Robert Burden

Student teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with special educational needs in the ordinary school

Abstract Given that research has suggested that the successful implementation of any inclusive policy is largely dependent on educators being positive about it, a survey was undertaken into the attitudes of student teachers toward the inclusion of children with special needs in the ordinary school. The sample was comprised of 135 students who were completing their teacher training courses at a university School of Education. The analysis revealed that the respondents held positive attitudes toward the general concept of inclusion but their perceived competence dropped significantly according to the severity of childrens needs as identified by the UK “Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs”. Moreover, children with emotional and behavioural difficulties were seen as potentially causing more concern and stress than those with other types of special needs. Finally, the survey raised issues about the breadth and quality of initial teacher training in the UK. Nevertheless, the recommendations provided at the end of this paper regarding teacher training are applicable beyond the UK context.

Students' Developing Conceptions of Themselves as Language Learners.

This article describes a small-scale study into learners’ attributions for success and failure in learning French. The study investigated the way in which learners conceptualise the notion of doing well, together with their perceived reasons for their successes and failures. Interviews were conducted with students from 10 to 15 years of age who were learning French in the Southwest of England. The results indicated that most of these learners tended to judge their success by external factors such as teacher approval, marks, or grades, and that the range of attributions increased with age. Many of the attributions mentioned, however, were superficial in nature. It appears that the teacher plays a significant role in the development of students’ attributions. Implications are drawn with regard to language teaching and to the nature of the learning environment.

Learners' perceptions of their successes and failures in foreign language learning

This is a postprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in the Language Learning Journal

Is dyslexia necessarily associated with negative feelings of self‐worth? A review and implications for future research

This paper will provide an overview of research in the past 20 years into the relationship between dyslexia and various aspects of self-perception, including self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy and locus of control. Problems are identified relating to the measurement of some of the most widely used constructs, as is the need for more precise identification of key variables relating to them. Critical issues concerning the assumptions that can be drawn from largely correlational data are highlighted also. The conclusion is drawn that an alternative approach to research in this area is required to enhance our understanding of how those suffering from learning disabilities of a dyslexic nature develop a positive or negative sense of identity. Suggestions are made as to how this can be achieved by drawing upon attribution theory and other aspects of social psychology.

Inclusion in action: an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive secondary school in the south-west of England

This paper represents the outcomes of an in-depth case study of a secondary school in the south-west of England, identified as inclusive by the local education authority (LEA). The study, which formed the second part of a ‘bricolage’ approach, utilized ethnographic research methods, with the aim of investigating inclusion in a holistic way, at the school level. Data were collected through interviewing of a variety of school constituencies and participant observation. The analysis suggested that: (a) the participants were enculturated into the integration model; (b) although there were strong perceived academic benefits for the included students, the evidence is contradictory regarding the social outcomes of inclusion; (c) successful implementation of inclusion requires restructuring of the physical environment, resources, organizational changes and instructional adaptations; and (d) there was a perceived need for ongoing professional development. The findings reported in this investigation may be used to illuminate current practice in the LEA and to provide directions for formulating policies to support ‘inclusive practice’ in ways which are acceptable to teachers, parents and students.

Assessing Children's Perceptions of Themselves as Learners and Problem-Solvers The Construction of the Myself-as-Learner Scale (MALS)

A review of the literature on the measurement of self-concept and its various manifestations leads to the conclusion that despite general agreement about its multifaceted nature, there remains some dispute as to how best to measure this. Existing measures have been found wanting either with regard to their psychometric properties or with regard to their ease of application, scoring and interpretation. In particular, there still remains a comparative dearth of instruments directed at specific aspects of childrens perceptions of themselves as learners and problem-solvers. A need exists for such an instrument which is valid, reliable and easy to administer, score and interpret. The construction of a simple 20-item scale aimed at measuring childrens conceptions of themselves as learners and problem-solvers is described. The Myself-As-Learner Scale appears to meet satisfactory criteria in terms of its factor structure, validity and reliability. Standardization data are provided on a sample of 389 secondary pupils aged between 11 and 13 years. Further information is also provided on the correspondence between MALS scores and scores on tests of cognitive ability and attainment. Suggestions are offered as to the possible application of MALS in further research studies.

