Secondary school attendance, the role of the form tutor: an autobiographical inquiry

This thesis will illustrate the strong, significant and positive relationship between<br/>attendance at secondary schools in England and the role of the form tutor. The aim of<br/>this thesis is to use narrative methodology to show how this relationship is<br/>auto/biographical in nature and how it could potentially be critically important to<br/>understanding and raising attendance levels.<br/><br/>Part I will provide evidence that school attendance is currently officially approached<br/>in a restricted, quantitative manner. This has led to inaccurate and ill-defined data and<br/>initiatives, with little success in raising attendance. Further, there is a lack of<br/>qualitative understanding surrounding the role of the form tutor. Thus, although<br/>students and form tutors recognise how their personal and qualitatively described<br/>interactions influence attendance, this is not identified by official publications.<br/><br/>Part II will argue that a new epistemological approach is required to incorporate the<br/>qualitative, individual and auto/biographical elements already positively influencing<br/>attendance but currently unable to gain just recognition. Wittgenstein’s (1953)<br/>philosophical theories will be argued to include dialectic elements of meaning and<br/>therefore provide grounding for a new approach to attendance. In turn, this requires<br/>the structure and content of narrative time, identity and ethics, based upon Ricoeur<br/>(1955, 1965, 1969, 1975, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990), to fully communicate the<br/>significant relationship between attendance, individuals and the role of the form tutor:<br/>ultimately enhancing the accuracy, definition and understanding of attendance.<br/><br/>Part III will discuss the practical implications of this new epistemology and<br/>methodology, through an analysis of the methods used here to undertake research with<br/>a small group of form tutors within a secondary school in England. It will also be<br/>noted how narrative theory and my own auto/biographical experiences have affected<br/>this thesis. The content presented crosses multifarious boundaries, bringing together a<br/>passion for mathematics, philosophy, science and self-consciousness, with a personal<br/>experience of family love and professional experience of attendance. Consequently,<br/>this thesis auto/biographically brings together academic, practical, applied, theoretical,<br/>professional and personal concepts to gain a more meaningful understanding of<br/>secondary school attendance.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Ph.D.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Southampton

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Elhaggagi, Claire Elizabeth

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Clarke, Gill