Abstract
This submission for a PhD by Publication draws upon the writings of Geoff Fox over a period of more than 30 years. Fox worked initially as a secondary school teacher, including a formative period in the United States in the late 1960s. Although based at the Exeter University School of Education from 1970 until his retirement in 2000, he also worked extensively as an invited conference speaker, researcher, workshop leader, oral storyteller and drama director in the United Kingdom and abroad. His experience informs much of his writing.He published regularly throughout his time at Exeter on several aspects of his field. A common element underpinning his writing is his interest in literature for children, whether in the form of novels, poetry, drama or oral stories. A characteristic of the work in this submission is that the responses of children to these literary forms is invariably taken into account.
For this submission, four inter-related areas of work are selected to represent his list of publications:
- the teaching of literature in schools:
- the criticism of literature written for children;
- drama and storytelling;
- editorial work.
The collection includes whole books, chapters from books, journal articles and some sample copies of the journal Children's Literature in Education, which Fox has edited for 34 years.
An Overview introduces the collection, placing each submitted piece in relation to the writer's career and developing interests. Research which preceded writing is indicated and there is some consideration of the work in terms of its originality and its impact upon both academic and pedagogical fields. There is particular mention of two areas; Fox's influence nationally and internationally in the teaching of literature based upon reader-response theory; and his work as editor of a respected international refereed journal in the field of study.
A selection of contemporary reviews completes the submission.
Date of Award | Sept 2004 |
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Original language | English |
Keywords
- Children's literature