Title: “TAKING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE”: A CONSTRUCTIVIST GROUNDED THEORY OF H.E TEACHER PRACTICE ENACTMENTS AT A UK LANDBASED COLLEGE Name: Eve Rapley This is a digitised version of a dissertation submitted to the University of Bedfordshire. It is available to view only. This item is subject to copyright. “TAKING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE”: A CONSTRUCTIVIST GROUNDED THEORY OF H.E. TEACHER PRACTICE ENACTMENTS AT A UK LANDBASED COLLEGE E. RAPLEY Ph.D. 2017 UNIVERSITY OF BEDFORDSHIRE Institute for Research in Education (IREd) “TAKING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE”: A CONSTRUCTIVIST GROUNDED THEORY OF H.E. TEACHER PRACTICE ENACTMENTS AT A UK LANDBASED COLLEGE by Eve Rapley A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2017 Academic Thesis: Declaration of Authorship I, EVE RAPLEY declare that this thesis and the work presented in it are my own and has been generated by me as the result of my own original research. “TAKING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE”: A CONSTRUCTIVIST GROUNDED THEORY OF H.E. TEACHER PRACTICE ENACTMENTS AT A UK LANDBASED COLLEGE I confirm that: 1. This work was done wholly or mainly while in candidature for a research degree at this University; 2. Where any part of this thesis has previously been submitted for a degree or any other qualification at this University or any other institution, this has been clearly stated; 3. Where I have cited the published work of others, this is always clearly attributed; 4. Where I have quoted from the work of others, the source is always given. With the exception of such quotations, this thesis is entirely my own work; 5. I have acknowledged all main sources of help; 6. Where the thesis is based on work done by myself jointly with others, I have made clear exactly what was done by others and what I have contributed myself; 7. Parts of this work have been published as indicated on p.19 (Rapley, 2017) and pp.16, 359 and 386 (Rapley, 2014). Name of candidate: Eve Rapley Signature: Date: 28th September 2017 ii Abstract Landbased Studies Foundation and Bachelor degrees (FD and BSc) are generally taught in specialist FE landbased colleges, with teachers typically teaching both FE (Ofqual RQF Levels 0–3) and HE (Ofqual RQF Levels 4–6). Such teachers are designated in the literature as being HE in FE (Higher Education in Further Education) or CBHE (College Based Higher Education) teachers. Using a single case study landbased college, this study adopts a qualitative, naturalistic methodology using intensive interviewing and classroom observations of six Animal, Equine and Veterinary Nursing Studies HE in FE teachers. Characterised as an under-represented group within UK education research, these teachers teach both HE and FE within a small, UK landbased college. The study examines the nature of HE teacher pedagogic practice enactments, and factors which enable and constrain them within an FE college environment. Conceived within a interpretivist socio-constructivist framework, this study is influenced by the anti-dualist social philosophy of Practice Theory (PT) whereby people, places and material objects all contribute to how practice is enacted. Rather than considering material artefacts to be merely background objects and a college being simply an inert container where teaching takes place, a sensitivity to Practice Theory considers the FE context, material aspects and teacher pedagogic practices as a whole, rather than from one or other side of the structure versus agency divide. Within this study a particular variant of Practice Theory, Practice Architectures (PA) (Kemmis and Grootenboer, 2008), has been used to sensitise the study. The study adopts a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach as a means of exploring a neglected and under-theorised area of Post-Compulsory education. The CGT methodology influenced and guided the research design and interpretive data iii analysis. Using purposive sampling of teacher participants, theoretical sampling, and the iterative cycles of constant comparison associated with Grounded Theory (GT), the data was used to construct four key categories. From these categories three main theoretical themes were identified from the data; Surveillance and Control, Teacher Identity and Agency, and Pedagogic Risk Aversion. The interpretive analysis suggests that HE pedagogic practice enactments are influenced and constrained by the college as a site, by its management, and by the wider neoliberal landscape of surveillance and auditing, as well as by the teachers themselves, the HE students, and material, non-human physical spaces and artefacts. The resultant HE pedagogic practice enactments are risk averse, tending towards instrumentalism