Abstract
This work has focused on the teacher as the underrepresented voice in RSE discourse. Young people have high expectations of RSE (Schall et al., 2016; Pound et al., 2016), and this thesis considers the significance of teachers in meeting those expectations. Concomitant research centralises the voice of the young person and notes RSE’s importance in health and wellbeing outcomes yet can problematise RSE in highlighting its failings and missed opportunities (Sell & Reiss, 2022; Walker et al., 2021). I felt that it was meaningless for academics to keep producing work that states where RSE lets down the young person, if the teacher is not understood and provided with the space to be heard. This thesis gives voice to the teacher to enable understanding of the structural challenges encountered when providing an RSE experience that meets the expectations of all its stakeholders. The thesis argues that without a thorough understanding of the experiences of teachers; little can change for young people.This critical ethnography was conducted throughout 2020-2022 drawing from lesson observations, micro organic interviews and semi-structured conversational interviews. Ethical humour is conceptualised in this study as a new pedagogical approach to RSE that utilises and represents humour with an educational purpose, whilst providing a positive coping mechanism for teachers within the complex situational realities of RSE delivery. This RSE research stands apart from existing work through its analysis of proximal and distal influence through an ecological systems lens (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). Reflexivity guides this empirical work conceptualising the personal and structural mechanisms of the complex and varied experiences of teachers of RSE. In challenging the negative narrative evident within the socio historical context of RSE, teachers within this study were centralised so that we might understand the multiple layers of reality that exist from their perspective. This thesis further argues that a change in thinking, along with a new approach to RSE pedagogy and training is needed to ensure improved, inclusive, robust RSE can be delivered that is a positive experience for the teacher and the student.
| Date of Award | 7 Jul 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Jo Bishop (Main Supervisor) & Kate Lavender (Co-Supervisor) |