No description available.

The theory of attachment, proposed by Child Developmentalist John Bowlby, has been one of the most successful paradigms introduced to psychology, with the core hypotheses being widely supported (e.g., Cassidy & Shaver, 1999; Goldberg, 2000; Grossmann, Grossmann & Waters, 2005; Sroufe, Egeland, Carlson & Collins, 2005a). John Bowlby regarded attachment as a biological instinct which evolves to ensure the survival of the vulnerable young (Bowlby, 1969). In light of the implications of attachment theory and research for practice, there remains a lack of research exploring interventions which encapsulate the principles of an attachment-based framework in the school context. The principle aim of this research was to address this gap in the literature by implementing an intervention designed to focus upon building the attachment between a group of five primary-aged pupils with identified insecure attachment styles, and a key adult figure in the school context. The intervention hoped to support the children to form a more positive sense of themselves and themselves in relation to others. The ten week intervention consisted of weekly one hour sessions based in a mixed, Church of England mainstream primary school within an outer London borough, in which the researcher worked as an Educational Psychologist. The research adopted a mixed methodology, with a predominant qualitative approach, with descriptive quantitative analysiS. The perceptions of children in relation to attachment concepts were explored both before and following the intervention using a semi-structured interview. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Quantitative tools were also used, including behaviour rating scales completed by the children's class teachers, pre and post intervention. The findings revealed positive changes in the children's behaviours and experiences following the attachment intervention. These observations gave rise to theoretical and practical implications, foremost, that Internal Working Models can be positively shifted to some degree, and have an impact on the child's social and emotional behaviours. Practical implications focussed on the implementation for developing attachment-based interventions with adults in the school setting, in order to enhance their sensitivity to children's attachment needs and facilitate children's perceptions of the teacher and school context as a 'secure base'. Further implications of the research discussed areas such as pre-service training for teachers and partnerships with parents. Future avenues of research in relation to this study were explored. The research highlighted the essential role that adults in the school context can play in the lives of vulnerable children with insecure attachment difficulties.

Gender equality issues in the Hellenic primary school system have not received adequate attention from government policy makers and educators. Although gender equality is mandated in the official curriculum, the pedagogical praxis continues to reinforce traditional gender discourses. This study aims to scrutinise the education system’s role in challenging or reinforcing normative gender discourses and how pupils negotiate, reproduce or challenge normative and non-normative gender discourses in the curriculum material and children’s literature. In addition, this research explores how pupils deploy these discourses in their quotidian gender performances on school playgrounds. The research applies a qualitative methodological approach, grounded in a post-structuralist theoretical approach to gender (Butler, 1990) and Connell’s (1987) theory of hegemonic masculinity and emphasised femininity. Observations were carried out in primary classrooms and school playgrounds, and a semi-structured interview format was employed in group interviews with students (40 boys and 40 girls). In parallel with this, individual teachers were interviewed (four males and one female), in two Athenian primary schools. Feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA) was used to examine anthology textbooks, while the interview data and observation notes were analysed using thematic analysis. The resulting qualitative data reveals the role played by Hellenic primary schools in reinforcing traditional gender discourses and makes clear the patterns of hegemonic masculinity and emphasised femininity in specific schools. The analysis also highlights how pupils negotiate, reproduce and challenge normative and non-normative gender discourses and how they use these in their quotidian gender performances on school playgrounds. This research makes a significant empirical contribution to knowledge in the field of study because this type of study has not been carried out before in Hellas. The paper concludes with 5 suggested future directions for research and recommends actions to be taken by the Hellenic government to achieve gender equality in primary education.

