Getting In and Getting On? The Experiences of Young People with Visual Impairments and Hearing Impairments in Third-level Education

Young disabled people continue to be under-represented throughout further and higher education settings. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s social theory of habitus, capital and field, this paper explores the practices of domination and oppression that have made it difficult for young people with visual impairments and hearing impairments to participate in third-level education on the same basis as non-disabled people. Twenty young people with hearing impairments and visual impairments were interviewed about their educational experiences. In addition, 31 interviews were conducted with third-level education providers, policy-makers and non-governmental organisations. This article has two aims: firstly, to critically examine the experiences of young people with hearing impairments and visual impairments in accessing and engaging with support provisions in further and higher education settings; and secondly, to identify and explore the diversity of ways in which these young people have managed and responded to the practices they have encountered. This article emphasises the journey from ability to dis-ability that young people with hearing and visual impairments experience in their quest for educational achievement. The ambiguities of “inclusion”, “widening participation” and “support” are highlighted and critiqued for their extensive failure to challenge taken-for-granted discourses.     

School policies on bullying and cyberbullying: perspectives across three Australian states

Background: Despite decades of research, bullying in all its forms is still a significant problem within schools in Australia, as it is internationally. Anti-bullying policies and guidelines are thought to be one strategy as part of a whole school approach to reduce bullying. However, although Australian schools are required to have these policies, their effectiveness is not clear. As policies and guidelines about bullying and cyberbullying are developed within education departments, this paper explores the perspectives of those who are involved in their construction. Purpose: This study examined the perspectives of professionals involved in policy construction, across three different Australian states. The aim was to determine how their relative jurisdictions define bullying and cyberbullying, the processes for developing policy, the bullying prevention and intervention recommendations given to schools and the content considered essential in current policies. Sample: Eleven key stakeholders from three Australian states with similar education systems were invited to participate. The sample selection criteria included professionals with experience and training in education, cyber-safety and the responsibility to contribute to or make decisions which inform policy in this area for schools in their state. Design and methods: Participants were interviewed about the definitions of bullying they used in their state policy frameworks; the extent to which cyberbullying was included; and the content they considered essential for schools to include in anti-bullying policies. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. Findings: Seven themes were identified in the data: (1) Definition of bullying and cyberbullying; (2) Existence of a policy template; (3) Policy location; (4) Adding cyberbullying; (5) Distinguishing between bullying and cyberbullying; (6) Effective policy; and (7) Policy as a prevention or intervention tool. The results were similar both across state boundaries and also across different disciplines. Conclusion: Analysis of the data suggested that, across the themes, there was some lack of information about bullying and cyberbullying. This limitation could affect the subsequent development, dissemination and sustainability of school anti-bullying policies, which have implications for the translation of research to inform better student outcomes.     

The Theory of Planned Behaviour as a framework for understanding parental experiences with homework

Research into parental homework-related experiences has predominantly focused on parental attitudes to homework. This research has shown that parental attitudes can affect the formation of attitudes in children and subsequently their academic success. Most research has focused on a secondary school context, but there is still a lack of knowledge within primary school contexts. The present study qualitatively investigated parental homework-related experiences in a Scottish primary school context and the factors influencing these experiences, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a framework. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 Scottish parents (12 mothers, mean age [M] = 35, standard deviation [SD] = 2.7; and one father, age = 38 years) and were analysed using a hybrid approach to Thematic Analysis. The three themes identified were: “theory of planned behaviour”, “factors influencing parental control” and “coping mechanisms”. Parents provided help with homework regardless of their attitude to homework but their homework experience was influenced by factors encountered during homework and the coping mechanisms adopted.     

Custodians of silences? School principal perspectives on the incidence and nature of homophobic bullying in primary schools in Ireland

