Changing from within: how can research help to improve practice for Special Educational Needs Coordinators

Author(s):

Mary Doveston(submitting)Julian Brown(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

04. Inclusive Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

04 SES 10 C, Teachers’ Views I

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-20

15:30-17:00

Room:

FFL - Aula 18

Chair:

Dianne Ferguson

Contribution

This paper evaluates the impact of the TDA National Award for SEN Coordination on the Special Needs Coordinator’s (SENCO) role and practice and the implications for developing the potential of this role in leading teaching and learning and thereby impacting on pupil achievement and engagement. It is located within the growing body of literature on the role of the SENCO in English schools during a period of rapid change in educational policy reflected in new legislation and policy documents in a period of economic austerity (DfE,2011). The SENCO role was made statutory in the 1994 Code of Practice when the roles and responsibilities of SENCOs were outlined, and strengthened by the recommendation that the SENCO should be a member of the senior leadership team in the 2001 Code of Practice; although this was still not a policy requirement. Training for SENCOS was made mandatory in 2009 and funded by the government for all SENCOS appointed since 2008. The continuation of this National Award as well as the funding attached to it has become somewhat ambiguous due to the dissolution of the Training Development Agency (TDA).

Uncertainty around the status of the SENCO and their pedagogical role in English schools is identified in this study and in previous research (Szwed, 2007). This lack of clarity is reflected in a growing body of European research revealing a lack of consensus around the role and status of SENCOs and other professionals responsible for developing provision for learners with special educational needs (SEN), (Lindqvist & Nilholm, 2011; Abbott, 2007; Pijl,S.J. & De Bos , 2001).

An initial cross-sectional survey was sent out to 97 SENCOs in seven English Local Authorities (LAs) who had participated in the training for the National Award for SEN coordination organised by one university in collaboration with LAs. 56 questionnaires were returned, which represented a 58% return rate. Questions within the survey were based on gaining an understanding of the SENCo role and how this has developed from the recommendations within the SEN Code of Practice (2001). Additional questions were based on the themes identified as being fundamental to the learning outcomes of the National SENCO Award devised by the TDA (2009). This generated both quantitative and qualitative data.

Initial findings reported impact of the course on developing the knowledge and the skills for strategically managing SEN policy and provision and leading teaching and learning. In contrast, 89% of the participants made additional comments about the challenges they faced in their role and raised issues about their freedom to strategically impact on issues of collaboration, deployment and budget.

The second phase of the research explored how Appreciative Inquiry as advocated by Cooperrider and Srivastva, 1987, could be used to identify characteristics of effective practice in the implementation of the SENCO role. Finally, the potential of this approach for identifying, exploring and disseminating examples of the effective coordination and leadership of SEN in relation to improving pupil access, engagement and achievement is discussed.

Method

The methodological framework is based on Appreciative Inquiry which uses a solution-focused approach to exploring practice based on the fundamental principles of research and practice being interconnected. Appreciative Inquiry shares many similarities with emancipatory action research (Carr & Kemmis, 1986). It involves participants in double-sided reflection (acknowledging the challenges inherent in the role of SENCO but focusing on the opportunities for change) and through the process of identifying and tracking change, amplifying what is working well. This reinforces self-efficacy and potential for development. Appreciative Inquiry like action research, ‘may result in empowerment of the people involved by making them believe in their own capabilities and action potential’ (Hannu et al, 2005, p.3). Responses to questionnaires used in phase one generated key themes for the focus group interview through coding and analysis of the open questions after Cresswell 2009. Phase two of the research involved one focus group drawn from the respondents from the seven Local Authorities who gave voluntary consent to participate in the research and having three purposes: reflection and dissemination; creating provocative propositions for future development; establishing case studies to illustrate the provocative propositions for future dissemination.

Expected Outcomes

Initial findings mirror those of previous studies (Weddell, 2004; Szwed, 2007; Pearson, 2008) revealing great variability in the role of the SENCO. In this respect, there has been little progress in terms of raising the status and profile of SENCOs in spite of the Revised Code of Practice (2001) and, more recently, the government investment in the National Award for SEN Coordination (2009). In contrast to these findings participants also identified the positive ways the course had impacted on their knowledge, skills and management when working with pupils having special educational needs. Given the implications for the potential of the SENCO role in transforming the education of all learners, including those learners with SEN (Layton, 2005), the second phase focused on developing the capacity of SENCOs to prioritise and address challenges. The researchers constructed affirmative questions for discussion in the focus group that enabled the SENCOs to identify and reflect on areas for development thereby creating freedom for the individual participants despite current barriers presented within each individual’s context. The researchers drew on the capabilities within the participant group to create case studies in order to create the ‘ripple effect’ obtained through ‘facilitative leadership’ (Rogers and Freiberg, 1994, p.212).

References

Carr, W. & Kemmis, S. (1986) Becoming critical: Education, Knowledge and Action Research. London: Falmer. Cooperrider, D.L. & Srivastva, S. (1987) "Appreciative inquiry in organizational life". In R. Woodman & W. Pasmore (eds.) Research in Organizational Change and Development 1, 129-169, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press Creswell , J. W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. London: Sage. DCSF (2009) The Education (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators) (England) Regulations. London: HMSO DfES (2001) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Annesly, Nottinghamshire: DfES Publications DfE (2011) Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability. A consultation. London: The Stationery Office. Hannu et al. (2005) On the Problem of Quality in Narratives of Action Research. Paper presented at EERA (European Research Association) Dublin, 9 September 2005. Layton, L. (2005) Special educational needs coordinators and leadership: a role too far? Support for Learning, 20 (2), 53-60. Lindqvist et al. (2011) Different agendas? The views of different occupational groups on special needs education. European Journal of Special Needs Education 26 2 pp. 143-157 Pearson, S. (2008) Deafened by silence or by the sound of footsteps? An investigation of the recruitment, induction and retention of special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) in England . Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 8 (2), 96-110 Pijl, S.J.& Van den Bos, K . (2001) Redesigning regular education support in The Netherlands European Journal of Special Needs Education 16 (2), 111-119 Rogers, C. & Freiburg,H. (1994) Freedom to Learn (3rd Ed). Oxford: Maxwell Macmillan. Szwed, C. (2007) Reconsidering the role of the primary special educational needs co-ordinator: policy, practice and future priorities. British Journal of Special Education, 34 (2), 96-104 Weddell,C. (2004) Points from the SENCO Forum: Life as a SENCO. British Journal of Special Education, 31 (2), 105.

Author Information

Mary Doveston (submitting)

The University of Northampton

School of Education

Northampton

Julian Brown (presenting)

The University of Northampton, United Kingdom

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