Promoting inner stillness: the value of a self-discovery programme for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties

Dr Lesley Cullen-Powell and Professor Julie Barlow are both chartered health psychologists and both work at the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Health at Coventry University where Lesley Cullen-Powell is a research fellow and Julie Barlow is a director. In this article, they assess the benefits of a 'self-discovery programme' for children aged six to seven years attending one mainstream primary school. Staff at the school selected 18 pupils, many of them considered to be at risk of exclusion, to participate in the study. The children were allocated either to an 'intervention' or 'non-intervention' group. The children in the intervention group experienced the self-discovery programme over two terms.
Results suggest that the programme was well received by the children. They became more confident, respectful and calm and they displayed less aggressive behaviours during the self-discovery programme. Lesley Cullen-Powell and Julie Barlow are cautious in the interpretation of their findings, but suggest that the self-discovery programme has the potential to help children to feel more positive about themselves and their peers and to re-engage with learning. The authors argue that a wider implementation of the programme, with a controlled study, is now required to evaluate the self-discovery programme in more depth and detail.     

Provision for students with learning difficulties in general colleges of further education – have we been going round in circles?

In this article, Anne-Marie Wright, lecturer at the University of Chester, considers the current situation for students with severe learn i n g difficulties in general colleges of further education. She presents findings from a critical review of the literature and a small-scale preliminary investigation which set out to explore the idea that, despite radical changes to the special school sector and to the structure and organisation of further education, provision in colleges of further education for these students is poorly focused. Students with severe learning difficulties experience provision that is, at best, circuitous and repetitive and that, at worst, leads individuals back into dependence, unemployment and social segregation. Using the outcomes of her own interviews and the scrutiny of inspection reports, Anne-Marie Wright provides a searching critique of current practice and an interesting set of recommendations for ways in which the situation could be radically reviewed and improved.     

RESEARCH SECTION: The self‐esteem of pupils in schools for pupils with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties: myth and reality

The self‐esteem of pupils has long been regarded as a key variable affecting both pupils' learning and behaviour, although the relationship between the two may not be as strong as many in education have always assumed. In this article, Jeremy Swinson, an educational psychologist and honorary lecturer in educational psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, reports the findings from a study in two parts. Firstly, an examination was made of 35 Statements written by officers from seven different education authorities in the north‐west of England for pupils attending two independent schools that specialise in working with pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). It was found that, of the 35 Statements examined, 34 included self‐esteem as one area of special need. The second phase of the study examined the self‐esteem of 60 pupils in four specialist schools for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The results showed that the average scores for self‐esteem for both the primary and secondary sample were very similar to the scores obtained by previous researchers in mainstream schools. However, it was apparent that more pupils than expected appeared to have either very low or very high self‐esteem. In terms of locus of control, it was found that a large number of secondary pupils had a high score although this was not found to be the case for the primary pupils in the sample. Jeremy Swinson discusses these results and presents his analysis of their implications for teachers, educational psychologists and education officers.     

RESEARCH SECTION: Nurture groups: a large‐scale,controlled study of effects on development and academic attainment

Nurture groups have contributed to inclusive practices in primary schools in the UK for some time now and have frequently been the subject of articles in this journal. This large‐scale, controlled study of nurture groups across 32 schools in the City of Glasgow provides further evidence for their effectiveness in addressing the emotional development and behaviour problems of vulnerable children. In particular, Sue Reynolds, Principal Educational Psychologist, Maura Kearney, Senior Educational Psychologist, both working in Glasgow City Council Psychological Services, and Tommy MacKay, Professor at the University of Strathclyde and Director of Psychology Consultancy Services, suggest that is the first study to report quantitative gains in academic achievement when the progress of pupils in nurture groups is compared with that of matched children in mainstream classes. This highlights the importance of providing a nurturing context as a basis for promoting children's learning.     