The research reported in this paper sought to determine the level of awareness among school principals in primary schools in Ireland where homophobic bullying is concerned. International research has previously shown that school leaders as animators of school climate are often lacking in their responses to this type of bullying [Walton, G. 2004. “Bullying and Homophobia in Canadian Schools: The Politics of Policies, Programs, and Educational Leadership.” Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education 1 (4): 23–36; Pizmony-Levy, O., and J. G. Kosciw. 2016. “School Climate and the Experience of LGBT Students: A Comparison of the United States and Israel.” Journal of LGBT Youth 13 (1–2): 46–66; Taylor, C. G., E. J. Meyer, T. Peter, J. Ristock, D. Short, and C. Campbell. 2016. “Gaps Between Beliefs, Perceptions, and Practices: The Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ-Inclusive Education in Canadian Schools.” Journal of LGBT Youth 13 (1–2): 112–140]. We sought to ascertain whether school principals in Ireland have had experience of dealing with this type of bullying, whether they believe it is a significant issue and what they perceive their role to be in relation to addressing homophobic bullying. The research focused on the views of school principals because of the critical role they play in policy implementation and school organisation. The research revealed that one in every two school principals had responded to homophobic bullying and that these same principals did not always consider the use of homophobic pejoratives to constitute homophobic bullying. The paper points to the need for further education and training for school leaders on the topic of homophobic bullying otherwise their perspectives will contribute to the many silences that surround this topic in primary schools in Ireland.     

The experiences of learning,friendship and bullying of boys with autism in mainstream and special settings: a qualitative study

This study aimed to explore experiences of learning, friendships and bullying of boys with autism attending specialist and mainstream schools, and those of their parents. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 11 boys with autism, aged 11 to 17 years, and nine of their mothers. Thematic analysis identified four key themes relating to experiences of friendships and bullying, risk factors, protective factors and outcomes. Overall, the findings indicated that five of the 11 participants had been subjected to bullying, particularly those in mainstream schools (four out of six). Further, if risk factors relating to autism or the school culture were not mediated by protective factors such as self‐esteem or supportive friends, various negative outcomes were identified as more likely, including mental health issues and effects on learning and relationships. Therefore, although not inevitable, mainstream settings may increase the likelihood of negative experiences, as they have fewer resources to protect children against the risk of bullying.     

Making It Better for Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Students through Teacher Education: A collaborative self-study

Teacher education programs have a critical role in helping incoming teachers develop a deeper understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues and their moral and legal obligations to counter homophobic bullying. In this self-study, two educators – a university professor and a classroom teacher, who facilitated a workshop titled “Sexual Diversity in Secondary Schools” in a faculty of education in a mid-sized Canadian city – reflect on the feedback provided by teacher candidates on workshop evaluation forms in relation to their experiences as teacher educators delivering the workshops. In particular, they consider (1) their commitment to this work; (2) why they taught the way they did; (3) the impact their approach had on teacher candidates in the workshops; and (4) what the study revealed about their teacher education practices.     

Resistant to the message: are pupils unreceptive to teachers’ anti-bullying initiatives and if so why?

Despite three decades of research and development of anti-bullying intervention, this form of systematic aggression continues to be common in schools. The present study investigated if a contributing factor might be that some pupils are unreceptive to teachers’ anti-bullying lessons. It invited 8–11?-year-old junior school pupils (N?=?227) to indicate if this was the case, and if so, to give their reasons. Many did indicate being unreceptive (81.9%). The most common reason was “It is not for me because I don’t bully anyone” (81.9%), followed by “I know enough about bullying already” (22.9%), “It is boring or I have heard it all before” (19.4%) and “Teachers have to do it but they are not really interested in stopping bullying” (14.5%). Some significant age differences emerged. Results are discussed in terms of implications for anti-bullying work in schools.     

Experiences of parents whose children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are starting primary school

Starting school is a critical event in a child’s life and successful transitions to school have been posited as key indicators for future academic achievement. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the process is complicated by difficulties in social communication and social interaction. Parents of children with ASD can experience their child’s transition to school as a stressful and challenging time. In this study a qualitative methodology, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was used to elicit the experiences and perceptions of six parents whose children with ASD were starting school in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and a cross-case analysis was conducted. Three common overarching themes were identified which reflected participants’ experiences of the transition process; these were (a) “I think they need to believe, believe what we’re telling them”, (b) “Experience of ASD/it’s a very labelling thing”, and (c) “Preparing for school and feelings about the future”. Implications from the research are discussed with reference to the role of the educational psychologist (EP) in supporting parents of children with ASD in the transition process.     

Out of school: a phenomenological exploration of extended non-attendance

The concept of “extended non-attendance” (“school phobia” or “school refusal”) was distinguished from truancy early in the twentieth century, and refers to children who fear school and avoid attending. Despite much subsequent research, outcomes for those affected remain poor, and their voices remain largely absent from the evidence base. The current study sought to address this by examining the experiences of four secondary-age children with extended attendance difficulties. Data consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted in participants’ homes, subsequently analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Although participants differed markedly in their perception of the causes of their non-attendance, their support experiences appear remarkably similar. Emergent themes include being disbelieved, experiencing fragmented support, and feeling blamed and punished. Implications for practitioners include the importance of ensuring early intervention, the need to consider the individual child, and the importance of making sure that local intervention practices are informed by the evidence base.     

