What Is the Effect of Contextualised Grammar Teaching Using Functional Linguistics Strategies on the Understanding of Year 9 Learners in Writing Tasks?
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What is the effect of contextualised grammar teaching using Functional Linguistics strategies on the understanding of Year 9 learners in writing tasks? PhD Education Department of Education Harriet Speed August 2019 What is the effect of contextualised grammar teaching using Functional Linguistics strategies on the understanding of Year 9 learners in writing tasks? Submitted by Harriet Louise Speed to the University of Reading as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Education, August 2019. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I confirm that this is my own work and the use of all material from other sources has been properly and fully acknowledged. (Signed) ……H. SPEED 2 ABSTRACT This thesis presents an investigation into the effects of teaching grammar in a contextualised manner on the writing of Year 9 pupils. It explores the ways in which grammar can be taught as part of a pedagogy which seeks to use Functional Linguistics, more specifically Systemic Functional Linguistics and Cognitive Grammar, as an accessible pedagogy in the classroom. The study used a case-study methodology to explore the impact of teaching grammar using Functional Linguistics strategies on the writing of Year 9 pupils. The study focused on two intervention lessons which introduced grammatical concepts in a contextualised manner. These lessons were recorded and analysed according to the links that participants made between the intervention lessons and the writing which they completed post-intervention. Participants from a whole year group from the target site were included in the section of the study which analysed writing samples. A smaller sample of participants also took part in a ‘think aloud’ section of the study which included recording these participants as they were verbally considering how to construct their pieces of writing. These data were analysed to explore the impact of the teaching strategies used on participants’ metalinguistic understanding. The findings are presented using Systemic Functional Linguistics as a model which explores the participants’ understanding of the writing task. The study is significant in considering how the metalinguistic understanding of pupils can be enhanced using pedagogies related to Functional Linguistics. It also provides a current method of teaching grammar using a pedagogy which is multi- faceted and responds to teachers’ calls for the further provision of accessible grammatical pedagogies. It also allows for suggestions to be made as to further advancements which are required in policy and training. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of my participants for their generous, and enthusiastic, contributions to this project. My colleagues also require a special mention for their unfailing support, good-humour and willingness to participate even when time is at a premium. Professor Rhona Stainthorp, my supervisor, and Doctor Alison Silby have provided endless support and helpful critique throughout this process. My supervisory team has been endlessly patient, understanding and encouraging through even the busiest times of a teaching calendar. Huge thanks also go to my husband, Doctor Jonathon Speed, whose tenacity rivals my own. 4 CONTENTS Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 10 1.1. The research problem ......................................................................................................... 10 1.1.1. Teaching grammar for writing in the classroom .......................................................... 10 1.1.2. The emphasis placed on Literature ............................................................................. 12 1.2. The scope and significance of the study .............................................................................. 14 1.3. The structure of the thesis .................................................................................................. 15 Chapter 2. Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 17 2.1. Grammar: Setting the Current Political and Academic Scene ............................................. 17 2.1.1. Definitions of Grammar and Partnering Pedagogies ................................................... 17 2.1.2. Grammar: The Political and Academic Debate ............................................................ 19 2.1.3. Teachers of Grammar .................................................................................................. 23 2.2. Contextualised Grammar Teaching ..................................................................................... 25 2.2.1. Definitions of Contextualised Grammar Teaching ....................................................... 25 2.2.2. Contextualised Grammar in the English Classroom ..................................................... 26 2.3. Functional Linguistics and its place in the classroom .......................................................... 26 2.3.1 Systemic Functional Linguistics ................................................................................... 27 2.3.2 Cognitive Linguistics and Cognitive Grammar ............................................................. 28 2.3.3. Cognitive Grammar and its place in the English classroom ......................................... 30 2.3.4. Movement as a Learning Tool ..................................................................................... 33 2.3.5. Cognitive Grammar and Writing ................................................................................. 35 2.4. The Link between Grammar and Writing ............................................................................ 35 2.4.1. The nature of the link between Grammar and Writing ............................................... 35 2.4.2. Defining Metalinguistic Understanding ....................................................................... 38 2.4.3. Writing and Cognitive Development ........................................................................... 40 2.4.4. Models for Writing Development................................................................................ 42 2.5. Summary ............................................................................................................................. 43 Chapter 3. Contextualisation ........................................................................................................ 45 3.1. Wider Educational Climate .................................................................................................. 45 3.2. Site ...................................................................................................................................... 46 3.3. English at Key Stage 3 within the Site.................................................................................. 47 3.4. The Researcher ................................................................................................................... 48 3.5. The Teachers ....................................................................................................................... 49 3.6. The Participants .................................................................................................................. 49 3.6.1 The Think Aloud Participants ............................................................................................. 51 5 3.6.2 Other Participants .............................................................................................................. 52 Chapter 4. Research Methodology and Research Methods .......................................................... 54 4.1. Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 54 4.2. Research Paradigm and theoretical position....................................................................... 55 4.2.1. Research Paradigm ...................................................................................................... 55 4.2.2. Theorisation of ‘understanding’ the writing task ........................................................ 56 4.3. Research Design .................................................................................................................. 56 4.3.1. Overview ..................................................................................................................... 56 4.3.2. A Case Study Focus ...................................................................................................... 58 4.3.3. Practitioner Research .................................................................................................. 62 4.3.4. Validity ........................................................................................................................ 64 4.4. Data: methods of information collection ............................................................................ 65 4.4.1. Intervention Lesson Recordings (Observations) .......................................................... 65 4.4.2. Writing Samples .......................................................................................................... 67 4.4.3. Think Aloud (protocol analysis) ................................................................................... 68 4.4.4. Resources