and teacher-centeredness. The final CGT theoretically accounts for the HE practice enactments of the HE in FE teachers at the college and is discussed in relation to HE in FE literature, and to a number of pertinent theories within and beyond education. The CGT contributes to an enhanced understanding of HE teacher pedagogic practice enactments, and has potential for generalisability beyond the specific college. The original contributions to knowledge consists of: devising a novel methodology whereby PT/PA and CGT are articulated; adding to the body of literature for HE in FE pedagogy; and adding to the pauce corpus of literature for landbased education. iv Acknowledgements Love and huge thanks to my family, principally RR and EG for your never ending love, patience and understanding. I’ve missed you both and look forward to us all being properly together again. Thanks also to LW and CT for your on-going support and interest in my research endeavours; it means a lot. A number of friends and colleagues have been willing me on since the start of my studies and I extend my thanks to them. I want to give particular mention to two friends, Sue and Jo. Sue has been a marvellous supporter and has provided my daughter with a ‘second home and second family’ during the PhD. Jo has been with me from my original application to study for this PhD, through to final completion, offering support and checking in on me all the way along. Sincere appreciation to Dr Andrea Raiker, my Director of Studies and my mentor. I think you always believed that I could do it, and your belief motivated me to see the research through to the end. Thanks to Prof Patrick Carmichael. I learned a lot from the challenging discussions we engaged in during our supervisory meetings. Your introduction to Practice Theory proved to be pivotal in determining the ultimate direction of the study. Finally, thanks to Dr Peter Norrington for his invaluable guidance with matters concerning proofing, editing and preparation of this thesis for submission. v Outputs from this study Rapley, E (2017) ‘Unearthing, uncovering and understanding’. Entwining ethnography with practice theory and constructivist grounded theory to explore HE teacher practice enactments in an FE landbased college. Paper presented at the Ethnography and Education conference, September 12, 2017, New College, Oxford University. Rapley, E (2017) “Seeing the light”. Personal epiphanies and moving towards interpretivism; a researcher’s tale of exploring teacher pedagogic practice. Ethnography and Education, 19/4/2017 DOI: 10.1080/17457823.2017.1315311.. Rapley, E (2017) “Personal epiphanies and seeing the world afresh; Developing a qualitative research methodology to explore higher education teacher pedagogic practices in a UK landbased college”. Invited session chair and presenter at the European Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, 7–9 February, 2017, University of Leuven, Belgium. Rapley, E (2016) Beyond the binary; using practice theory to explore teacher pedagogic practice in College Based HE (CBHE). Invited ‘Think Piece’ for HEFCE funded AoC (Association of Colleges) Scholarship Project (www.aoc.co.uk/think-pieces). Rapley, E (2016) “A new way of doing, a new was of seeing”. Developing a novel qualitative research methodology to explore HE pedagogic practices of HE in FE teachers within a UK Land Based college. Paper presented at the 2nd International Research in Post-Compulsory Education (ARPCE) conference, July 9, 2016, Harris Manchester College, Oxford University. Rapley, E (2016) Is the grass greener? Experiences of HE students in an FE Land Based college. Poster at BERA workshop event, May 25, 2016, Bedford. Rapley, E (2016) Methodological melding and mixing – Using Practice Theory and Grounded Theory to research post-compulsory education. Poster at BERA workshop event, May 25, 2016, Bedford vi Rapley, E (2014) The lives of others; exploring the lived experience of HE in FE Animal/Equine Studies lecturers within an FE Land Based College. Paper presented at international FERA conference July 12, 2014, Harris Manchester College, Oxford University. Rapley, E (2014) Real Deal? Or Raw Deal? Higher Education Students in a Land Based Further Education College - Experiences Explored (poster) University of Bedfordshire Conference. Innovation: Making it happen, Bedford, 1 July, 2014. Rapley, E (2014) Horses for courses, or a grumble in the jungle? HE in FE student perceptions of the HE experience in a Land Based college Research in Post- Compulsory Education, 19 (2), pp.194-211. Rapley, E (2014) Horses for courses, or a grumble in the jungle? HE in FE student perceptions of the HE experience in a Land Based college. Poster presentation at SEDA national conference May 15th 2014, Newcastle. vii Contents