During the 1990s, the numbers of pupils being permanently excluded from school increased dramatically (Hodge, 1998). Despite concern amongst educationalists and the government, changes in the law and approaches aimed at reducing exclusion, the level of permanent exclusion remains high. Studies such as Kinder et al. (1999) and Gilbertson (1998), have demonstrated that exclusion is a significant issue within education, and that the consequences of being permanently excluded are negative for young people. Some groups of pupils are at higher risk of exclusion than others, and some of these groups are considered to be already vulnerable to educational disadvantage. Educational psychologists are able to work at an individual and whole school level, to support and advise schools and the local authority, in meeting the needs of pupils at risk of exclusion. The present study is underpinned by social constructionism, narrative psychology, systems theory, and attachment theory. Research on the topic of permanent exclusion has explored a range of issues, including factors that contribute to the causes of exclusion and approaches to reducing exclusion. Research relevant to the present study has focused on exploring teacher and pupil perception of exclusion. The study aimed to collect excluded pupils' narratives about their experiences of exclusion. These narratives were then used to guide focus group meetings with teachers. The aim of the focus groups was to explore teachers' perceptions of exclusions from two contrasting schools. The study used a qualitative methodology, and data was collected using narrative interviews and focus groups. Data collection took place within a single urban local authority in England. Six participants took part in the narrative interviews- these were permanently excluded pupils who were attending Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). Focus groups took place within two secondary schools. One of the schools had a high level of permanent exclusion and the other was a low excluding school. A range of different perceptions was identified within the narrative interviews, and each pupil's story of their exclusion was unique. It was possible, however, to identify a number of similarities between the focus groups. These included pupils having negative relationships with teachers in mainstream school; experiencing a period of difficulty and disengagement preceding their exclusion; regret over being excluded ii and feeling that things were going better for them in the PRU. Analysis of the focus group data revealed that teachers perceive exclusion to be a complex issue with multiple causes. Teachers perceived that skilled and dedicated staff, and good communication within schools, were important, in order to reduce exclusion. A number of implications for the role of educational psychologists were identified. These included supporting teachers to understand pupils' perspectives, and working at a whole school level to help develop systemic approaches to supporting pupils with challenging behaviour. Suggestions for further research included exploring the perceptions of a range of professionals who may work with excluded pupils; and further research exploring sharing pupil perspectives with teachers and teacher perspectives with pupils.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:633048 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Griffiths, Joanne |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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