Emotional Labour and Lesson Observation: A Study of England*s Further Education

This book presents research on emotion work and the emotional labour of teaching and learning based in England’s further education sector, where an increasing emphasis on marketised systems means accountability and audit cultures have become embedded within everyday teaching practice. Uniquely, this book explores micro-level issues of the managerial policies relating to classroom lesson observations as well as the profoundly emotional, philosophical aspects of these situations, which research asserts cause stress and anxiety for many staff. 

Drawing on theoretical psychosocial concepts exploring the interplay of hidden or ‘underground’ micro and macro elements of teaching and learning contexts, the book illuminates how the presence of an observer fundamentally alters the dynamics of a classroom. The author argues that it is not necessarily the performativity that creates the stress and anxiety in an observation but the individual’s perception of this performativity and how it relates to a wider consideration of their emotional labour in the classroom. For this reason, the book puts forward a case for ending the formal, graded method of lesson observations in favour of a developmental, holistic approach that is sensitive to the emotional nuances of the individuals involved as well as the social and historical contexts of the institutions in which they are situated.

The diverse use of lesson observations as a tool for staff development and quality assurance policies make this a valuable resource for educational researchers, policy-makers, teachers and managers from many different sectors and backgrounds.

Born in the UK, and currently living in New Zealand, Ursula had a fifteen-year career in various commercial-sector jobs in England before taking up an opportunity to pursue her passion to teach. She has been involved in diverse educational settings over the years, including teaching literacy, numeracy and IT skills in inner-city community projects, supporting experiential learning schemes for vulnerable young people and delivering vocational social care subjects at tertiary colleges. Ursula studied part-time for her degree at the University of Warwick, UK, where her experience in sales and administrative roles provided valuable sociological context. Inspired by her learning experiences, she completed her teaching qualifications and later an MA in Lifelong Learning at the University of Nottingham. In 2013 she completed a PhD scholarship in education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. 

Over the past five years she has lectured in sociology and education at universities, alongside teaching creative topics at local adult education centres. Her specialist research areas include the emotions of teaching and learning, and assessment strategies that enhance student-centredness. Ursula’s published academic work ranges from research articles focusing on aspects of emotional labour in education, to use of innovative methodologies in educational research. 

Ursula is also an enthusiastic creative writer and has published short stories, prose and poetry in anthologies and online magazines.