The impact of dynamic assessment: an exploration of the views of children,parents and teachers

A qualitative research project was carried out to explore the views of children with special educational needs, their parents and teachers about one aspect of educational psychology practice: the dynamic assessment of cognitive skills. The research was carried out in a highly diverse and inclusive borough in East London, by Nicola Lawrence from Hounslow Educational Psychology Service, and Sharon Cahill from the University of East London. The views of nine children were sought through semi‐structured interviews regarding the process of dynamic assessment, supported with tools and techniques to facilitate discussion. The views of eight parents and seven teachers were also sought, through semi‐structured interviews and focus groups, regarding the psychological reports produced from dynamic assessment. Of the original findings acquired through thematic analysis of the data, those pertaining to the perceived impact of dynamic assessment of cognitive skills are reported. Dynamic assessment was reported to impact positively upon the child's emotional well‐being, self‐perceptions, approach to learning and social relationships, both directly, and through the subsequent intervention of parents and educators. Dynamic assessment, as well as providing instructionally useful information for parents and teachers, encouraged them to move beyond locating the problem within the child, to reconceptualising their special educational needs in context. As a result, parents and teachers became more positive and optimistic about the child, the current situation and the child's future. Dynamic assessment impacted upon the child's holistic needs, parenting and the development of inclusive practice in the classroom. It is concluded that from the perspective of service users, dynamic assessment forms a worthwhile and valuable part of educational psychology practice.     

Gender and emotions in relationships: a group of teachers recalling their own teachers

This narrative inquiry analyses the memories of a group of female teachers telling about their own teachers. We ask how gender and emotions are intertwined to teacher–student relationships. Gender was present in the stories where the teachers described being a schoolgirl in relationship with a teacher and told about their teachers as women and men. The collective process of recalling evoked the emotions experienced as students, but these emotions were also interpreted in the present context. When recalling, the teachers were reconstructing the past in the light of the present and the future. The article highlights the significance for teachers reflecting on their own educational histories.     

Perceptions of behaviour and patterns of exclusion: Gypsy Traveller students in English secondary schools

This paper draws on a recent and unique longitudinal study of Gypsy Traveller students in fifteen local education authorities in England. Gypsy Traveller students are less likely to complete secondary education than any other minority ethnic group and it is estimated that up to 12 000 young Travellers in England are not registered at any secondary school. The study tracked a sample of 44 students over a three-year period, using a multi-perspective, phenomenological design to explore the complex interplay of attitudes, expectations and relationships that might impact on secondary school engagement and retention. Findings indicate that, although the students' behaviour was perceived to be good by their primary school teachers, problems began to emerge during the first year at secondary school and twenty-four pupils had self-excluded by the age of fourteen. Furthermore, almost one in three of the students in the study were temporarily excluded by their schools on at least one occasion during the study. The research suggests that patterns of resistance to secondary schooling should not be solely attributed to cultural influences. In many cases, parents expressed positive perceptions of their child's school until relationships broke down. Above all, parents and students want assurance that racism will be challenged and dealt with effectively.     

Person-centred reviews and transition: an exploration of the views of students and their parents/carers

The person-centred review (PCR) is a model for the review of a student’s special educational needs (SEN) which places the young person and their family at the centre of the process. This mixed-methods, exploratory study investigated the views of 16 students with SEN aged between 10–11 years (Year 6) and 13–14 years (Year 9), and their parents/carers on their PCRs (which were mostly held at transition). Attention was paid to potential changes in the young people’s locus of control and feelings towards school. Findings indicated that the PCR is a collaborative, constructive and reassuring process for families where a wealth of information is shared openly and honestly within a relaxed, yet structured, meeting. The young people were generally positive about the process, although many felt daunted beforehand. Some parents felt the meeting was too long and not entirely accessible to children. The study did not conclude that the young people’s locus of control or feelings towards their education changed following the PCR. Implications for good practice are discussed, particularly for educational psychologists and in the context of the SEN and Disability Code of Practice.     

Engaging Gypsy and Traveller pupils in secondary education in Wales: tensions and dilemmas of addressing difference

Despite decades of research and policy, we are still some way in the U.K. from ameliorating barriers for Gypsy and Traveller pupils. A complex set of factors exist which influence young people’s engagement with secondary education. This interpretive-deductive study, which draws upon ‘tensions and dilemmas of difference’, presents Gypsy/Traveller learners’ perceptions and those of their parents and teachers about the barriers encountered. Findings around ‘intra-cultural conflict’ demonstrate significant tensions between and within cultures that are profound for young people during this stage of education. Resilient, supportive mothers and strong bonds with teachers and children from the mainstream community, appeared essential in helping young people to manage criticism and resist pressure to conform to cultural norms. However, a fundamental shift in societal attitude is required and critical thought paid to inclusive education, or young learners who remain in education may end up on the periphery of both societies.     