Cartoons as visual representations of the development of primary school children’s understanding of bullying behaviours

ABSTRACT

This study adopts a creative methodology to investigate how cartoons can serve as visual representations of primary school children’s understanding of bullying and compares how their understanding develops over time. The study was carried out in Northern Ireland where the Addressing Bullying in Schools (Northern Ireland) Act 2016 will require schools to follow a new statutory definition of bullying. To investigate the behaviours that children associate with bullying, a set of 16 original stick figure cartoons was devised. The cartoons were shown to a sample of Year 3 and Year 7 pupils from two different primary schools in Northern Ireland (N = 90). Pupils were asked to record which scenarios they considered to be bullying or not bullying. They were then invited to write their own definitions of bullying and to creatively illustrate them using stick figures. A total of eight gender-specific pupil focus groups were conducted across the two schools to explore the key elements which the pupils considered significant to their understanding of bullying. The study highlights the value of this creative participatory approach and found a wide range of behaviours which children associate with bullying but also considerable variation among pupils in terms of their understanding. Levels of understanding in Year 7 were more nuanced than those in Year 3, but there were no discernible differences by pupil gender. Conclusions are drawn in terms of the new legislation in Northern Ireland, but also in relation to the benefits of adopting a creative research methodology using cartoons as visual representations with children to explore complex pastoral issues.     

Sensorial experiences and childhood: nineteenth-century care for children with idiocy

Following Foucault’s analysis of expanding psychiatric power, this article addresses the shift from psychiatry into pedagogy in interventions concerning children with mental problems in the nineteenth century. The aims of this article are twofold. First, to answer the question of how the notion of “idiocy” developed in the context of an increasing interest in sensorial experiences in childhood, in relation to both psychopathology and “normalcy”. New research into the early nineteenth-century case of the “wild boy of Aveyron” reveals the importance of care in the first observations of the boy and the connection that was subsequently made with sensorial experiences in childhood and child development. In the wake of the work of Enlightenment alienists such as Pinel and Itard, Edouard Séguin constructed an educational trajectory for children with mental impairments in which, through strict pedagogical guidance, the lack of “will” would be restored by stimulating the senses. The second aim is to examine the case of the first autonomous school for “idiotic” children in The Netherlands. Following the “praxeography” approach, I focus on the interventions by the Reverend Cornelis van Koetsveld, who shaped his “cure by education” through training the senses in children with problems.     

Educational psychologists’ practice: obtaining and representing young people’s views

ABSTRACT

Many studies have focused on the importance of the participation of children and young people (CYP) in their education, although fewer papers discuss the practical aspects of seeking their views and fewer again on representing them. A mixed method approach was used to collect information regarding educational psychologists’ (EPs’) practice in obtaining and representing CYP’s views. A questionnaire (n = 73) was used to gather data from local authority educational psychology services (EPSs) across Wales and eight participants who completed the questionnaire took part in an interview to explore their views in more depth. Using thematic analysis, the major themes constructed included “accessing a true representation of CYP’s views”, “gaining CYP’s views empowers them” and “child-centred practice”. The implications of the present study for the role of educational psychologists are discussed, together with future directions for research and the limitations of the present study.     

Student experiences of NAPLAN: sharing insights from two school sites

This paper provides insight into middle school students’ perceptions and reactions to their participation in the Australian National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). A case study was conducted over 10 months at two Queensland schools with different approaches to NAPLAN implementation. Student voice was elicited via focus groups and 35 students provided drawings and words describing their experience in four stages: preparing, sitting, completing and receiving their results. Thematic content analysis of the textual data and trait and holistic coding of the visual data revealed five themes and suggests that the approach adopted by the school may impact on students’ NAPLAN experiences. This study privileges student voice and enables access to student experiences as they participate in a testing regime which is now a feature of the Australian school assessment landscape.     

