Second language learning in secondary schools

: The role of power and agency in Institutional –level decision making

Abstract

This thesis reports on a study conducted in English secondary schools where an investigation took place to critically understand what influences institutional-level decision-making when determining the provision of second language studies in post-14 education. Crucially, an examination of the impact of the decision making practices in MFL is offered, and the extent to which they exercise authority in discourse within institutions, such as secondary schools.
The theoretical framework for this empirical research was grounded in the lens provided by Foucault and some critical theorists as it offers conceptual tools to understand institutional level decision-making in relation to the provision of MFL beyond post -14 education and provides the basis to unpack how situated power dynamics shape the way senior leaders convey, seek and use information to inform practice.
This research took place in three secondary schools on the south coast with similar contrasting catchments: A Studio school; a comprehensive school and a joint Roman Catholic Anglican 11-18 school. Data was collected from three headteachers and three heads of Modern Foreign Languages to critically explore the extent to which senior leaders are positioned with power and agency to enact strategic curriculum changes with a view to afford prominence in the provision of L2 studies beyond KS3. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the analysis was data driven, where a thematic approach was undertaken whilst establishing clear links between the research objectives and the summary findings derived from the raw data. In order to add further rigour to the study, the thematic analysis was overlaid with critical discourse analysis.
The findings indicate that decisions relating to MFL provision beyond KS3 are devolved to senior leaders, and this decision-making process is underpinned by their values and beliefs about the importance of L2 learning. Moreover, these findings strongly suggest that the fundamental beliefs and philosophies about inclusive practices and opportunities for all are misaligned with the external accountability measures which serve to widen the participation and attainment gap. It was also found that school leaders in the schools in question continued to pursue their agenda and offer MFLs to their students regardless of negative perceptions imposed by socio-political and historical landscapes.

Date of Award	28 Jun 2022
Original language	English
Supervisor	Jaclyn Murray (Supervisor) & Simon Boxley (Supervisor)