This case study carried out during 2007 – 2009 investigates how a Junior School has been able to give primary school children a voice through the provision of decision and democratic power-sharing opportunities in its inherent culture. An inclusive philosophical vision has been created within an educational and broad socio-cultural context where children’s contributions are deemed valid and important. A pedagogy has developed which provides experiences that enable children to practice and experiment with critical elements of consultation, participation, responsibility, emotional intelligence and transformational learning. It is proposed that pupils are able to develop confidence in preparing for their next phase of education and a world ‘not yet known’ (Lodge, 2000: 97). Data is drawn from three school based initiatives: School Council Initiative; Guardian Angel Initiative and the Master Class Mentor Initiative involving 16 children (15 aged 10 – 11 years and 1 aged 12 years), and 12 adults, and takes the form of individual and group interviews. The data analysis identified 4 emergent themes: confidence, trust, autonomous agency and transformation of self, and showed that there was a positive impact on the pupils through decision-making opportunities both on the school culture and the school community itself characterised by trust and the development of autonomy. The findings show that there is an ongoing dichotomy that exists between ‘giving children a say’ and empowering them through taking notice of their viewpoints and insights. If children obtain the trust from adults around them, they frequently rise to the challenge and will accept the responsibility offered to them, and in many cases surpass expectations. It is proposed that the findings of this study will be of relevance to a variety of professionals looking to refocus 21st century education and improve the contribution of children. A model and toolkit has been devised to support this approach.

This regional research was carried out in Owerri the capital of Imo State, one of the 36 states in Nigeria with the aim of investigating and identifying factors that are responsible for the lack of dyslexia awareness in the area. The study focused particularly on selected primary schools in Owerri West Local Government Area. The study is located in the context of contemporary discourse on dyslexia awareness in Owerri West. Primary source evidence and first hand information which were gathered through discussions and interviews with respondents confirms the status of originality on the findings of the research. Research carried out on database where nothing was found on dyslexia awareness in Owerri West is also evidence of originality of this study. The research sheds light on the effects the lack of dyslexia awareness has on teaching and learning in primary schools in Owerri West and in doing so draws attention to issues raised around the marginalisation of individuals with unidentified specific learning difficulties. A triangulation of qualitative data collection methods was employed to explore and understand disability beliefs, experiences, attitudes, behaviour and interactions with regards to the impact these have on inclusive practices. The findings from these studies were then analysed drawing on a range of disability models including the social model of dyslexia, the social, medical and moral models of disability, as well as social construction theory. This enabled the creation of a more explicit understanding of disability issues as it concerns the society investigated. The overall research findings, especially those derived from the interviews, highlight that factors affecting the lack of dyslexia awareness are located in the society’s predominant understanding of disability, the cultural perceptions of disability based on historical practices, incomprehensive disability definition featuring in policy and the lack of awareness of the nature and dimensions of invisible/hidden disabilities like dyslexia in national disability policy. Based on these findings the study concludes that ideologies around disability and inclusion are more geared towards the medical and moral models of disability. Furthermore, it concludes that the lack of an extensive understanding of disability and disability rights, which are very much features of a social model construct of disability, has impacted negatively on inclusive practices and perceived understanding of who is deemed educable. Following this, a number of recommendations were made including the need for robust teacher training programmes which will raise the awareness and understanding of dyslexia and in so doing improve the learning experiences of children with dyslexia.

This research was undertaken to explore and explain the contexts and mechanisms influencing full-time class teachers’ emotional wellbeing (EWB) in a primary school rated ‘outstanding’ by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted). Despite being associated with issues high on the national agenda including pupil wellbeing, pupil performance, teacher retention and teacher recruitment, the wellbeing of school staff is a cause for concern calling for supportive and positive measures. Previous findings often describe wellbeing in deficit terms: the impacts of stress and burnout; however, research on what promotes teachers’ EWB is relatively scarce or, in Ofsted outstanding primary schools, non-existent. The current qualitative study aims to address this gap by applying grounded theory (GT) methodology to data collection and analysis on what enhances and hinders teachers’ EWB in their professional role and what interventions could be implemented to produce desirable outcomes. Semi-structured interviews were employed to elicit the views of 5 full-time class teachers at a mainstream primary school in an outer London borough. Adopting a critical realist ontological and epistemological stance, a general, abstract theory grounded in the views of the participants was drawn and discussed in relation to existing literature on psychological theory and research. Findings provide evidence to inform professionals linked to the chosen setting on what teachers think ‘works’ for them and how this could be applied in practice. It is hoped that outcomes will also facilitate further research in similar settings.

