Special Educational Needs Coordinators: Backseat Drivers or Front-line Motivators for Change in Practice?

Author(s):

Saneeya Qureshi(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

01. Continuing Professional Development: Learning for Individuals, Leaders, and Organisations

Format:

Paper

Session Information

01 SES 03 B, Neuro-education Implications for Professional Development

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-08

17:15-18:45

Room:

204.Oktatóterem [C]

Chair:

Jacqueline Elton

Contribution

The focus of this paper is the evolving nature of the role of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) in the context of the practices of their teaching colleagues. SENCOs in England, were first introduced in schools following the 1994 Special Education Needs (SEN) Code of Practice (DfE, 1994). This stated that all mainstream schools must have a person responsible for coordinating services around children with SEN and helping teachers develop and implement appropriate provision for them.

However, the SENCO role in the UK has changed as various policies continually redefined SEN provision (DfES, 2001; DfE, 2014). Transitions include an evolving set of qualifications that the post holder must possess. Initially a role that could be undertaken by parent volunteers, it is currently a formal professional recommended-leadership position in schools, which must be filled by a qualified teacher. Additionally, SENCOs must also undertake the ‘National Award for SEN Coordination’, a mandatory professional development postgraduate level course (DCSF, 2009). Other changes include policy and legislative requirements regarding SEN initiatives, which have a subsequent impact on the nature of provisions made for inclusive education by all teachers within schools. This research project therefore makes significant contributions to research within the transitional and dynamic inclusive educational environment in England. The issue is timely as recent legislation has put in place radical reforms of the current system for identifying, assessing and supporting children and young people who have SEN, which has a resultant impact on the SENCO-teacher dynamic. (DfE, 2014)

There is a significant European Dimension to the issue, as a similar role in respect of SEN management already exists in countries such as Ireland (McGillicuddy and O'Donnell, 2014), Sweden (Lindqvist, 2013) and Finland (Sundqvist and Strom, 2015), whilst in other countries, such as Italy, an introduction of the SENCO role is currently under discussion (Devecchi et al., 2012). Furthermore, this research is particularly relevant in a European context in view of contemporary initiatives regarding teachers to be more proactive in addressing social inclusion and tackling underachievement and early school leaving (EADSNE 2012).

Research into the evolution of the work of SENCOs over the last three decades (Male, 1996; Rose, 2001; Szwed, 2007; Mackenzie, 2012), illustrate the shift towards professionalism and the conflict around the boundaries of roles and power relations. SENCOs are increasingly recognised as a key part of the senior management team (SMT) and “the heart of the [inclusion] process.” (Szwed, 2007, p.159).

The specific research question to be answered is: how do SENCOs motivate teachers to take the initiative in addressing the needs of children with SEN in their classrooms? The research focus within which the answers to this question are sought, emphasises the evolving nature of the role. This paper therefore, draws upon doctoral research data gathered through interviews relating to the impact that SENCOs have on teachers’ capacity to address SEN in their classrooms. Since SENCOs are central to supporting children’s inclusion and achievement, the main aim of inquiry is whether SENCOs are backseat drivers or front-line motivators for change in terms of the enhancement of teachers’ skills.

The theoretical framework of the project is that of interpretivism, since I “...(begun) with individuals and set out to understand their interpretations of the world around them... (and) particular situations.” (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2011, p. 18). I also believe that through an interpretivist approach, I acknowledged the various ‘relative-ness’ of diverse elements and social issues that impact upon my research findings. As Robson (2002, p. 24) maintains, “what (people) actually do, has to be interpreted in the light of (their) underlying ideas, meanings and motivations.”

Method

The study applied a mixed method approach (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2007). The project consisted of two phases, of which results from the second and final phase shall only be reported in this paper. The first phase involved a purposive sample survey of 223 primary school SENCOs. The questionnaire, to which 42 SENCOs responded, enabled me to gain a deeper insight into SENCOs’ perceptions of their roles in relation to teachers, and formed a basis for in-depth interview questions. The second phase consisted of semi-structured interviews of 18 SENCOs and 18 teachers, in addition to document scrutiny of school SEN policies and other related documentation. The selection of the research cohort therefore, occurred as a result of ‘convenience’ and ‘purposive’ sampling (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2011) as it took into account not only my ability to gain access the participants, but also the fact that these SENCOs possess the particular characteristics required for the purposes of this research, that is, they were currently working in the SENCO role. The triangulation of data aimed at ensuring ‘trustworthiness’ (Guba and Lincoln, 1982) was accomplished through a four-pronged approach including data and methodological triangulation, as they pertained to questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, document scrutiny and a comprehensive review of the literature. With regard to the establishment of the trustworthiness of data, I ensured the collection of thick descriptive data through the comprehensive semi-structured interviews that I conducted. The ‘rich’ data was then put through a rigorous process of coding and thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998; Creswell and Plano Clark, 2007), and further examined with regard to past and current research of a similar nature, so as to ensure the element of trustworthiness. The research was conducted in accordance with an Ethical Code which was informed by the British Educational Research Association guidelines (BERA, 2011). All participation was voluntary. Informed and written consent was obtained from all participants in the study, who were informed of the aims and nature of the research through a written Information Sheet, and of the Ethical Code, which was also explained to them verbally.

