Research Students' Annual Conference (RSAC) 2010 - School of ...

Room2 / St. George
Room1 / Great
Woodhouse
School of Education Research Students’ Annual Conference (RSAC) 2010
24 November, University House, University of Leeds
Name
Email
Title
12.40 – 1.05 Parallel sessions 1
Shaista Shirazi
edsms@leeds.ac.uk
The relationship of student experience of school science to post-16 science take-up
Perceptions of school science may be an influential factor in the decision to take up science once it is
no longer compulsory. This study aims to investigate which factors in their school experience impact
upon a student‘s decision to take science or not post-16. The study looks at the broad pattern of
students‘ experience of school science and compares responses of students who have chosen to take
science at post-16 with those who have decided not to take science.
The exploration of students‘ responses is based on the ‗storyline method‘ in which students draw a
storyline to show high and low points in their school experience. Questionnaires will be completed by
sixth form students to show their perceptions of school science as they progressed through secondary
school. This will be supported by written explanations of high and low points in their storyline
graphs. The study is enhanced with narratives from students through in-depth interviews detailing
perceptions of school science as well as the influences impacting on whether they choose science or
not at post-16.
Name
Email
Title
12.40 – 1.05 Parallel sessions 2
Carrie Birch
carriebirchdirect@yahoo.co.uk
An investigation of learning culture in socially extended communities
The presentation is based on findings from three interlinked studies undertaken for my thesis. I
explore the idea of learning cultures in socially excluded communities, differences between cultures
of community and state, and their implications for provision. I describe the impact of early
experiences on educational achievement, attitudes to learning, and identity in adult life. Concepts
relevant to the research are social exclusion, educational identity, social capital, learning, culture and
social inequality. I account for my methodology, using life history as a method and highlighting
participants‘ narratives.
The three studies reported were undertaken in one community. The first study provides evidence of
the nature of the community, its culture and social networks as perceived by local residents. The
second study focuses on the experiences of adults who had not participated in learning since leaving
school. Findings include the impact of early education on participants‘ adult identities and attitudes
to learning, high incidence of trauma and low confidence. The third study reports on the life
narratives, with findings including changes in attitudes and educational identities of participants in a
project which offered opportunities to learn and reflect on their own lives. Contributions to
knowledge are also reported.
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