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Agyeman, Ama (2024) An exploration of the lived experiences of parents whose children have been permanently excluded from school. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
School exclusion (SE) in England continues to be a topic of debate within education research, policy and practice. Discussions frequently centre around disproportionate impact of SEs on working-class boys, Black and special educational needs (SEN) pupils. Furthermore, worrying correlations between permanently excluded (PEx) individuals and criminal exploitation have been recognised. However, PEx parents and children are frequently problematised and there remains a significant gap in research regarding their perspectives. This is especially in relation to how unique intersecting factors may influence their experiences of SE policies and procedure. This study explores the lived experiences of parents whose children were PEx from a mainstream London school, to understand these within the broader SE policy and discourse context.
Integrative methodological framework:
By introducing the Stratified Integrative Prism (SIP) conceptual framework, this study integrates critical realist and phenomenological theories to achieve ontological, methodological, and axiological congruence. The SIP utilises natural world metaphors to visually enhance analysis of the parents' experiences. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) with semi-structured interviews supported this process.
Findings:
This study finds that when the parents’ experiences are analysed through the SIP’s layers, the profound and complex impact of PE is highlighted. Descriptions of PE experiences include their likening to seismic events, stressing temporal and spatial effects; similarity to water on glass, reflecting intersectional experiences of ableism, classism, and racism; and comparisons to chimeric fireflies, illustrating parents’ navigation through complex PE policy and discourse.
Strengths and limitations:
Conducting this study during the COVID-19 pandemic, presented unique factors, as data gathered was amidst evolving discussions around racial inequality and changes in English politics. In part, the research process was informed by the researcher’s shared identity with participants and background, as an education practitioner in London. The SIP framework also highlighted the ineffable aspects of the research, acknowledging parents’ experiences are embodied and much remains unanswered.
Conclusions:
This study underscores the importance of utilising parents' lived experiences to shape SE policy and practice, advocating for their role as co-creators in both school and national contexts. This thesis recommends use of an intersectional lens to frame these experiences fairly and to appreciate their complexity.
Future research includes examining police involvement in schools and valuing parental knowledge. Methodologically, the SIP, the authors own conceptual framework, offers a holistic, transdisciplinary approach suitable for future research on SE and the experiences of marginalised groups in relation to policy and transformative change.
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