The evolving nature of teacher–pupil relations with challenging, white, working-class pupils – A figurational perspective

Utilising covert and overt lesson observations, guided conversations and focus group interviews with KS4 male pupils placed in the lowest academic band, and the key sociological concepts of Norbert Elias’ figurational sociology to frame the data, this paper explores the nature and evolution of the relationships that these challenging, white, working-class male pupils formed with a range of staff at their large, mainstream academy and the local further education college. The data reveals that the low academic aspirations and educational engagement of these pupils came to impact negatively on the majority of relationships that they developed with school teaching staff although this was not the case for the PE staff at the school. However, as these pupils grew older, it was the college tutors delivering vocational courses three mornings a week that emerged as the members of staff that were most able to generate and develop positive and productive teacher-pupil relationships with these pupils.