Under the supervision of Dr. Janet Dixon Keller, graduate student Steven Maas will investigate the efforts of teachers in Wales (United Kingdom) to teach aspects of Welshness in their implementation of a broad, cross-subject, culture curriculum. Recent research on education and national identity has found that no centrally-defined notion of Welsh citizenship exists, despite the recent institution of a Wales-specific curriculum. Therefore, Maas will search for vernacular forms of citizenship among primary school teachers exhibited during history lessons. He anticipates finding a relationship between teachers' pedagogies and teachers' attitudes on Welsh culture, language, and national governance. He will observe the pedagogical practices through participant observation in classrooms and measure their attitudes with standard psychological scales. Because language choice affords different symbolic resources, he also will compare teachers in a Welsh-medium school with teachers in an English-medium school.
One dimension of this research concerns teachers' informal self-regulation in performing their roles in the educational delivery system: Discussions of the future of the Welsh language (Cymraeg) and Welsh government require teachers to navigate zones of potential controversy since Wales is not independent of England. A second major dimension concerns broader discourses about cultural difference, such as the rubric of "diversity." This research will advance understanding of mechanisms that variably promote and constrain nation-oriented, cultural commitments in public schools. It has the potential to impact public policy, both in Wales, where discussions of citizenship have just begun, and in other countries with cultural diversity and public education systems. Findings will contribute to knowledge about culture, language identities, and plurality in the public sphere. The research also will contribute significantly to the education of a social scientist.
