconstruction. 3 Institutions, Discontinuities and Systems of Thought The work I undertook for this module enabled me to develop my understanding of postmodernist philosophy, in particular post-feminist thinkers such as Julia Kristeva. The study I completed explored the relationship between institutional influences and the emerging professional identities of language teachers. It presented a critique of the corporatization of Education in Academy schools. 4
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