Using Pupil Voice to Investigate Students' Thoughts and Opinions on Cross-Curricular Language Teaching.

The aim of this thesis is as follows: To investigate students’ thoughts and opinions on cross-curricular language teaching. This thesis arose from the context of my own work as a languages teacher in an inner-city comprehensive secondary school, and the fact that I wanted to conduct a piece of research that could inform my own, and potentially others’ teaching practices. In order to investigate such a topic the literature surrounding the concepts of pupil voice, cross-curricular teaching, and student language learning motivation theories were explored and a potential gap in the literature was identified, which was consequently investigated by adopting a methodology surrounding the use of semi-structured group interviews.
The research sample was made up of three groups of Year 9 language learners of differing levels of language attainment. One was a higher attaining group, one a middle, and the other a lower attaining group of students. Attainment was measured by which sets the students were in for their language lessons. All groups contained male and female participants, and were representative of the social and economic demographics of the school.
The research highlighted the fact that although there had been previous cross-curricular projects the students did not view these as being successful. Furthermore they had had little to no previous exposure to cross-curricular language teaching. Students wanted to study topics that taught them about the target culture, sparked their intrinsic motivations, allowed them to work independently in a group environment, and that were evaluated using a range of alternative methods rather than the traditional end of unit test. They were able to reinforce these desires by providing several examples of cross-curricular language projects that they would like to undertake.
The research also surfaced some of the sizeable barriers that may restrict the implementation of such projects. These included: The National Curriculum, departmental schemes of work, the G.C.S.E examinations, and the process of Key Stage 4 option choices.
As a result of the data analysis two frameworks were introduced: One was a student based framework for cross-curricular language teaching, and the other focussed on the barriers impeding such an approach. Finally this thesis provides some recommendations to policy makers and the school in which the research took place, with the aim of attempting to address some of the barriers presented in the barriers framework.