Using outdoor learning to augment social and emotional learning (SEL) skills in young people with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD)

ABSTRACT

Under-developed social and emotional learning (SEL) skills limit educational progress and make it difficult for children and young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) to form effective relationships with peers and ADULTS. This paper focuses on an SEL intervention set within an outdoor learning context. The research was practitioner led and used an action research (AR) approach to implement and evaluate the SEL intervention. Research participants (aged 12–13 years) were recruited from a UK special school and were all considered to have SEBD. The paper provides evidence for the specific SEL skills that participation in outdoor learning can enhance. The evidence suggests that outdoor learning can be an effective approach for educators wishing to augment the SEL skills of young people with SEBD.     

An evaluation of an outdoor education programme for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties

Abstract

A case study examined the value of outdoor education for two groups of pupils from Year 9 and 10 with severe behavioural difficulties placed in an independent residential school. The methods included systematic observations of their behaviour and recording of their academic performance over the duration of the programme; participant observation field notes kept by the researcher; and interviewing of all participating pupils and staff to elicit their perceptions of the utility of the programme. The analysis suggested that the programme was successful in promoting positive behaviour and academic gains for most pupils, and that by the end both pupils and staff held a positive perception of outdoor education. Although outdoor education may not form a solution to dealing with 'problematic' behaviour, it represents a powerful, albeit underused, tool for reducing disaffection, promoting inclusive practice and decreasing the risk of permanent exclusion for this vulnerable group of pupils.     

Personalised learning for young people with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties

Limited research evidence pertains to the inter-related themes of personalised learning and curricular reform with young people who are disaffected with school or experience social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The Extended New Directions (END) project aimed to provide flexible and individualised education to help re-engage secondary school-aged young people. A mixed method research design evaluated the project. Quantitative data were gathered in respect of attendance, exclusion and achievement for the entire cohort of 30 young people. Self-report measures (focus group, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires) were used with randomly selected young people, parents and all stakeholders (n = 52). Analysis suggested that END was generally achieving its aims, and implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed.     

The development of intrapersonal intelligence in pupils experiencing social,emotional and behavioural difficulties

This article draws from an evaluative case study of a group work approach – Support Groups – designed by the author to support pupils perceived as having Social and Emotional Behavioural Difficulties within a Secondary school situated in an area of multiple deprivation in Scotland. The study, which is principally qualitative, draws from the accounts of 69 pupils who participated within the intervention during its first four years of inception and from a range of stakeholder accounts – parents, Support Group Leaders, class teachers and senior managers. The intervention focused upon collaborative, discussion-based activities designed to foster reflection, understanding and thinking skills. The study utilises data drawn from attendance, attainment and discipline statistics, comparing the Support Group population to wider comparator groups, in addition to questionnaires (open and closed), scheduled interviews and focus group discussion. This article focuses specifically upon the extent to which pupils developed intrapersonal intelligence. The findings indicate that the majority of pupils had, to at least an extent, developed greater understanding of their behaviour and that these outcomes were still in evidence up to two years after intervention.     

Reactions to a diagnosis of dyslexia among students entering further education: development of the 'resistance–accommodation' model

Research into the psychological consequences of receiving a diagnosis of dyslexia during adolescence is a newly emerging field. In this article, David Armstrong, senior lecturer in education at Edge Hill University, and Neil Humphrey, senior lecturer in the psychology of Education at the University of Manchester, report on a qualitative study which explored this issue with a group of 20 students with dyslexia in a large college of further education in the north-west of England. Drawing on the outcomes of individual interviews and focus groups, analysis of student responses led to the development of a provisional 'resistance–accommodation' model that seeks to explain the psycho-social processes involved in 'living with the label' of dyslexia, and how such processes might impact upon later outcomes. The 'resistance–accommodation' model and the data contained in this study are discussed in the light of wider aspects of psychological theory and research. The authors also take account of recent literature exploring how students with dyslexia assess self in relation to the label.     