Expected Outcomes

It is intended that research outcomes will inform the nature of support mechanisms for SEN practitioners through the identification of drivers that influence their practice. Moreover, a broader European audience can consider how the key findings are being manifest in a pan-European context, with reference to their own educational settings. Research outcomes can aid the development of specific competencies needed to shape optimal inclusive settings in accordance with the priority of ‘Raising Achievement for all Learners’ as set out in the Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020) Framework at a European level (CEU, 2009; EADSNE, 2012). Research findings point to indicators which relate to the changing manner in which teaching professionals view the SENCO role and power dynamics between SENCOs and their teaching colleagues. Findings indicate a shift from the originally-intended SENCO role, as that of a coordinator, to one that is much more that of a relationship-creator and relationship-maintainer between the various stakeholders involved in the support of children with SEN. This evolutionary aspect of the SENCO role has engendered a culture of expectations amongst practitioners, as SENCOs transition from being ‘fixers’ to being ‘enablers’ of teachers. Outcomes also reflect issues about SENCOs possibly impeding optimal SEN provision by virtue of their positioning within the school hierarchical structure. The notion of SENCOs being front-line motivators for change is further substantiated by a number of research participants positing the fundamental ways in which SENCOs have impacted their teaching practices as a means to enable optimally inclusive environments that best serve all children and not just children with SEN. Recent research (Rosen-Webb, 2011; Tissot, 2013; Qureshi, 2014) has further alluded to the transitional role of SENCOs, as they become increasingly geared towards being leading role-players and ‘agents of change’ in school settings.

References

Boyatzis, R. E. (1998) Thematic Analysis and Code Development: Transforming Qualitative Information. London: Sage Publications. BERA. (2011) Revised Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research. Southwell: BERA. Cowne, E. (2005) What Do Special Educational Needs Coordinators Think They Do? Support for Learning. 20 (2): 61-68. Creswell, J., and Plano Clark, V. (2007) Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. London: SAGE Publications, Inc. Council of the European Union (CEU). (2009) Council Conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET2020) (2009/C 119/02) Brussels: EC. Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). (2009) The Education (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2009. London: HMSO. Devecchi, et al. (2012) Inclusive Classrooms in Italy and England: The Role of Support Teachers and Teaching Assistants. European Journal of Special Needs Education. 27 (2): 171-184. Department for Education (DfE). (2014) The (0-25) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. London: HMSO. Department for Education (DfE). (1994) Code of Practice for the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs. London: HMSO. European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education (EADSNE). (2012). Raising Achievement for All Learners – Quality in Inclusive Education. Brussels: EADSNE. Lindqvist, G. (2013). SENCOs: Vanguards or in Vain? Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. 13 (3): 198-207. Male, D. (1996) ‘Special Needs Coordinators’ Career Continuation Plans.’ Support for Learning. 11(2): 88-92. McGillicuddy, S., and O'Donnell, G. M. (2014) Teaching students with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream post-primary schools in the Republic of Ireland. International Journal of Inclusive Education. 18(4): 323-344. Qureshi, S. (2014) Herding cats or getting heard: The SENCO-teacher dynamic and its impact on teachers’ classroom practice. Support for Learning. 29(3): 1-13. Robson, C. (2002) Real World Research. 2nd Ed. Oxford: Blackwell. Rose, R. (2001) Primary School Teacher Perceptions of the Conditions Required to Include Pupils with Special Educational Needs. Educational Review. 53(2): 147-156. Rosen-Webb, S. (2011) Nobody Tells you How to be a SENCO. British Journal of Special Education. 38(4): 159-168. Sundqvist, C., & Strom, K. (2015). Special Education Teachers as Consultants: Perspectives of Finnish Teachers. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation. DOI: 10.1080/10474412.2014.948683 Szwed, C. (2007) Remodelling Policy and Practice: The Challenge for Staff Working with Children with Special Educational Needs. Educational Review. 59 (2): 147-160. Tissot, C. (2013). The Role of SENCOs as Leaders. British Journal of Special Education. 40 (1): 33-40.

Author Information

Saneeya Qureshi (presenting / submitting)

The University of Northampton

Northampton

Search the ECER Programme

Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
Search for authors and in the respective field.
For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.