You can't write in clouds - An affective entry point to participation in primary school

Research on schooling has identified that some primary school pupils are left out of participation. This doctoral research by a primary school teacher addresses this challenge by introducing an affective approach to participation grounded in embodied knowledge. Drawing on posthumanist and new materialist theories and the concept of affect, the study approaches participation as preconscious experiences emerging within intra-active spaces and sociomaterial relations. It develops new ways of verbalising, observing and organising participation in the classroom.

The study involved 100 primary school pupils over a ten-year period. The data consist of observation diaries, interviews, pupils’ creative work, post-it notes, videos and photographs. Drawing on creative sensory ethnography, gestures, facial expressions and tones of voice were analysed as responses to changes in spaces of participation. The opening and closing of opportunities for participation were observed in pupil development discussions, peer relationships and fleeting moments of everyday school life. The study developed practices to strengthen pupils’ participation, including KESY – Conversation with symbols method.

The dissertation comprises three peer-reviewed articles and a compilation. Together, they present creative research practices and pedagogical-methodological interventions that help identify often overlooked barriers to and opportunities for participation in primary school. The study defines the affective boundaries of participation, which manifest as participation that extends beyond verbal expression, is organised materially and immaterially, stretches normative boundaries, and is strengthened through inclusion. The study introduces the concept of affective participation, which describes a preconscious experience of participation.