The number of children with autism has steadily risen in recent years (Fombonne, 2005) and with the first parliamentary Act to identify a specific disability group (Autism Act, 2010), momentum has gathered in reviewing and refining service delivery to, and for, families of children with a diagnosis of autism. This thesis is an account of an episode of collaborative action research, undertaken by an educational psychologist in her employing local authority, which explores the perceptions of key stakeholders (adults in schools, and parents of children with a diagnosis of autism) about existing services available to parents and schools staff to support children with autism. The findings indicate the need for EPs and other professionals to take a fuller account of parents’ differing and changing needs throughout the assessment and intervention process and ensure EP practice provides carefully calibrated advice, knowledge and understanding of autism.

Over the last thirty years in the UK and a small number of other countries, workers and researchers have developed a robust theory of cognitive development by studying young children’s patterns of behaviour (known as ‘schemas’) (Athey, 1990; Matthews, 2003; Pan, 2004). The research has shown that young children across cultures, are intrinsically motivated to explore patterns through their actions, symbolic behaviour, functional dependencies and thought. By working closely with parents and workers and drawing on their intimate knowledge of each child and their family context, I have extended this theory to include the children’s explorations of emotional issues, such as attachment and separation. During the study, I made video observations of eight children, aged two, three and four years, over one to two years, engaging in spontaneous play in the nursery. I viewed the filmed sequences alongside their parents and workers to gain their insights into each child’s motivations and interests. I then revisited the filmed sequences over time and used journaling, as a technique, to record my responses and reflections. I constructed a case study about each child using schema theory and attachment theory as theoretical frameworks for analysing the data. I also constructed a case study about my own growing awareness of my responses to emotions. I identified some basic psychological needs in the data about each child, that seemed to link with the cluster of schemas each child explored. There seemed to be a gender bias. The boys studied seemed more focussed on ‘doing’ and expressed this by using a cluster of predominant schemas such as ‘trajectory’ and ‘connecting’. The girls studied seemed more focussed on ‘having’ and ‘relating’ and expressed these needs by exploring a cluster of schemas, including ‘transporting’, ‘containing’ and ‘enveloping’. Children seemed to use these repeated patterns in four ways; to gain comfort; to give form to experiences or feelings; to explore or work through painful experiences or feelings, and; to come to understand abstract concepts. I articulated my understanding of Piaget’s concept of ‘reflective abstraction’ by applying it to data gathered and to the literature. I proposed extending this concept to include ‘reflective expansion’. The child takes actions forward onto a higher plane within the cognitive domain, when developmentally ready (reflective abstraction), and simultaneously draws on earlier actions to make links in the affective domain when faced with complex abstract concepts beyond their current level of development (reflective expansion).

Employing a mixed methods research design, in which both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used, the research in this thesis has explored the feasibility for the development and implementation of school-based sex and relationships education (SRE) in Tanzania by (a) assessing the attitudes of parents, teachers and students towards the provision of SRE in schools and (b) analysing national school policy and curriculum frameworks with a view to identifying the status and place of SRE in the national school curriculum. The results show that a majority of parents (more than 70%), teachers (more than 90%) and students (more than 80%) supported the provision of SRE in schools and, despite resistance to a few controversial topics, the inclusion of a wide range of SRE topics in a school-based SRE curriculum. These results suggest that, contrary to popular belief that, particularly among policy makers, parents and other stakeholders are opposed to the provision of SRE in schools, it is not the opposition itself, but the unfounded fear of opposition that has thwarted the provision of school-based SRE in Tanzania. The results of the content analysis of the national school curriculum revealed a limited and somewhat disorganised representation of SRE, with more focus on the biological facts and information about HIV transmission and prevention than other aspects of sexual health, such as attitudes, skills and relationships. It has been argued, however, that putting HIV/AIDS in the national school curriculum provides the possibility of opening the way for a wider provision of SRE in schools in future (Harrison, 2000). In light of the results of this research, the author has recommended several steps to be considered in introducing SRE in schools, as well as future research directions in the field of sexual health, and SRE in particular, in Tanzania.

