Clare Suss
I undertook the part-time MA Language and Literacy in Education because I really wanted to gain insight into the barriers that my GCSE re-sit students face when they read and write. I decided to write my dissertation on punctuation as it is one of the areas that my students find really challenging and I could not find much in the literature about teaching it to this cohort of students. My supervisor Caitlin was really helpful in assisting me in thinking about methodology and focus. She helped me come to the decision to let the students’ voices really speak through using semi-structured interviews. I found it very humbling and enlightening to really listen to my students and see the learning process from their point of view. Caitlin also encouraged me to find my own voice alongside that of the students and communicate in a way I felt comfortable.
Shortly after I had received a distinction and very positive feedback for my dissertation, I saw that ‘The Use of English’ was calling for contributions for their Autumn Edition on Linkedin. Seeing that one of the editors was also an FE English teacher, I decided to approach her with my suggestion of an article based on my research. She was enthusiastic and suggested I edit it down to around 3000 words and then submit. This was a challenge but I decided to think about who my reader might be – other teachers – and enlisted some to read the full dissertation. They agreed with me that it was the students’ voices that deserved the widest audience and so I chose to focus my key findings with extracts from the students’ insights. I also found it helpful to look previously published articles to ascertain the style I should use for the abstract and references.
The MA really transformed my understanding of how we develop our reading and writing skills and I have gained more confidence in my own knowledge and practice. I have also shared my research and insights at a couple of conferences where I have further expanded my network of contacts in the sector.
