An investigation into the language attitudes, beliefs and values of socio-economically disadvantaged boys in Sandwell and how they relate to the National Curriculum and its ideological underpinnings

Doyle, Daniel (2019). An investigation into the language attitudes, beliefs and values of socio-economically disadvantaged boys in Sandwell and how they relate to the National Curriculum and its ideological underpinnings. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis presents a case study that was conducted with boys aged ten and eleven in a primary school in the West Midlands, UK. The boys were all from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. Their communicative repertoires included local varieties of English. The research questions were: (1) What are the boys' attitudes to standard and non-standard English spoken forms? (2) How do the boys' language attitudes, beliefs and values relate to requirements of the National Curriculum and the language ideologies underpinning it? (3) What are the implications for educational practice and policy? The research design incorporated different approaches to data gathering and data analysis: Firstly, an analysis of the content and discourse of the 2014 National Curriculum documents for English, showing how Standard English is discursively constructed as the legitimate language of schooling. Secondly, a small-scale study with thirty boys (an Accent Awareness Test) that generated a quantitative account of their language attitudes and awareness. Thirdly, discourse and narrative analysis focusing on audio-recordings of group discussions and small stories exchanged between the boys. Here, the focus was on gaining insights into the boys’ emic perspectives. The project findings led to school-based curriculum innovations that took account of the boys’ communicative repertoires.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):