Showing papers by "Christine Skelton published in 2001"

Schooling the Boys: Masculinities and Primary Education

Abstract: Introduction Part one A history of boys' schooling Theorizing masculinities Boys and primary schools a feminist perspective Part two Primary schools and local communities Being a (school) boy Male teachers and primary schools Heterosexuality in the primary classroom Conclusion References Index.

Men Teachers and the Construction of Heterosexual Masculinity in the Classroom

Abstract: Many studies have identified the classroom as an arena for the construction of gender and sexuality. Yet there has been relatively little attention to the role of teachers here, or to the deeper dynamics of teachers' constructions of gender and sexuality in the classroom. This article attempts to address these issues, examining the perpetuation of (sexist) heterosexual norms in the classroom by male teachers. Drawing on data from fieldwork in primary and secondary schools, the article examines the various ways in which men teachers use discourses of gender and sexuality to construct their masculinity. It is argued that the construction of masculinity involves drawing on misogynist and homophobic discourses, which can manifest in sexual harassment. The article reflects on the problematic aspects of heterosexual desire, and concludes with some suggestions for policy and practice.

Ethnicity and the professional socialisation of teachers: final report to the Teacher Training Agency

Abstract: This report draws together the outcomes of a programme of research that has extended over two years. The project, which was financed by the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), aimed to fill some important gaps in our understanding of issues surrounding the recruitment of people from ethnic minorities into the teaching profession, and their subsequent experiences during training and in their first appointments. The project was organised under five interlocking strands. The first consisted of a postal questionnaire to all 1998 Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) entrants who had identified themselves in the Graduate Teacher Training Registry’s (GTTR) returns as being from an ethnic minority, or who had ticked the category of ‘Other’. The questionnaire invited the respondents to comment on a range of issues concerning their motivations for entering teaching and for choosing the particular institution in which they were to train. Two hundred and eighty-nine of the 776 questionnaires sent out were returned, giving a satisfactory response rate for this kind of survey. The second strand examined a similar set of issues from the perspectives of PGCE staff in sixteen initial teacher training institutions, with above average ethnic minority intakes. This strand, which was based on interviews with course directors, admissions tutors and other key personnel, was conducted in seven pre-1992 universities, eight post-1992 universities and one SCITT (i.e. an institution providing school-centred initial teacher training). In the third strand of the study, we returned to many of the same institutions and, with their help, set up interviews with a cross-section of respondents to the trainee questionnaire. In all, forty-nine trainees participated. The fourth strand involved another questionnaire, this time going to newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who had just completed a PGCE course (i.e. the same cohort as had been targeted in the first strand). The main NQT sample comprised 149 respondents. Finally, in the fifth strand, we followed up forty-four of the respondents from the main NQT sample to obtain their personal reflections after nearly one year of teaching. As well as giving a detailed account of each strand of the research, the report also provides a critical bibliography of related work from recent years, an account of the methodologies used, and a set of conclusions and recommendations. The methodology section highlights the limitations of a study such as this, and should be read carefully before any claims are made on the basis of our work. This executive summary draws attention to the main points in each part of the report. 5 On 1 September 2005 the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) became the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) and took on an expanded remit. Visit www.tda.gov.uk for further information. We are re-branding our literature only when necessary.

New Teachers and the Question of Ethnicity

Abstract: During the 20 years since the publication of the Rampton Report (1981) concern has been voiced about the under representation of minority ethnic groups in teaching in England and Wales, and their relative lack of opportunities for career advancement. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) has lobbied for policy interventions to address the issue and in the mid 1980s carried out a survey of staffing in eight local authorities that had ‘higher than average’ minority populations. This revealed that less than three per cent of teachers came from minority ethnic backgrounds and also showed that such teachers were disproportionately concentrated on lower pay scales (CRE 1986, 1988). By 1992 the CRE was urging the Conservative government to take appropriate steps ‘to ensure that people from the ethnic minorities will be recruited for teacher training without unlawful discrimination’ (cited in Osier 1997, p.47). Subsequently, the Higher Education Funding Council responded by funding 17 projects to widen ethnic minority participation in initial teacher training between 1993 and 1994 (HEFC 1995).