Developing a signature pedagogy for the teaching of writing or literacy/ies

The aim of the study reported in this thesis was to identify the value of the concept of 'signature pedagogies' to understanding the multiple experiences and perspectives that underpin the creative approach to the teaching of writing of an arts organisation. Drawing on data in the form of life history vignettes, I examine the ways in which the personal intersects with the professional within a wider policy context to inform a distinctive pedagogic approach which aims to tackle inequalities in literacy education. In doing so, I make an original contribution to the field of arts education by developing the concept of 'signature pedagogies' in relation to arts practice, making recommendations about the need for greater recognition of the role of individual identities in shaping pedagogy and arts pedagogy in particular. The thesis also contributes three key recommendations to the field of arts education in relation to literacy and the teaching of writing and provides a new tool for supporting reflection by arts educators so that they can make explicit and also develop their own practice.