This study examines the learning of ensemble skills by young musicians in progressive ensembles. Data collection took place in three music centres which form part of an LEA music service's ensemble provision. This study uniquely approaches ensembles as'socio-musical' phenomena. It finds description and explanation in the constantly changing and developing socio-musical interactions that form ensembles. Using an ethnographic approach it examines the practice of ensembles that are part of musical learning pyramids, through the eyes and actions of the ensemble members. There is an examination of ensemble membership and the social structures and interactions that form ensembles. This study explores, and for the first time identifies, a set of ensemble specific skills. These are the skills that a musician uses to negotiate, integrate and cooperate with other participants in the production of ensemble performance. It goes on to examine how ensemble specific skills are acquired and suggests that the learning process is one of serial performative responsibility transfer created within stratified centripetal progression. New, or novice, members of an ensemble start by participating at a peripheral level leaving it to others to take performative responsibility for the production of a negotiated collaborative realization of the musical intentions of the composer. This study has been influenced by the work of Lave and Wenger and social theories of learning. However, it departs from these theories by suggesting that the learning process within an ensemble is responsibility led and stratified.

While there exists an extensive research literature that focuses upon literacy development in monolingual, English speaking children, very little research has been conducted regarding the problems encountered by children learning English as an additional language (EAL). Recent political and educational concerns have been the educational under-achievement of minority ethnic children and their underrepresentation in those identified as having specific learning difficulties. This thesis aims to further our understanding of factors underlying literacy development in both monolingual and EAL children to produce evidence to inform policy and practice in addressing these concerns. A three-year longitudinal study is reported together with a series of experimental studies. The longitudinal study examines the developmental pattern of the processes underlying literacy development in children learning EAL and also their monolingual peers. Forty-three children learning EAL and forty-three monolingual (English speaking) children were assessed on a range of cognitive-linguistic measures in School Year 2. Testing was repeated in School Years 3 and 4. The experimental studies explored in more detail the comprehension-related difficulties identified in the EAL children in the first year of the longitudinal study. Given that boys' underachievement in literacy is a general concern in the monolingual population, gender differences within both the monolingual and EAL children are also examined in the longitudinal study. Children learning EAL and their monolingual peers achieved similar levels of success on reading accuracy-related measures and made similar progress over the three years. For the EAL children there was no evidence of gender differences whilst for the monolingual children there were lower scores for the boys. On comprehension-related measures, although both groups of children made a similar level of progress at each point in time, children learning EAL experienced more difficulty than their monolingual peers. Gender differences in comprehension were, in general, not found for either group of children. The findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications for addressing the educational underachievement of ethnic minority children and the identification of specific learning difficulties in these children.

Volume 1 comprises five papers, an Introductory Chapter, Papers One and Two which are the main papers in the Volume, a Concluding Chapter and an Appendix Chapter. The Introductory Chapter provides an overview of the overall research enterprise, inclusive of factors influencing the choice of work undertaken and how the research project brief was negotiated with key research partners. Reference is also made to the organisation and general style of in which both of main papers are written. Presenting work within a genre appropriate for the intended target audience is part of the university criteria for Volume 1. Paper One presents an 8000 word Critical Literature Review of the focus area of the research, namely, 'engagement mentoring for marginalised youth'. The purpose of the Review was to inform the research design of the study that followed. The primary research activity undertaken came to be conceptualised as 'Development and Research' (D & R) rather than 'research per se'. Paper Two presents the D & R project which involved two local children's service providers devising and developing a community-based engagement mentoring project through Realistic Evaluation (Pawson and Tilley, 1997) for young children identified as 'at-risk' of offending behaviour. Work was carried out in the Kingstanding area of Birmingham, which might be described as a socially disadvantaged / economically deprived suburb of the city. The Concluding Chapter suggests how engagement mentoring as an intervention might be further developed. Finally, the Appendix Chapter provides a fuller methodological critique of the empirical study, inclusive of the context in which the research was undertaken.

