Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Exploring the out-of-school writing practices of three children aged 9 - 10 years old and how these practices travel across and within the domains of home and school Thesis How to cite: Chamberlain, Elizabeth May (2015). Exploring the out-of-school writing practices of three children aged 9 - 10 years old and how these practices travel across and within the domains of home and school. EdD thesis The Open University. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2015 The Author https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21954/ou.ro.0000b6c8 Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Elizabeth May Chamberlain BA Hons (Brighton), Dip Psych (Open University), MA (Sussex) Exploring the out-of-school writing practices of three children aged 9 - 10 years old and how these practices travel across and within the domains of home and school. Doctor of Education (EdD) 30th January 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................. iii CHAPTER ONE – INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................... 7 2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Writing ................................................................................................................. 8 2.2.1 Conceptualisations of writing .............................................................................. 8 2.2.2 Writing as part of everyday literacy practice ..................................................... 11 2.2.3 Writing as situated social practice ..................................................................... 12 2.3 Middle primary phase Children as writers ........................................................... 14 2.4 Domains of influence on children’s writing ......................................................... 18 2.4.1 Domain exchange ............................................................................................... 19 2.4.2 Out-of-school writing ......................................................................................... 20 2.4.3 Writing at home ................................................................................................. 20 2.4.4 Education policy and writing .............................................................................. 24 2.4.5 Writing at school ................................................................................................ 26 2.5 Exploring the gap between home and school writing practices ........................... 31 2.5.1 Ecological systems theory .................................................................................. 32 2.5.2 The influence of places and spaces .................................................................... 36 2.5.3 Writing in the borderlands ................................................................................. 37 2.5.4 Sub rosa writing practices .................................................................................. 39 2.6 Summary ............................................................................................................ 41 CHAPTER THREE - RESEARCH METHODS AND METHODLOGY ....................................... 43 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 43 3.2 MethodologiCal position ..................................................................................... 43 3.2.1 Defining the problem ......................................................................................... 45 3.2.2 Case study methodology .................................................................................... 46 3.3 The pilot study ................................................................................................... 48 3.4 The main study ................................................................................................... 49 3.4.1 The Research Questions ..................................................................................... 49 3.4.2 Research contexts .............................................................................................. 50 3.4.2.1 Research design .......................................................................................... 50 3.4.2.2 Children as researchers ............................................................................... 51 3.4.2.3 Participants ................................................................................................. 52 3.4.2.4 Time frame .................................................................................................. 53 3.4.2.5 Settings ....................................................................................................... 54 3.4.3 Reflexivity and the researcher ........................................................................... 56 3.4.4 Ethical considerations ........................................................................................ 56 3.5 Reliability and validity ........................................................................................ 59 3.6 Data colleCtion methods ..................................................................................... 60 3.6.1 Field notes .......................................................................................................... 61 3.6.2 Conversations .................................................................................................... 62 3.6.2.1 Home conversations ................................................................................... 62 3.6.2.2 School conversations .................................................................................. 63 3.6.3 Teacher interviews ............................................................................................. 63 3.6.4 Parent interviews ............................................................................................... 64 3.6.5 Artefacts both kept, created and captured ........................................................ 64 3.6.6 Observations ...................................................................................................... 65 3.6.7 Video and photographs ...................................................................................... 67 3.7 Data analysis ...................................................................................................... 68 3.7.1 Thematic analysis ............................................................................................... 68 3.7.2 The use of Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software ................... 69 3.7.3 Final data set ...................................................................................................... 70 3.7.4 Phase One: Familiarisation of data .................................................................... 72 3.7.5 Phase Two: Generating initial codes ................................................................. 74 3.7.6 Phase Three: Searching for themes ................................................................... 77 3.7.7 Phase Four: Reviewing themes ......................................................................... 82 3.7.8 Phase Five: Defining and naming themes ......................................................... 86 3.8 Summary ............................................................................................................ 88 CHAPTER FOUR - FINDINGS .......................................................................................... 90 4.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 90 4.2 The children’s mini-biographies .......................................................................... 92 4.2.1 Milly ................................................................................................................... 92 4.2.2 Sid ...................................................................................................................... 93 4.2.3 Simon ................................................................................................................. 94 4.3 The themes ........................................................................................................ 94 4.4 Places, spaces and local customs ........................................................................ 95 4.4.1 Home writing places and spaces ........................................................................ 97 4.4.1.1 Milly ........................................................................................................ 97 4.4.1.2 Sid .......................................................................................................... 101 4.4.1.3 Simon