‘Extended Schools’: an exploration of the feelings,beliefs and intentions of parents and teachers

This research is designed to provide information for participants, facilitators and policy makers in the area of Extended Schools. Its salient purpose is to investigate and examine the feelings, beliefs and attitudes of teachers and parents involved in the development of the Extended Schools project in Northern Ireland. The Extended Schools project was formally launched by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State on 7 March 2006, and aims to provide a wide range of services and activities in school with the intention of helping to meet the needs of children, their families and the wider community. The qualitative approach was deemed the most appropriate methodology for gathering data.     

Talking relationships,babies and bodies with young children: the experiences of parents in England

Parents often find themselves ill-prepared for the moment at which questions of a sexual nature arise, or when children display signs of playful behaviour that can be interpreted as sexual. How these behaviours and questions are dealt with establishes the foundations on which children begin to interpret relationships, their bodies, those of others and the sexual world in which they live. In this study, the views and experiences of dealing with early childhood sexuality education, along with the ways in which communication had occurred, were collected from 110 parents in London and southern England during focus group discussions and analysed using thematic analysis. Parents who had chosen to communicate with their children reported a range of justifications as to why childhood sexuality communication was considered necessary and had, indeed, occurred. Six key themes were identified: communication prompts, the need for truth, the threat of ignorance, exposure, healthy and positive relationships and openness. Findings reveal that many parents are making strategic decisions about how to discuss relationships and sexuality with their young children. By highlighting the central trigger points for early parent-child sexuality communication, findings can be used to aid the development of relevant practice responses to support less confident parents to communicate effectively.     

Educational change and new cleavages between head teachers,teachers and parents: global and local perspectives on the French case

This article combines a global, national and local perspective to study the effects if educational changes over the last 20 years on the relationship between head teachers, teachers and parents in France. Five kinds of transformations - decentralization, marketization, accountability, managerialism and professionalization - are examined in terms of their impact on definitions of the social and professional identities of educational agents and on the redistribution of power among them. The first section of the paper examines main shifts in policy and practice that these transformations were designed to produce from the perspective of policy-makers. The second section analyses the interaction between these global discourses and transformations of French educational models and realities at the level of the nation state. The third section shows how reform projects interact in very different ways with school realities in two contrasting local settings.     

Discrepancies between perceptions of first-grade students at risk for learning disabilities,their parents and teachers

ABSTRACT

This study compared discrepancies between children’s academic and social self-perceptions and parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of children’s academic and social competence among 89 first-grade children: 45 children at risk for learning disabilities (RLD) and 44 of typically developing peers (TD). The relationship between self-perceptions among the two groups of children and their significant adults‘ perceptions were compared. The children with RLD reported lower academic self-perception, but did not report lower social self-concept. The discrepancies between students’, parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of students’ academic and social competence were found only for the RLD group. Parents and teachers rated children with RLD as demonstrating lower levels of academic competence. Only teachers rated children with RLD as demonstrating lower levels of social competence. No significant differences were found among children and their significant adults for the comparison group. A serial-multiple mediation analysis presented the relationship model and emphasized the critical mediating role of teachers and parents in predicting children’s academic self-concept. The educational implications of the results call for sensitizing teachers and parents to their perceptions, and to develop empowering intervention with a focused awareness to the impact of their perceptions.     

‘This is a school,it's not a site’: Teachers' attitudes towards Gypsy and Traveller pupils in schools in England,UK

This article examines teachers' attitudes towards Gypsy and Traveller pupils in one primary and one secondary school in an inner‐London borough in England, UK. The research is based on in‐depth interviews with 20 teachers, heads, deputies and classroom assistants. The main aims of the study were to examine examples of ‘good practice’ in schools and to explore strategies that would improve the educational outcomes for Gypsy and Traveller groups. This article will argue that despite schools implementing inclusive measures for Gypsy and Traveller pupils, this alone does not encourage positive attitudes or change attitudes towards them. In some cases, such practices work to emphasise the difference and outsider status of these groups.     

