Disaffection with learning in compulsory schooling in England has been linked to disengagement and underachievement, and is currently a major concern for policymakers and practitioners working within the field of education. Moreover, in recent years there has been a rise in the number of girls engaging in anti-school behaviours, whereupon a default position labels them as non-conforming. While many strategies have been employed to reduce disengagement, and to incentivise young people, these are often implemented with varying success. This book, then, explores the journeys of ten 14-16-year-old girls, identified by their schools as disaffected, and at risk of exclusion, in order to elucidate their concerns. An analysis of their experiences in an alternative learning setting is used to illustrate the complexity of disaffection in compulsory education, and to highlight the need to understand a myriad of factors that can impinge on learning. The alternative environment is juxtaposed with the school setting in order to identify successful practices for re-engagement, and to illustrate how the girls conceptualise learning in each as they move from being disengaged to re-engaged.

Dr David Allan holds a PhD in Educational Research from Lancaster University. At present, he is working as a lecturer in further education and training and a research fellow at Edge Hill University. He is the author of several articles in disaffection with learning and has research interests in student marginalisation and social injustice.