The matter of mattering: edgework in education

The thesis explores complexity in education through the philosophical lenses of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and in particular engages with notions of becoming. There is a resistance to traditional models of methodology in attempting to work in rhizomatic ways, not only in the collection and analysis of data, but also in the process of writing. As such there is a case made for 'amorphodological' rather than methodological approaches to research. Accordingly there is no formal methodology or literature review. Instead, the method and literature are weaved or matted into the whole in an attempt to bring forward the notion of folds and lines of flight as outlined by Deleuze and Guattari. The thesis draws on a strong and recent tradition of experimentation with writing through the work of Oenzin, St. Pierre, Richardson and others. Similarly, data has not been sought or formally collected for the thesis, but the author works instead with the notion of 'found' data and the idea of resonance and return in selecting data for analysis and exploration. To this end, the presentation of the data is 'performative' (Denzin 2003) and the author develops the notion of 'cadaver' data in order to explore Deleuzian concepts of returns. The intention is not to draw a conclusive 'is' from the process, but to layer a series of 'ands' into the work - to live with and work with multiplicity and complexity and to ultimately explore whether or not it is possible to work as a teacher within current policy and ideological constraints while maintaining the distance required to play as a rhizomatic-researcher. The possibility of holding onto what 'matters' at a personal and professional level while performing the material outcomes necessary to survive within current accountability structures is examined. To this end, the thesis posits the idea of the teacher as 'becoming- Mobius'; being between seemingly binary positions and develops this in terms of acts of resistance through pedagogy and curriculum.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo