Lisa Woolfson

An investigation of factors impacting on mainstream teachers’ beliefs about teaching students with learning difficulties

The relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and beliefs and attributions about teaching students with additional learning support needs was studied in a sample of 199 mainstream general class primary school teachers. Using multiple regression, it was found that none of the teacher experience or professional training variables were significant predictors of locus of causality, stability, or controllability attributions, or of teacher self‐efficacy with students with difficulties in learning. Self‐efficacy, however, was a positive predictor of attributions, and sympathy a negative predictor. Multivariate analysis of variance found no relationship between teacher experience, further professional development training, and dependent outcome variables: self‐efficacy with learning difficulties, coping with learning difficulties, interactions with people with disabilities, or general optimism. Implications for continued professional development are discussed.

A Comparison of Special, General and Support Teachers’ Controllability and Stability Attributions for Children’s Difficulties in Learning

The study aimed to explore teachers’ attributions for learner difficulties in their schoolwork. In order to explore their attributions of controllability and stability, three groups of teachers, general mainstream class teachers (N = 39), mainstream learning support teachers (N = 35), and special school teachers (N = 25) were asked to rate vignettes about children’s difficulties. The results showed that the two groups of teachers working in the mainstream settings viewed learners with identified support needs as having less control over their performance than those with no specific support needs, while special school teachers viewed both learner groups similarly. Similar findings were found for teacher attributions of controllability in high‐ and low‐ability learners. Stability attributions across all conditions showed that special school teachers viewed children’s difficulties as more amenable to change than did the two groups of mainstream teachers. The implications of these findings for inclusion in mainstream schools are discussed.

Confusion and inconsistency in diagnosis of Asperger syndrome: A review of studies from 1981 to 2010

This paper presents a review of past and current research on the diagnosis of Asperger syndrome (AS) in children. It is suggested that the widely used criteria for diagnosing AS in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV are insufficient and invalid for a reliable diagnosis of AS. In addition, when these diagnostic criteria are applied, there is the potential bias of receiving a diagnosis towards the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Through a critical review of 69 research studies carried out between 1981 and 2010, this paper shows that six possible criteria for diagnosing AS (specifically, the age at which signs and symptoms related to autism become apparent, language and social communication abilities, intellectual abilities, motor or movement skills, repetitive patterns of behaviour and the nature of social interaction) overlap with the criteria for diagnosing autism. However, there is a possibility that some finer differences exist in the nature of social interaction, motor skills and speech patterns between groups with a diagnosis of AS and autism. These findings are proposed to be of relevance for designing intervention studies aimed at the treatment of specific symptoms in people with an autism spectrum disorder.

An integrated framework to guide educational psychologist practice

This paper describes a five-phase practice approach that further develops Monsen et al.s problem-analysis framework, which was originally designed for use by educational psychologists in training. The five-phase approach aims to provide a user-friendly conceptual framework for use by experienced educational psychologists. Action points, completed summary proformae, and a multi-faceted assessment and intervention example are provided to support the implementation of this approach within practice-based work.

Effects on coping skills and anxiety of a universal school-based mental health intervention delivered in Scottish primary schools

Anxiety disorders are common in children and may signal risk of depression, social, or academic difficulties. This study evaluated the effects of a universal mental health promotion intervention delivered in primary schools. Three hundred and seventeen 9- to 10-year-olds were randomly allocated by class group to intervention conditions (psychologist-led or teacher-led), or a comparison condition. Coping and anxiety were measured pre- and post-intervention and at six-month follow-up. Significant anxiety reduction and improved coping were found post-intervention and at follow-up. There were no significant differences between the teacher- and psychologist-led intervention groups. Results indicated that a universal school programme delivered by teachers can have positive effects on anxiety and coping.

Binge drinking in a sample of Scottish undergraduate students

This study investigated binge drinking in a sample of 62 undergraduate students at a Scottish university (48 female, 16 male) with a mean age of 20.9 years (SD = 2.3 years). Students completed questionnaires using the constructs of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and a further questionnaire 4 weeks later. Regression analyses found the TPB model predicted both intention to binge drink and actual binge drinking behaviour. Attitude towards binge drinking was a significant predictor of behavioural intention to binge drink. An additional variable, past behaviour, moderated the relationship between attitudes and intention, with attitude–intention relationships becoming weaker as frequency of past binge drinking behaviour increased. Health education focused on these TPB predictor variables is required to challenge the hard-drinking culture of Scottish undergraduate students.

Solution-focused approaches in the practice of UK educational psychologists: a study of the nature of their application and evidence of their effectiveness

Solution-focused approaches are increasingly widely used in the practice of the applied educational psychologist (EP) (Ajmal and Rees, 2001; Durrant, 1993; Redpath and Harper, 1999; Rhodes and Ajmal, 1995). Based on a small-scale computer-mediated exploratory survey, this article examines the nature of such practice and investigates whether and how solution-focused practice is evaluated and contributes to EPs’ knowledge and skills base. The exploratory study is integrated into an overview of solution-focused therapy and a literature review of the application of solution-focused practice by EPs. Based on the review and analysis of the survey, the article proposes ways by which solution-focused practice can be evaluated by busy EP practitioners and therefore become potentially evidence-based.

Young people's views of mental health education in secondary schools: a Scottish study

BACKGROUND This exploratory study used mixed methods to investigate young peoples preferences in the delivery of mental health education and to investigate possible age and gender differences. METHOD Information was gathered about the delivery of mental health education in three secondary schools. Nine pupil focus groups were carried out to identify key themes which were then further developed and administered through questionnaires to a larger sample of 773 pupils. RESULTS Gender and age differences were found in young peoples preferences about who should deliver mental health education, and what, when, where and how this should be delivered. CONCLUSION Mental health education should reflect the needs of young people. Age and gender preferences should be considered when designing these programmes.

Quality indicators for effective early intervention in literacy and numeracy

Recent research suggests that multi‐strand and interlinked interventions meet the requirements of early primary school intervention programmes more fully than single programmes. A set of quality indicators, which education authorities and schools can utilize to review and evaluate processes and outcomes of such interventions, is derived from the outcome of an evaluation of the implementation of an early intervention programme (EIP) in literacy and numeracy, involving 274 pupils, in three North Ayrshire primary schools. The implications for primary prevention of difficulties in literacy and numeracy are discussed.

A cross-sectional pilot study of the Scottish early development instrument: a tool for addressing inequality

BackgroundEarly childhood is recognised as a key developmental phase with implications for social, academic, health and wellbeing outcomes in later childhood and indeed throughout the adult lifespan. Community level data on inequalities in early child development are therefore required to establish the impact of government early years’ policies and programmes on children’s strengths and vulnerabilities at local and national level. This would allow local leaders to target tailored interventions according to community needs to improve children’s readiness for the transition to school. The challenge is collecting valid data on sufficient samples of children entering school to derive robust inferences about each local birth cohort’s developmental status. This information needs to be presented in a way that allows community stakeholders to understand the results, expediting the improvement of preschool programming to improve future cohorts’ development in the early years. The aim of the study was to carry out a pilot to test the feasibility and ease of use in Scotland of the 104-item teacher-administered Early Development Instrument, an internationally validated measure of children’s global development at school entry developed in Canada.MethodsPhase 1 was piloted in an education district with 14 Primary 1 teachers assessing a cohort of 154 children, following which the instrument was adapted for the Scottish context (Scottish Early Development Instrument: SEDI). Phase 2 was then carried out using the SEDI. Data were analysed from a larger sample of 1090 participants, comprising all Primary 1 children within this school district, evaluated by 68 teachers.ResultsThe SEDI displayed adequate psychometric and discriminatory properties and is appropriate for use across Scotland without any further modifications. Children in the lowest socioeconomic status quintiles were 2–3 times more likely than children in the most affluent quintile to score low in at least one developmental domain. Even in the most affluent quintile though, 17% of children were ‘developmentally vulnerable’, suggesting that those in need cannot be identified by socioeconomic status alone.ConclusionsThe SEDI offers a feasible means of providing communities with a holistic overview of school readiness for targeting early years’ interventions.