Creating spaces to belong: listening to the voice of girls with behavioural,emotional and social difficulties through digital visual and narrative methods

While interest in the voice of children and young people has grown alongside concern for their rights and participation, for those excluded from mainstream education or with a label of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, the issue of student voice takes on particular relevance. Yet the voices of these young people, and particularly girls, are often hidden and unheard both in education and educational research. Using digital visual and narrative methods we have been listening to girls excluded from mainstream education. They attend Kahlo School, a small special, girl-only secondary provision in the south of England, and our focus has been on gathering their views as stakeholders in the school and engaging them in curriculum and school development. In this paper, we reflect on the affordances of visual and digital methods and on how the girls perceive their educational inclusion and exclusion. We discuss the themes of space, identity, relationships and community that have emerged from analysis of the data, and conclude by outlining the importance of the core messages about belonging and not belonging that we heard in the girls' accounts.     

The social,emotional and behavioural difficulties of primary school children with poor attendance records

Two complementary studies of poor and better attenders are presented. To measure emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) different teacher-completed rating scales were employed, and to determine social difficulties, the studies used sociometry and some items from the scales. One study had a longitudinal design. It revealed that, after controlling for social class, gender and EBD in Year 2, poor attendance between Years 2 and 6 had the effect of significantly increasing EBD in Year 6. Both studies also had a cross-sectional design element which gave an indication of some of the poor attenders’ social difficulties and confirmed the longitudinal findings. The rating scales also provided measurements of “neurotic” and “antisocial” disorders. These suggested that a “neurotic” disorder may have played a bigger part than an “antisocial” disorder in the poor attenders’ EBD. The article ends with a list of recent references dealing with intervention issues.     

Changing attitudes: supporting teachers in effectively including students with emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream education

Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) are often considered the most challenging group to manage within mainstream education. The challenges perceived by teachers may be due, in part, to negative attitudes towards this cohort of pupils, which may exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and impact negatively upon direct interactions with pupils. The current study comprised a combination of implicit (i.e. the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, IRAP) and explicit (The Opinions Relative to Mainstreaming Scale, ORMS) technologies to assess the attitudes of teachers (N = 25) and teachers in training (N = 20) towards pupils with EBD. When these attitudes proved to be negative (relative to typically developing pupils), the utility of a combined behaviour intervention (BI) and stress-management intervention (SMI), in conjunction with a series of pre and post measures, was examined. The IRAP results for teachers indicated that the SMI enhanced their implicit positivity towards pupils with EBD (EBD PUPIL) to a considerable extent (0.025-0.175), and this was greater than the impact recorded with the BI. The teachers in training showed implicit negativity towards EBD PUPIL (0.13) and this decreased, albeit marginally, at post-BI (0.05) and post-SMI (0.06). Significant differences were recorded in teachers’ general attitudes towards inclusion (p < 0.001) and efficacy (p < 0.008). Significant effects were recorded for teachers in training in relation to their attitudes towards having a child with EBD and having a previously excluded child with EBD in their classrooms (all ps < 0.001). For this latter group, reductions were also recorded in their levels of depression, anxiety and stress (p < 0.001) and there was an increase in their psychological flexibility (p < 0.001). The current results indicate that a range of positive implicit and explicit outcomes was associated with the current BI and SMI package in terms of fostering more effective inclusion of pupils with EBD in mainstream education.     

Helpful and unhelpful practices in meeting the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties: a pilot survey of staff views in one local authority

The emotional and behavioural problems experienced by pupils continue to be a key concern for educationalists. In this article, Peter Lloyd Bennett, an educational psychologist, reports on his research into the views of staff about this important area of work. Questionnaires on meeting the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties were circulated among professionals in one local authority as part of the development of the authority's behaviour support plan. Respondents were asked to identify the practices and forms of additional support which, in their view, resulted in successful and less successful outcomes for pupils. Peter Lloyd Bennett analysed these responses and presents here ideas about staffing, strategies, training, multi-agency work, provision and the role of parents. Interestingly, staff working with primary-aged pupils frequently referred to whole-school behaviour policies as contributing to successful outcomes. Professionals involved with both primary- and secondary-aged pupils suggested that the constraints of the National Curriculum can contribute to pupils' emotional and behavioural difficulties. The results of this survey were used to inform developments in Peter Lloyd Bennett's local authority and will be directly relevant to colleagues grappling with similar issues in other contexts.     

