Shifting the gaze: exploring more-than-human entanglements in reception classrooms

Bryce-Clegg, Alistair (2024) Shifting the gaze: exploring more-than-human entanglements in reception classrooms. Doctoral thesis (EdD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This study originated from my consultancy work with Reception teachers in the UK, where I was seeing the growing influence of educational policy agendas on their practice. The current outcomes-driven agenda prioritises specific academic ‘goals’, and this shapes both individual teaching practices and the overall professional culture. As a frequent observer of diverse classroom practice, I repeatedly witnessed instances of profound engagement and learning of children in play, which appeared to be overlooked by adults. It was these unseen dynamics that motivated me to explore this phenomenon further. The thesis starts with a historical overview of the Early Years Foundation Stage, focusing on the policy context that led to the Foundation Stage as it currently informs primary schools. Next, a literature review describes studies of early childhood education that draw on New Material Feminism(s) approaches and concepts. From this, three research questions emerged: what more comes into view when concepts from New Material Feminisms are used to observe classroom life, what disrupts children's self-initiated and directed classroom play, and what kinds of learning take place outside the teachers' awareness? The design followed a social material methodology to explore classroom dynamics from a more-than-human perspective, to identify the diverse entanglements and assemblages that emerge in classrooms beyond the teacher’s gaze, and how these proliferated and what stopped them. The study involved non-participant ethnographic observations in a Reception class in each of the two schools, chosen because they had contrasting socio-demographic profiles. Over 9 months, weekly observations alternated between schools. It took some time to develop my gaze so I could recognise the more-than-human entanglements. Data was recorded as field notes during and after the lessons. Diffractive analysis, encapsulated within six vignettes, unfolds the ways in which children immerse themselves in dynamic events within their learning spaces. The first three vignettes delve into the repercussions of adults interrupting children's ‘vital’ (Stern 2010) engagement. In contrast, the next vignettes capture what occurs when children are allowed to navigate learning spaces without inhibition, unveiling a different facet of their experiences. Findings shed light on the intricate dynamics between adult intervention and uninhibited exploration of classroom events in shaping children's encounters with their learning space. Specifically, there is a notable tension between the spontaneity that appears to be inherent in children's self-initiated play and the structured expectations imposed by a formal educational system. Vignettes reveal that the depth of engagement and learning embedded in children's play is going unseen by teachers. Policy implications affect the pedagogy and practice of both individual educators and the overarching culture of the profession, including pressure on educators to prioritise specific academic goals and calls for a re-evaluation to recognise the generative potential inherent in children's spontaneous activities during play and for a more dynamic and reflexive approach that values the entanglement of human and non-human elements in the educational experience.