An exploration of schooling practices over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries reveals a number of ‘fixed characteristics.’ These continue to have a principle role in the organisation of schooling today and are underpinned by assumptions stemming from traditional psychological theory. Most prominent is the transmission-receiver model associated with behaviourism. This provides a simplistic view of the learning process, locating performance in the individual child or teacher. In this work, learning is re-conceptualised as experience and in doing so, any understanding is rendered much more complex than previously acknowledged. It becomes a wider phenomenon, distributed across agent, activity and world. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development is used to elucidate this notion. To enrich the analytical power of this model, additional perspectives have been integrated to further explore the complex web of proximal, distal and environmental influences serving to shape children’s quotidian learning experiences and development; specifically, notions of metacognition and self-efficacy, Vygotskian psychology and the community of practice literature. In unison, these theoretical lenses seek to provide an explanation for learning on multiple levels: the role of the learner, the intricate mechanisms of the learning process itself and the wider conditions that surround learning. Immersed in the primary school context, the researcher adopted the dual role of researcher and teaching assistant, carrying out ethnographic research over two school terms. Following the day-to-day lives of eight children in Year 6, the research records a multiplicity of factors impacting upon their learning experiences at school. The children’s time in Year 6 is presented in story form and structured using the theories noted above. The research illuminates that the constellation of factors operating in the child’s world is unique to him or her. These combine in idiosyncratic and non-predictable ways with the child’s own repertoire of characteristics, resulting in a different learning trajectory for every child. However, analysis indicates that relationships and participation play a fundamental role in all learning journeys. Recommendations for managing children’s experiences based on this understanding are discussed.

A child’s right to have their opinion in decisions which affect them given due regard forms the basis of Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989) which was ratified by the UK government in 1991. The term ‘pupil voice’ has been used by schools as a way of encapsulating this and a survey in 2007 suggested that 92% of primary schools in England and Wales had a school council in place (Whitty & Wisby, 2007a). The aim of the current study was to elicit the views of key stage 2 school councillors and staff members about the role of school councils and pupil participation in decision making. In Phase One staff from three primary schools in the south west of England were interviewed about school councils and pupil participation in school. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and three themes emerged. In Phase Two 16 key stage 2 pupils, who were members of their own school’s school council, took part. Mixed gender paired interviews were conducted to elicit their views about their role and pupil participation in decision making in their school. Interviews were followed by five weekly group sessions involving participatory activities to support and develop their understanding of their role as school councillors. Pupils from each school council had input into the topics explored in this part of the research. Findings from Phase One suggest that staff regard school councils as being positive for the children involved but they differ in opinion in terms of the impact they have on the wider school population. Findings from Phase Two suggest school council members value being responded to by adults when they have been asked to express their views about a specific decision. School council members also perceive trust as being one of the main factors involved in their election by peers. Findings are discussed in relation to recent research about participation in decision making, the effectiveness of school councils and the importance of a participatory ethos within schools. Overall findings lead to the proposal of a model for use in schools to support the participation of pupils in decision making. The model is based on the existing model conceptualising Article 12 of the UNCRC by Lundy (2007) but incorporates a shared participatory ethos and adult response as required factors. Limitations of the current study as well as suggestions for future research and implications for EP practice are discussed.