Today, increasing numbers of children and young people (CYPs) live with chronic health conditions. A fact reflected in recent UK legislation which highlights the necessity of supporting these CYPs to fully access education. This study explores the experiences and perspectives of children and young people with chronic conditions (CYPCCs) regarding hospitalisation and hospital school. A narrative methodology was selected to explore the experiences of five hospitalised CYPCCs (aged 12 to 16 years) in addition to the meanings they ascribed to these experiences. Findings contribute important insights into CYPCCs' experiences of hospitalisation in relation to the following family, personal growth, health-related identity, relationships, coping, unpredictability and uncertainty and medical intervention and physical pain. This research makes a unique contribution to the field, in relation to the substantive topic (how CYPCCs perceive educational experiences in hospital settings) and the original application of a narrative research methodology. I argue the necessity for professionals to recognise CYPCCs as a potentially vulnerable group. Ethical issues concerning access to hospitalised CYPCCs for research purposes are highlighted and the value of narrative research with CYPs is endorsed. Implications for professional practice and research are discussed which seek to improve the educational opportunities, experiences and outcomes for CYPCCs.

The increased prevalence and negative impact of mental health difficulties amongst those with autism and Asperger syndrome has been reported by researchers, clinicians and people with autism themselves. Schools are key environments for those with autism, but there is little research regarding how they promote or demote their mental health. Eleven young people in Key Stage Three from three mainstream schools were part of a multiple case study, which explored and compared the perspectives of young people, their parents and school staff, regarding the mental health of those with autism or Asperger syndrome. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews and subjected to thematic analysis. The well-being of many young people was reported to be good, although two showed signs of stress daily. In some cases well-being had varied significantly over recent years. Eight pairs of factors that promoted or demoted mental health were identified. These related to ethos, awareness of needs, friendships, learning support, pastoral care, noise levels, predictability and organisational skills. Further research is needed to clarify these factors, but this study supports the notion of schools as mental health promoting environments for those with autism and Asperger syndrome and highlights potential areas of focus.

The prevalence of children and young people with mental health needs is of national and local concern. Changes in legislation have explicitly made the identification and support of pupil mental health needs a role for schools. Research indicates the identification of pupil mental health needs has a multitude of barriers meaning said needs are frequently unidentified. This is of concern given it is estimated that half of mental health needs have their onset during adolescence and are related to negative outcomes such as poor educational attainment and in some cases, suicide. School staff are tasked with performing a Tier 1 (Universal Services) mental health professional role. However, there is considerable variation in the support school staff receive when performing this pastoral role and routine pastoral care has received little attention in the literature. The purpose of this research was to explore the lived experiences of lead pastoral staff identifying and supporting adolescent pupil mental health needs in mainstream secondary schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four purposively selected members of secondary school staff performing lead pastoral roles. The interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and the following four overarching themes were found to be relevant for all participants: Multiple Conceptualisations of Role, A Myriad of Emotion, Constraints and Conflict, and Remit. These findings are discussed in the context of existing literature and the limitations of this research are considered. Implications for educational psychology practice are proposed, relating to the different levels at which educational psychologists work: individual, group and organisational. Suggestions for future research related to pastoral leads identifying and supporting adolescent pupil mental health needs are provided.

Pupil’s interests in rapidly changing technology pose threats and opportunities in schools. The present research examines the perspectives of pupils, teachers and parents from two high schools in relation to their experiences of using and regulating mobile phones. Psychological and social (psychosocial) influences on regulation and use of mobile phones are explored. Three key psychosocial factors were found to influence behaviour in relation to use and regulation of mobile phones: Teaching and Learning; Value Sets; and Availability. Teaching and Learning – whether there were advantages to mobile phones in school and their compatibility with the school and its principles of teaching. Value Sets – personal values in relation to identity and belonging, self knowledge and individual responsibility. Availability – the feeling that individuals are more available because of technology. The subject area studied is changing rapidly with the introduction of new technology. The study proposes that the relationship between individuals and mobile technology is an evolving one. The study recognises the psychosocial influences on parents, pupils and teachers. Educational psychologists do have knowledge and skills to contribute in relation to modern technology. Key areas include the role of modern technology within identity and belonging, risk taking behaviours and developmental differences.