浅析大学校园师生交往的原则

建立和谐的大学校园环境,需要和谐的师生关系,和谐的同学情谊。本文从师生交往和同学交往的原则出发,阐明大学生如何建立良好的人际关系,增强人际交往能力。     

Promoting the social inclusion and academic progress of Gypsy,Roma and Traveller children: a secondary school case study

The aim of this study was to identify support strategies used to promote “social inclusion” and “academic progress” of Key Stage 3 and 4 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) pupils. The study used an interpretivist approach, incorporating an embedded single case study with several participant groups, namely GRT pupils, GRT parents, school staff and supporting professionals. The data were collected using interviews, focus groups and questionnaires and were analysed using explanation building – a pattern matching technique which uses theoretical propositions (generated from existing research) to guide analysis and organise data. The study identified one consistent strategy (focussed staff support) to promote both the social inclusion and the academic progress of GRT pupils, and several additional strategies to address each of these areas. The focussed staff support consisted of a dedicated staff member employed to support GRT pupils and families, and act as a consultant for other members of school staff.     

Deaf parents and pediatric cochlear implantation: an exploration of the decision-making process

The study examined factors in deaf parents' decision between cochlear implantation (CI) and traditional hearing aids for their child. The subjects were 6 Flemish children ages 5-9 years with severe/profound congenital hearing loss, with at least 1 deaf parent. The researchers, who conducted thematic content analysis of qualitative data collected through parent interviews, found that with the exception of a family with 1 hearing parent, parents gave priority to Deaf identity, sign language, and ethical issues in deciding between CI and hearing aids. Medical risks were also mentioned. The researchers conclude that the decision-making processes of the parents involved factors that have also been found among hearing parents, as well as aspects that have not been reported to play a role in hearing parents' decision making. A further conclusion is that deaf parents' perspective merits attention in professional practice and empirical research.     

Storied emotional distances in the relationships between beginning teachers and school principals

Recent research has acknowledged the importance of the relationships of school principals with beginning teachers. However, little is known about how emotions inform these relationships from the beginning teacher's side. Applying the concept of emotional geographies, this paper explores the kinds of storied emotional distances that appear in the relationships between beginning teachers and their principals. Based on interviews with beginning Japanese teachers, the results indicate that such relationships may be: (1) very direct and personal; (2) acted out indirectly by the principal as personal facilitator ‘behind the scenes’ or as public gatekeeper; or (3) mediated by the teacher community. The analysis reveals beginning teachers’ personal experiences of these relationships, as well as how such relationships are influenced by organisational and cultural context. Although principals are described as distant figures within the school organisation, they are seen to play an important role in facilitating beginning teachers’ work by connecting with them at a personal level and providing good working conditions by influencing the emotional atmosphere of the teacher community or by sheltering them from parental pressure.     

School Choice Policies in England and the United States: An exploration of their origins and significance

This paper notes some similarities between school choice policies in England and the US and considers how far any convergences can be explained, on the one hand, by broader social changes and, on the other, by evidence of policy exchange. In the first case, it discusses the usefulness of concepts such as post-Fordism and post-modernity and indicates their limitations. In the second case, it identifies relevant neoliberal policy networks within and between the two countries but finds more evidence of the use of overseas examples to legitimate policies at home than it does of direct policy borrowing. Reflecting upon both sets of explanations, it argues for a clearer conceptualisation of the relationship between accounts of the micro-politics of policy making and macro-level theories of change.     

Fight, flight and playing white: An examination of coping strategies adopted by Gypsy Traveller Adolescents in English secondary schools

This paper draws on findings from a longitudinal study of Gypsy Traveller¹ students attending English secondary schools. Analysis of over 400 interviews with 44 Gypsy Traveller students, their parents and teachers over a 5-year period identified several pull and push factors that impact on secondary school engagement and retention. Of these, cultural dissonance (a result of conflicting expectations between home and school) and social exclusion feature strongly. Students who relied on maladaptive coping strategies to deal with psychosocial stress associated with cultural dissonance and social exclusion tended to drop out of school early. These maladaptive strategies are referred to here as fight (physical and verbal retaliation and non-compliance), flight (self-imposed exclusion) and playing white (passing identity by concealing or denying one's heritage). Those who were retained in school to the age of 16 displayed more adaptive strategies such as cognitive re-framing, developing social support networks and adopting a bicultural identity.     

Intersectional work and precarious positionings: Black middle-class parents and their encounters with schools in England

This paper reports on data drawn from a study exploring the educational strategies of 62 Black Caribbean heritage middle-class parents. In this paper, we consider the respective roles of race and class in the shaping of parents’ educational strategies, deploying an analysis that focuses on their intersection and seeks to hold both race and class in productive tension. Drawing on empirical data, we illustrate how parents’ classed and raced identities shape their interactions with school staff.