Edwards, Naomi (2025) An Exploration of the Adequacy of Support for EAL and ALN Learners in Curriculum for Wales. Doctoral thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
![[img]](https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text
Edwards_N_DProf_Thesis.pdf - Accepted Version Available under License CC-BY-NC-ND Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (5MB) |
Abstract
Providing students with the skills and knowledge to become 21st century citizens as part of Wales’ new purpose-driven curriculum: CfW should be uppermost and pervasive across its blueprint. Alongside embracing the 4Ps, enabling students to become, 1) ambitious, capable learners; 2) enterprising, creative contributors; 3) healthy, confident individuals; 4) ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world (Welsh Government, 2015) forms the curriculum’s core. The concept behind CfW is for inclusivity and equity, however, this appears more opaque when considering students who may be disadvantaged. As CfW is in its relative infancy, very little research has been conducted into its rollout and there is currently no literature which combines the curriculum’s implementation and learning, and the provision for EAL learners. Whilst much has been written about CfW’s offering initially proposed by Professor Donaldson, including its content, no consideration has yet been afforded to those EAL and ALN students who may not be part of the mainstream. When greater demands are placed on disadvantaged learners to become more independent, they could potentially become more ostracised as they may not be able to access learning without adequate support. Moreover, far from becoming ambitious, capable learners who are confident and informed (Welsh Government, 2015), most compellingly the research suggests these students will be marginalised and disadvantaged and therefore fail to learn. This research thesis considers CfW’s inception and early introduction, looking at how learners could be supported to realise the 4Ps. Using student questionnaires, it focuses on those learners across two large secondary schools who may have ALN, or follow a curriculum through EAL. The data considers how their needs are catered for and whether they are able to access this new curriculum. Those who work directly with these ALN and EAL students: Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinators (ALNCOs) and teaching assistants (TAs) also took part using semi-structured interviews. New evidence through data acquisition as part of this research demonstrates how ALN and EAL learners have not been considered and therefore may not be adequately supported as learners by CfW as they will not be able to access the language required to embrace the 4Ps.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1603 Secondary Education. High schools L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2361 Curriculum L Education > LC Special aspects of education |
| Divisions: | Theses and Dissertations > Doctoral Theses |
| Identification Number: | https://doi.org/10.82227/repository.uwtsd.ac.uk.00004036 |
| Depositing User: | Naomi Edwards |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Dec 2025 14:16 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Dec 2025 14:21 |
| URI: | https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/4036 |
Administrator Actions (login required)
 |
Edit Item - Repository Staff Only |