Secondary school attendance, the role of the form tutor: an autobiographical inquiry

Abstract

This thesis will illustrate the strong, significant and positive relationship between
attendance at secondary schools in England and the role of the form tutor. The aim of
this thesis is to use narrative methodology to show how this relationship is
auto/biographical in nature and how it could potentially be critically important to
understanding and raising attendance levels.

Part I will provide evidence that school attendance is currently officially approached
in a restricted, quantitative manner. This has led to inaccurate and ill-defined data and
initiatives, with little success in raising attendance. Further, there is a lack of
qualitative understanding surrounding the role of the form tutor. Thus, although
students and form tutors recognise how their personal and qualitatively described
interactions influence attendance, this is not identified by official publications.

Part II will argue that a new epistemological approach is required to incorporate the
qualitative, individual and auto/biographical elements already positively influencing
attendance but currently unable to gain just recognition. Wittgenstein’s (1953)
philosophical theories will be argued to include dialectic elements of meaning and
therefore provide grounding for a new approach to attendance. In turn, this requires
the structure and content of narrative time, identity and ethics, based upon Ricoeur
(1955, 1965, 1969, 1975, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990), to fully communicate the
significant relationship between attendance, individuals and the role of the form tutor:
ultimately enhancing the accuracy, definition and understanding of attendance.

Part III will discuss the practical implications of this new epistemology and
methodology, through an analysis of the methods used here to undertake research with
a small group of form tutors within a secondary school in England. It will also be
noted how narrative theory and my own auto/biographical experiences have affected
this thesis. The content presented crosses multifarious boundaries, bringing together a
passion for mathematics, philosophy, science and self-consciousness, with a personal
experience of family love and professional experience of attendance. Consequently,
this thesis auto/biographically brings together academic, practical, applied, theoretical,
professional and personal concepts to gain a more meaningful understanding of
secondary school attendance.

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