Focusing on the ‘Sustainable schools’ strategy, a programme launched in 2006 by the former United Kingdom government, this thesis examines the relationship between sustainable development and schools. It analyses how the abstract and contested concept of sustainable development (Scott & Gough 2003), is translated into education practices in state-funded primary schools in England and Portugal. The collection of data in two different countries is explained by the fact that it was in England that the ‘Sustainable schools’ policy was developed. Portugal was selected due to a requirement from my Portuguese sponsor, providing a valuable opportunity to explore the role of the context in the development of education for sustainable development (ESD) in primary schools. Taking a sociological approach, this study explores the practices of education for sustainable development and the factors that shape those practices. It looks at the way schools make choices, what they prioritise, and what the key elements influencing the development of ESD are. ‘What does one want ESD for?’; this is the underlying question behind the research, and so practices are contrasted with motivations, interests, agendas and expected outcomes. There is no single definition of ESD, given the complexity involved, and so to accept the importance of the concept of sustainability for education is to accept something that constitutes a problem (Corcoran & Wals 2004). Sustainability itself is a normative ethical principle, not a scientific concept as such, and since it has both necessary and desirable characteristics, there is no single model of a sustainable society (Robinson 2001). By providing robust data on how schools interpret, organise, decide, and implement ESD, my research contributes to the discussion of the role of schools in the transition to a ‘fairer and greener’ world. Literature claims, policy ideas and school practices are compared and contrasted with the aim of ‘demystify’ ESD and question the intentions, the expectations and the projected ESD outcomes The key research question of this study aims to identify the limitations of ESD in the shift to a ‘greener and fairer’ world. In order to do that, this thesis researched three other sub-questions: a) how is sustainability translated into practice in state-funded primary schools? b) how important is the promotion of ESD in primary schools’ agendas? and c) how was the ‘Sustainable schools’ project designed to prepare pupils for current and future environmental and social challenges. On the search for answers, several dilemmas were identified: of teaching about sustainable development versus practising it; of promoting critical thinking versus promoting specific knowledge, values and behaviours; of accepting the sustainable development concept or challenging it; of reducing the school’s environmental impact or developing the curriculum. These must all be faced by those dealing with ESD. Using a mixed methods approach, I explored these particular issues by researching five state-funded primary schools in England, some of which considered exemplary of the best practice of ESD. The case-studies research was followed by an online questionnaire sent to selected schools in England and Portugal. The questionnaire was used mainly to develop further the understanding of the results gathered with the case studies, providing a more robust image of ESD practices and its context. My research concludes that schools value ESD and tend to deal with its complexity by dividing the main ideas within the concept of sustainable development, into specific themes and activities, such as recycling, turning off lights or growing vegetables. The development of the school’s grounds, the investment in eco-features, and the activity-based projects are the most common practices found in the different schools. In this sense, there is a significant degree of standardisation in the projects developed, combined with a diverseness of specificities explained by the context, or the way the diverse factors, such as the location, the size, and the resources of the school, are used and combined. The limitations of ESD in the shift to a ‘greener and fairer’ world are plentiful, related to schools’ internal and external constraints, revealing the need to adjust expectations and resources to the projects developed by schools.

This research is concerned with children’s experience of the repeated procedures and activities in schooling, for example, registration, dismissal, assembly, discipline and sanctions. Built on a critical review of previous studies on school ritual, the current investigation deals with two sets of issues: ritual in the context of schooling, and children’s experiences of the rituals of schooling. Without being initially constrained by any theoretical framework or any particular conceptualisations of ‘ritual’, the research emphasises the exploration of real-life phenomena, and attempts in this way to achieve better understanding of children’s experience of the ritual aspects of school life. A case study is carried out with a Year Four class in an English primary school. Detailed classroom observations and extensive group interviews with children are employed for the inquiry. Children’s experience of routines, collective activities and classroom management are depicted through the researcher’s observation and by their own accounts through interviews. Focusing on registration, dismissal, assembly, class organization and grouping, discipline, the teacher’s instructions, children’s attention-seeking, and children’s distractions and disruptions, the current research provides an in-depth examination of the normal life of the classroom, putting children’s everyday schooling experience under the microscope in order to identify and analyse its authentic significance. The inquiry falls into three stages in its exploration of children’s experience of the everyday realities of life. Firstly, normal teacher-child interactions and children’s responses to their trivial everyday experiences and the fleeting moments that are usually ignored or taken for granted by adults are examined through detailed observation and critical reflection by the researcher. Secondly, the children’s accounts and descriptions in their interviews gradually present their own versions of the ‘normal day’, thus revealing the way they themselves understand schooling, the teacher’s role and relationships among themselves, as well as the specific aspects of school life in question. The final step in the researcher’s interpretation identifies three different but co-existing responses on the part of the children to the rituals of schooling: acceptance, resistance and reflectiveness. The research arrives at an understanding of children as autonomous or potentially autonomous agents against a backdrop of the taken-for-granted ‘structuring’ power of the rituals of schooling