My name is Rianna, I am a third-year English Literature student and I worked in the Collaborative Research Internship on the Imagining Learning project.
This summer, I worked on a project titled, ‘Imagining Learning’ which sought to examine the presentation of teaching and learning within literature. The concept of teaching and learning, with a specific focus on the nature of teaching within the British education system, has always been a topic that fascinated me – what theories underpin the way we learn? How have these theories been tested and developed over time? What is the significance of the intersection between educational theory and politics? My desire to answer these questions attracted me to this project greatly, and I was eager to delve into the reading list set by Professor Rex Ferguson.
I thoroughly enjoyed working on the project, especially learning about contemporary educational theory. I was able to develop my understanding of familiar concepts, such as the idea that students study better and are more motivated when studying subjects they have a genuine interest in – being led by passion leads to better marks and grades. This is often dampened by the nature of assessments, which perpetuate the idea that being able to memorise facts and figures equates to higher levels of intelligence. Passion for subjects is often lost or is never explored due to fears of failure during assessments, a concept which is not only damaging for the child fearing failure but also damaging to our society as a whole which is deprived of potential talent.
A new concept I particularly enjoyed exploring was the relationship between culture and education. Because education is a social activity, education and culture should not be separate and teachers must possess an adequate understanding of the different cultures that exist within their classrooms. Students whose home cultures match the culture of the education they are being provided with will enter the system with ‘cultural capital’ which accumulates in good reports and high teacher expectations. However, students whose culture does not match this will have to work harder to prove themselves. I found this concept especially interesting when considering just how important the relationship between teachers and students really is. Teachers are not just people who pass on knowledge and allow students to refine their skills, but they are also people who help children shape how they view the world, impacting the path they choose to embark on.
I was privileged enough to be able to provide my honest and truthful options on the literature I was reading in order to aid Rex with his project, and I look forward to taking the skills I gained forward within my degree and beyond.
Rianna Mistry, BA English