Teaching in mainstream and special schools: are the stresses similar or different?

Research evidence, and the direct experience of many practitioners, suggest that teaching is a stressful profession. However, a number of factors, including, for example, the age group taught, the number of pupils in the class, the hours worked and the type of school, may mediate the types and degree of stress experienced. In this article, Michelle Williams, who carried out this study as part of her degree in psychology at the University of East London and who is not a teacher, and Professor Irvine Gersch, course director of the MSc course in educational psychology at the University of East London, describe work undertaken to compare whether teaching in a mainstream or special school is perceived as more stressful and whether there are different stresses in both types of school.
The authors designed a questionnaire to measure teacher stress and collected data from 41 teachers in three mainstream and two special schools. Their results reveal no significant difference in the overall level of stress experienced between mainstream and special school teachers, but five factors do emerge indicating that different types of stress are experienced in the different school settings studied.     

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.     

Are Educational Psychologists Stressed? A Pilot Study of Educational Psychologists’ Perceptions

This paper describes an exploratory pilot research project, aimed at investigating occupational stress amongst educational psychologists. It investigated three areas: educational psychologists’ perceptions of their own stress levels, sources of stress and possible work conditions, which may reduce stress levels. Data was collected via questionnaires, which were distributed amongst four educational psychology services. The results indicate that 58% of educational psychologists in this study feel that their work as educational psychologists is at least moderately stressful or more. The biggest source of stress was cited as “amount of work” and in direct relation to this, having “more administration time” was identified as the most likely reducer of stress.     

The use of correlation coefficients in test validation

Although the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, r, is commonly used in student selection, it is argued here, that it is frequently more appropriate to use the Bi-serial Correlation Coefficient r_bis for this purpose.Now working in Clinical Psychology.     

A plea for colonial reconciliation: Bishop Shipley's rhetoric of mutual self‐interest

This essay explores extrinsic and intrinsic factors of a rhetorical strategy geared to promote possible reconciliation with the American Colonies. It argues that The Rt. Rev. Jonathan Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph, and a Spiritual Peer in the House of Lords, recognized the potential advantages of employing a rhetoric of mutual self‐interest. His widely distributed “Speech Intended to have been Spoken in 1774” actualized this strategy to influence public opinion both in England and America.     

South Asia and basic education: Changing UNICEF's strategic perspectives on educational development and partnerships

Conclusion Having adopted rights-based programming, UNICEF co-operation programmes within education are undergoing substantial change. Achieving a goal (such as a 95% enrolment of boys and girls of primary-school are in a primary school) can no longer be considered sufficient when there are children whose right to basic education has yet to be realized. In turn, this has stimulated considerable attention to excluded children and to the strategies required to ensure that they have access to good-quality basic education. As new presentation tools become more widely used, disparities within countries have become more visible, and efforts have been directed to more effective strategies to enrol, retain, educate and graduate all children. Linked to the sub-national, national, regional and global work associated with the Education for All 2000 Assessment, there is a renewed commitment to the care of infants and young children, and necessary services and support to those who care for them. Educational programmes extending to much younger children reflect the realization that survival, growth, development and protection depend very much on what happens early in life. ECC for survival, growth, development and protection of infants and young children has emerged as a global priority focus within UNICEF, consistent with its mandate within the United Nations system and the evidence suggesting that the greatest neurological malleability exists in the first few years of life. As countries shift their expectations and standards beyond primary schooling, UNECEF has been evolving its programmatic support for adolescents, and within education, to addressing life-skills and livelihood skills as necessary features of any relevant learning environment. From these expanded perspectives of basic education, UNICEF must gain more experience in its work with partners, make more efficient use of the new information technologies, address the challenges of integrated programming, and ensure that its support is both effective and efficient within the framework of rights programming. Original language: English Jim Irvine (Australia) Currently UNICEF Regional Education Adviser for countries in East Asia and the Pacific. From 1994 to 1999, he was Adviser for South Asia. His early career in single-teacher and primary schools in Australia and the United Kingdom kindled an interest in learning difficulties, pursued through graduate studies at the University of Alberta, Canada, and subsequent teaching, research at the University of New England, Armidale, Australia, and local community work in special needs education, early childhood and psycho-educational assessment. Within the Global and Regional Inter-Agency Technical Advisory Groups for the EFA 2000 Assessment, he has encouraged countries to examine, document and address disparity reduction and quality issues in basic education.     

Parental experiences of the “Time Together” home visiting intervention: an Attachment Theory perspective

This paper reports the results of research into parental experiences of the Somerset (UK) “Time Together” home visiting intervention, with regards to its impact on the parent-child relationship. The research was carried out using an Attachment Theory lens in order to understand the qualitative experiences of seven parents of children in the early years who were identified as being socially isolated and/or having difficulties relating to their child. The key findings were that parents experienced a change within their notion of self, seeing their child as a separate self and seeing the world more through their child’s eyes. They experienced a wider range of play activities which brought about greater levels of attunement and enjoyment. The parent and home visitor relationship served to empower parents. A flow diagram was created to illustrate the processes of the research interactions and outcomes. This provides a model of how parents can be supported to experience greater enjoyment within their relationship with their child, and increase their level of social engagement.