Poku, V;
(2018)
An investigation into the experiences of African and African-Caribbean students whist on teaching practice in South London Primary Schools.
Doctoral thesis (PhD), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This study investigates the experiences of racism of Black teacher trainee Post-graduate students whilst on teaching placements as part fulfilment for their degree. Places on the Post-graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course are highly sought-after at this London university where the student body is predominantly White. The research highlights the fact that the PGCE course is predominantly female so a feminist discourse is used in tandem with Narrative Inquiry (NI) to bring their stories to the fore. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is used as a framework to provide the tools and aid in the articulation and translation of the students’ testimonies. CRT moves to identify how Whiteness is embedded in schools, which are identified as microcosms of society, and helps to throw light on the more covert and subtle manifestations of racism evinced in the students’ narratives. The study explores the psychological and emotional burden the students are subjected to due to an unspoken external pressure to ‘fit in’. The notions of ‘microaggressions’ and ‘double consciousness’ are explored in terms of how the students experience being surveilled but also engaging in self-surveillance so as not to be seen as disrupting too much the status quo of the White somatic norm encountered in schools. It highlights the level of resilience the students have in managing to complete their school placements, a compulsory component for successful completion of the course as well as the safe spaces they have to resort to. In terms of professional practice, the study concludes that the need to continually educate student teachers about the discourse of Whiteness and racism is an on-going Sisyphean task.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | PhD |
| Title: | An investigation into the experiences of African and African-Caribbean students whist on teaching practice in South London Primary Schools |
| Event: | UCL (University College London |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Social Research Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10049518 |
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