The professional identities of teacher educators in three further education colleges: an entanglement of discourse and practice

Initial teacher education programmes have been identified as crucial to meeting the twin policy aims of professionalising the further education (FE) workforce and achieving improved learner outcomes, yet college-based teacher educators are underrepresented in published research and commentary. Drawing on a case study of teacher educators employed by three FE colleges in England, this paper argues that the contested and politicised nature of the FE sector presents a unique set of circumstances that distinguishes this population from other members of their professional group and severely restricts the identities available to them. Through a thematic discursive analysis of documentation, observation and interview data, it is argued that FE positions teacher educator identity through political governance, through the business practices of colleges and through the sector’s historical relationships with vocational and higher education. Within this distinctive context, teacher educators experience competing identities of ‘qualified and credible’, ‘teacher’, ‘different from others’, ‘part of FE’ and ‘employee’ that are entangled with the dominant discourses of English further education. After discussing the implications of these findings for a professional profile of teacher educators, the paper concludes that teacher educators are better understood as a heterogeneous occupational group in order to avoid obscuring professional concerns linked to policy landscapes.     

Educator perceptions of children who present with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties: a literature review with implications for recent educational policy in England and internationally

In support of their recommendations, recent policy pronouncements in England on behaviour (DFE (Department for Education). 2010 DFE (Department for Education) 2010. The Importance of Teaching – The Schools White Paper. London: TSO. [Google Scholar]. The Importance of Teaching – The Schools White Paper. London: TSO) and on reform of special educational needs and disabilities make reference, respectively, to educator perceptions of poor behaviour by children and to practitioner views about social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). The evidence base for this analysis appears absent (DFE 2010) or is at best unclearly articulated (DFE (Department for Education). 2012 DFE (Department for Education) 2012. Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability – Progress and Next Steps. London: DFE. [Google Scholar]. Support and Aspiration: A New Approach to Special Educational Needs and Disability – Progress and Next Steps. London: Department for Education). In response, this article offers a timely brief review of research, published since 2000, exploring educator perceptions of children who present with SEBD. Research included does not offer clear support to the views expressed by recent policy in England, although it does, in varied ways, suggest the need for positive change in educational practice which affects children who present with SEBD, with particular emphasis upon the need for enacting educational inclusion. Articles included in this literature review are also, briefly, analysed in terms of their: methodological features; theoretical basis, particularly applications of the theory of planned behaviour; broad disciplinary affiliations; and also underpinning rationale. Recommendations for future research and implications for international policy on this topic are outlined: particularly the role of research in persuading practitioners and policy-makers away from deep-rooted but simplistic conceptualisations about this highly varied population of children.     

‘They think that if you're a teacher here … you're not clever enough to be a proper teacher’: the courtesy stigma experienced by teachers employed at schools for pupils with behavioural,emotional and social difficulties (BESD)

A wealth of literature has identified that children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) and their families are frequently stigmatised due to the perceived controllable and ‘invisible’ nature of this special educational need (SEN). Yet little research has considered the impact of this stigma on another group of individuals, educational practitioners employed in BESD schools. This is despite these professionals working in close contact with pupils with BESD, a heavily stigmatised group, on a regular basis. This paper therefore, details a study which explored perceptions of stigma specifically with educational professionals employed in schools for pupils with BESD. Semi‐structured interviews with nine practitioners (including head teachers and class teachers with additional responsibilities) were conducted, all of whom had worked within the BESD sector for at least 10 years, with data being analysed via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings revealed how educational practitioners employed in BESD schools experienced courtesy stigma, with many not being perceived as ‘proper’ teachers due to a discourse of care surrounding BESD. Other professionals reported much confusion from their mainstream colleagues and other individuals about how they could want to work with such ‘challenging’ pupils. This courtesy stigma was linked to the wider stigma surrounding BESD schools, which were often ignorantly perceived to be full of ‘bad boys’ or ‘absolute horrors’. This paper concludes by considering the implications of these findings for policy and practice, and provides recommendations for addressing the identified stigma towards practitioners employed in BESD schools.     

