David Fletcher

Topic

The Space Between Self and School: Exploring Relevance, Identity, and Engagement in English Language Arts

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Date & location

• Thursday, November 27, 2025

• 11:00 A.M.

• Clearihue Building

• Room B017

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Kathy Sanford, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Kerry Robertson, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, UVic (Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Christine Younghusband, Faculty of Education, University of Northern British Columbia 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Tracey Lindberg, Faculty of Law, UVic

   

Abstract

This self-study investigates how a focus on relevance within the English Language Arts classroom can support student engagement and identity development. Grounded in the intersecting frameworks of Identity Theory (Burke & Stryker, 2000), Self-determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000), and the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FNESC, 2008), the research explores the conditions under which adolescents connect personally and meaningfully to their learning.

Drawing on classroom field notes, reflective journaling, and interpretive interviews with two secondary teachers, the study situates teaching as a relational and identity-involved practice. Findings reveal that when students are offered authentic choice, guided reflection, and opportunities to express who they are, their motivation, confidence, and sense of belonging increase.

Through narrative analysis, the thesis illustrates how teacher reflection, relational pedagogy, and student voice transform ELA classrooms into spaces of personal relevance. The study concludes that learning deepens when relevance, autonomy, and belonging are treated as essentials rather than extras. For educators, this means designing learning environments that honour both curriculum and identity, allowing students to see themselves as evolving authors of their own stories.