Making the Move: Assessing Student Attitudes to Primary-Secondary School Transfer

T education system in England and Wales is one in which most children move between different schools at least twice (and, increasingly, three times) during their educational career. Towards the end of their seventh year (at the end of their second or third year of formal school in the United Kingdom) the move is usually made from infant to junior school (although this may well be on the same campus). At eleven years old (at the end of their sixth year of formal schooling) an even more significant move is made from junior (or primary) school to some form of secondary education, and at sixteen yet another move may well be made from school to a college of further education. Although such moves have been traditionally viewed as relatively unproblematic, a small but growing number of researchers have questioned the cognitive, social and emotional effects of the adjustments that some children need to make to such changes in their educational career (Berndt and Mekos, 1995; Bourcet, 1998; Kakavoulis 1998; Tobell, 2003). The move between primary and secondary education in particular has come under scrutiny for a number of reasons related to such organisational factors as 11+ selection, a perceived lack of curriculum continuity, the increasing number of specialist schools and the gap between the rhetoric and reality of parental choice of secondary school. At the same time, the ever earlier onset of puberty and the academic pressures brought about within the current English educational system by Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) set at 7 and 11 present young adolescents in particular with other developmental stressors which may well interact with such organisational factors to produce anxiety and possible disruption to the educational and personal careers of a significant number. Fundamental questions which arise therefore in relation to the period and process of transfer from one school to the next, particularly in early adolescence, are:

Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment Programme: Important issues in research and evaluation

The key elements underlying Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment Programme are described together with the programme’s aims. Suggestions are made as to appropriate ways of evaluating the programme’s effectiveness and a summary of most of the available large and small scale research prior to 1986 is given. This research is itself evaluated in the light of previous suggestions and found to be deficient on a number of counts. Nevertheless, a degree of cautious optimism with regard to the potential effects of FIE is considered warranted. Suggestions are made as to how future research might overcome the pitfalls of earlier studies by the application of alternative evaluation strategies.RésuméLes conceptions sous-jacentes à l’«Instrumental Enrichment Programme» de Feuerstein et les objectifs de ce programme font l’objet d’une description qui en dégage les éléments clés. L’auteur fait des suggestions sur les méthodes les plus adaptées à l’évaluation des effets du programme et passe en revue la plupart des travaux disponibles antérieurs à 1986. Ces travaux font eux-mêmes l’objet d’une évaluation critique à la lumière des suggestions de l’auteur. Il apparaît néanmoins, qu’à condition d’être prudent, on peut accorder une relative confiance aux effets de FIE. Des suggestions sont faites, dans la perspective des recherches futures, afin de surmonter les difficultés antérieures rencontrées par un renouvellement des stratégies d’évaluation.

Evaluating the process of introducing a thinking skills programme into the secondary school curriculum

The first stage of a long-term, cyclic evaluation of one secondary schools introduction of a cognitive skills development programme into its mainstream curriculum is described. A traditional research design is rejected in favour of a more open-ended, semi-structured framework for evaluation within which aspects of the setting, the plans, the action and initial results are scrutinized. Important issues are raised about what might be considered positive outcomes of cognitive interventions and how these can be achieved. The broader and more long-term aspects of evaluation are also emphasized.

A further perspective on parental reaction to handicap

Abstract In rejecting the familiar position that parents of handicapped children are dominated by negative emotions, this paper explores the necessity to include in any explanation of family dynamics the quality of professional support in mitigating the consequences of handicap. It also emphasizes other elements in constructing a satisfactory theory namely: parents’ reactions to transitions in the handicapped childs life; their individual differences in resisting stress; the extent and nature of the childs disability; and community attitudes to that particular disability.