A community of practice as an inclusive model to support children with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties in school contexts

Many school children throughout the world who exhibit antisocial or destructive behaviour or have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) do not receive the support they need. As a result, they are caught up in a cycle of vulnerability. Systemic collaborative support is needed to counter this. Although in some cases teachers and other professionals join forces, interventions are usually affected by individual professionals outside the framework of inclusive education. This literature review paper explores the support children with SEBD in school contexts receive. The findings of the thematic document analysis highlight the vulnerability of children with SEBD, the success or otherwise of attempts made by various approaches and intervention programmes to provide support to these children, and the barriers to inclusive support. We argue the merits of adopting a Community of Practice as an inclusive model to support school children with SEBD. This kind of inclusive model strengthens constructive partnerships that provide these children with opportunities to acquire the social capital they need to engage meaningfully at schools and in their future life.     

Dropping out of school as a meaningful action for adolescents with social,emotional and behavioural difficulties

This study examines and discusses dropping out of school related to adolescents with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). It is based on in‐depth interviews of 10 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 20, three girls and two boys with internalised problems, and two girls and three boys with extroverted behavioural problems. Given this group of students' challenges at school, the aim of this paper is to explore the narratives of this adolescent group as they relate to the significance they attach to their dropout behaviour. An additional objective is to draw attention to what these findings are likely to mean for implementing preventive practices in school. Results show that adolescents with SEBD perceive a non‐supportive classroom environment to be a primary explanation for why they are dropping out from school. Additionally, lack of support from teachers and parents and family problems are, according to the adolescents, an important reason for dropping out. Findings are discussed in relation to future implications for this group of adolescents in the context of school.     

The influence of occupational socialisation upon the teaching of pupils experiencing social and emotional behavioural difficulties (SEBD) in physical education

Research within physical education (PE) utilising the occupational socialisation framework indicates that the childhood phase of socialisation is the most powerful phase of socialisation. However, for most teachers working with pupils experiencing special educational needs (SEN), the childhood phase often lacks direct experience of SEN and thus ceases to exist as a socialising force. Consequently, the higher education and workplace phases form a ‘salvaged’ phase upon which to base pedagogical approaches (Pugach). In light of this dichotomy, the aims of this case study were to (1) examine how one PE head of department (HOD) in a specialist social and emotional behavioural difficulties (SEBD) school taught year 9 pupils games; (2) identify factors that led to such instruction and (3) consider the influence of the three phases of occupational socialisation on her pedagogical approaches. Data collection methods consisted of formal and informal interviews and lesson observations. The data were inductively analysed, and themes were drawn from this process. Using a systematic learning approach, lessons were game orientated based around pupil decision‐making and limited technical practice. Factors influencing this practice were her exploratory outdoor activity experiences and the nature of the pupils. In contrast to Pugach, this research indicates that the childhood phase of socialisation can provide an ‘apprenticeship of observation’ for those teaching PE to pupils experiencing SEBD. That such perceptions can be strongly held suggests that prior examination of the childhood biographies of those recruited to PE teacher training and/or PE teachers teaching pupils who experience SEBD appears warranted.     

Supporting the inclusion of pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties in the primary school: the role of teaching assistants

During the past ten years in the UK there has been a considerable increase in the number of teaching assistants (TAs) appointed to work alongside teachers in schools. A significant number of these colleagues are appointed to support pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including those with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD). This paper reports on the ways in which the role of the teaching assistant in supporting pupils with SEBD has been developed in schools for pupils aged 7–11 years in one English Local Education Authority (LEA). It suggests that there are several models of support emerging and that the role of the teaching assistant is perceived as crucial to the effective inclusion of pupils with SEBD in mainstream classrooms.