Constructing bullying in Ontario,Canada: a critical policy analysis

As the prevalence and negative effects of bullying become widely known, people around the world seem desperate to solve the bullying “problem”. A sizeable body of research about many aspects of bullying and a plethora of anti-bullying programmes and policies now exist. This critical policy analysis asks: how does Ontario, Canada’s bullying policy support and/or undermine critical democracy; and how does it reflect, support and further the interests of neoliberalism and/or neoconservatism? Findings indicate that the policy constructs the problem of bullying as a problem of individuals and a “behaviour for learning” problem. The policy also prescribes standardised responses to bullying incidents. We explore ways in which these constructions are undemocratic and unjust. The findings are particularly concerning because bullying policies are often viewed as innocuous by practitioners. This paper offers more than just critique by providing suggestions for how research and policies can become more just and equitable and how bullying policy may be enacted to support critical democracy.     

Cultural content of three EFL textbooks: teachers’ and learners’ cultural preferences and cultural themes of textbooks

Cultural content analysis of EFL textbooks has received considerable attention in ELT pedagogy in recent decades. The current study investigated the representation of big “C” and small “c” cultural themes in three common EFL textbooks: Top Notch, Summit and Passages. The frequency analysis indicated that in Top Notch series, small “c” cultural themes of daily life, food, customs/norms and big “C” theme of geography were the most frequent cultural themes; while, in Summit and Passages, the most frequent small “c” cultural theme was values and beliefs. This study also investigated the correspondence between EFL teachers’ and learners’ cultural preferences on the one hand, and the match between their preferences and the cultural content of the books in question. 135 EFL learners and 36 EFL teachers responded to adapted questionnaires. The findings revealed that there were areas of match (mainly in small “c” themes) and cases of mismatch (primarily in big “C” themes) between learners’ and teachers’ preferred cultural themes and the cultural content of the textbooks analysed.     

Adolescents’ definitions of bullying: the contribution of age,gender, and experience of bullying

The aim of the present research was to examine adolescents’ definitions of bullying in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in Ireland. Definitions of bullying were examined according to age, gender, and bullying experiences. A sample of 4358 adolescents aged 12–19 years (M?=?14.99 years, SD?=?1.63) provided their definitions of bullying as part of the My World Survey-Second Level. The definitions were explored using content analysis. Adolescents differed in terms of their definition of bullying, with younger students frequently describing the nature of bullying as mean, while older students displayed a heightened awareness of the feelings associated with being a victim of bullying. Older females and those who had experienced bullying were more likely to discuss the emotions associated with bullying compared to males and those who had not been bullied. Adolescent definitions of bullying were not in line with widely accepted researcher definitions. Recommendations are made for researchers and those designing anti-bullying interventions and educational programmes.     

What are “Complex Case Discussions” and how do they impact on key-workers?

Previous research has not focussed on defining the abstract, transferable processes which make ongoing consultation successful. This study aimed to explore and define the nature and impact of weekly consultations, or “Complex Case Discussions” (CCDs), with key-workers from two family intervention projects which were facilitated by educational psychologists (EPs) within one local authority (LA). Semi-structured interviews were carried out with key-workers. These were first transcribed and then analysed using thematic analysis. The themes identified fell into three overarching themes: “Process”, “People” and “Impact”. CCDs may lead to a quicker turnaround of families and to more sustainable changes. The key, transferable processes which make CCDs successful and valuable were identified as: time, hypothesising, a tailored approach and questioning assumptions. Due to the small-scale nature of this study, future research may look to apply these principles more widely and evaluate the impact of doing so.     

Exploring the impact of bullying on young bystanders

This study aimed to explore peer bullying events in schools by using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to consider the experiences of young bystanders: the perceptions and understandings of students who had witnessed bullying. Participants were aged 12–13 and attended two neighbouring secondary schools in the UK. Four themes were generated: the power and limits of language in bullying incidents; the power of moral frameworks; the presence of dynamic social systems, both inside and outside peer groups; and the psychological consequences of being a bystander. Implications of the research are discussed, for the practice of school staff and for educational psychologists.     

Facilitating self-directed learning (SDL) and satisfaction with SDL among pre-university students

The aim of the study was to evaluate our practice of self-directed learning (SDL) among pre-university students in Malaysia. Respondents provided data on their previous school learning experiences besides present SDL experiences in college. We carried out exploratory factor analysis based on the school data. We did a confirmatory factor analysis using College SDL experiences of students. Given high similarities between the measurement models, we decided to use the original structure of the instrument. Students provided feedback using a questionnaire based on Prociuk’s. A large majority declared that they needed SDL experiences which they lacked while at school. The study also showed that students had rated their SDL experiences in college more positively than in school, on four factors of SDL experiences. Pearson correlations showed that “knowledgeable and organised teachers” and “promotion of active learning” correlated significantly with students’ current satisfaction with SDL in college.