The role of English in the conversation of humankind: humanism and creativity in Newbolt (1921) and the national curriculum (2014)

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
124 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The centenary of the publication of The Teaching of English in England provides an opportunity to consider the current National Curriculum for English in England from a historical perspective. This paper reports on a hermeneutic study that explores the humanist values underpinning Newbolt’s Report and how they shape the creative practice the Report advocates, in relation to the current curriculum. It briefly considers the reasons behind the current creativity- and risk-averse orders and the possible impact on creative classroom practice, concluding that an awareness of the tradition of creativity in English teaching (in particular, through Newbolt) is important to shape future practice. In so doing, it promotes hermeneutics as an approach to educational research.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)253-265
Number of pages13
JournalEnglish in Education
Volume53
Issue number3
Early online date5 Aug 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2019

Bibliographical note

The article is for a Special Edition on the near-centenary of the publication of the Newbolt Report (1921)

Research Groups and Themes

  • SoE Centre for Teaching Learning and Curriculum
  • SoE Centre for Knowledge, Culture, and Society
  • SoE Language Literacies and Education Network

Keywords

  • creativity
  • humanism
  • hermeneutics
  • Newbolt
  • national curriculum

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