bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ICT and education: a range of models to suit teachers’ notions of their praxis, or a case of one model fits all?
Authors: Gleaves Alan , Grey John , Walker Caroline 
Published: January 2023

AbstractTeachers’ praxis across different education sectors reflects a plethora of variables in terms of different subject bases, including pedagogic practice, practical skill, subject knowledge, professional ideas, philosophical values and so on. Most of these have an evolutionary element, teachers’ praxis being a function of professional and personal development, and often a reconciliation between a body of ‘professional teaching knowledge’, accepted as orthodoxy in many initial teacher training (ITT) courses, and the reality of teaching as an often mechanistic and instrumentalist profession on a day to day basis. Information and communications technology (ICT) presents a particular problem within this scenario, since its evolution as a subject and the culture surrounding it, is characterised variously by (depending on the sector), responses to a curriculum policy vacuum, action research and informal classroom theories, views of learning with ICT as relatively unsophisticated, reflecting among other things deployment of certain types of staff, pedagogic models developed by non-teaching researchers, and so on. This paper seeks to examine and compare the importance of these issues within two sectors, the primary and the post-compulsory, and in so doing, to challenge prevailing views about current classroom practice in ICT.
Addressing the social, cognitive and emotional needs of children: The case for dynamic assessment
Authors: Lauchlan Fraser 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis paper examines the extent to which the use of psychological assessment addresses the social, emotional and cognitive needs of children experiencing difficulties with learning. Evidence in favour of a curriculum-based assessment (CBA) approach is presented, and the advantages and disadvantages are evaluated. This paper argues that CBA does not stand up well to the demand for a more ecological approach to assessment that considers the social and emotional needs of children. CBA can often be too task oriented, and more importantly fails to consider an interactive environment in which to assess the child. Finally, the underlying theory of CBA on behavioural approaches to learning neglects a focus on the cognitive and meta-cognitive aspects of learning. Arguments in favour of dynamic assessment are offered as an approach which does consider such aspects of learning. Nevertheless, the appropriateness and effectiveness of CBA and dynamic assessment can only truly be considered in light of the purposes of each individual assessment. Different approaches to psychological assessment could be used in different circumstances, therefore, the ‘why?’ of assessment (Frederickson, Wright & Webster, 1991) should receive careful consideration before the issue of ‘which approach is best?’.
Relationships between working memory, expressive vocabulary and arithmetical reasoning in children with and without intellectual disabilities
Authors: Henry Lucy A. , MacLean Morag 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThis experiment examined the relationships between working memory and two measures of achievement, namely expressive vocabulary and arithmetical reasoning, in children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). For 11- to 12-year-old children with intellectual disabilities, memory measures tapping the central executive were the most important predictors of both expressive vocabulary and arithmetical reasoning, with phonological memory making a small additional contribution to expressive vocabulary. For mainstream 11- to 12-year-old children, phonological memory was the best predictor of expressive vocabulary, whereas, arithmetical reasoning ability was predicted by visual memory and to a lesser extent phonological memory. The third group of children, 7- to 8-year-old mainstream children, had been matched for mental age with the intellectual disability group. For these children the most important predictor of expressive vocabulary was phonological memory, with a small additional contribution from visual memory. Arithmetical reasoning was best predicted by memory measures tapping the central executive with an additional contribution from phonological memory. These results suggest that different working memory resources are used by children of varying ages and ability levels to carry out at least some cognitive tasks.
A Grounded Theory study of Circles of Friends groups: The power of the set-up meeting as a tool for opening the social field for isolated children in schools
Authors: James Alistair , Leyden Gerv 
Published: January 2023

‘Circle of Friends’ (CoF) was originally developed in Canada as a social tool for including vulnerable children or adults within their mainstream communities (Pearpoint, Forest & Snow, 1992). Within the UK context, CoF has been increasingly introduced by schools as a strategy for including pupils, with a range of challenging needs or behaviours, who have become rejected by or isolated from their peers.The initial set-up meeting plays a critical role in establishing CoF interventions. The present paper focuses on a review of relevant qualitative and quantitative literature and a Grounded Theory analysis of a research study undertaken by the lead author. The design involved interviews with 25 facilitators of CoF within mainstream schools in a large shire county and an outer London suburb. The children participating in the CoF groups ranged in age from seven to twelve years.The psycho-social theories emerging from the analysis contribute to our understanding of the part played by the set-up meeting and ‘perspective taking’ in the initial stages of the change process.At its highest level of conceptualisation the final theory describes how a ‘Circle of Friends’ can facilitate the movement of a pupil from a ‘closed’ or isolated social field to more ‘open’, peer based, social relationships. Hypotheses for subsequent social action and future research are discussed.
The professional practice of educational psychologists: Developing narrative approaches
Authors: Hobbs Charmian , Durkin Rachel , Ellison Gillian , Gilling Jennifer , Heckels Tracey , Tighe Sarah , Waites Barbara , Watterson Carol 
Published: January 2023

People (parents, carers, teachers, adults, other professionals) seeking the involvement of an educational psychologist (EP) frequently bring longstanding and difficult concerns. Usually, many ways have already been tried to address the difficulty and generally these have been felt to be unsuccessful. The problem then often becomes one that is described as belonging to the person or setting – the angry child, the bad parent, the weak teacher, the inexperienced leader. Once labelled as such, it becomes less likely to remedy a concern that has become part of someone’s identity – the label becomes an established fact. The problem is stuck.Narrative approaches construct problems in a different way; the educational psychology team in Darlington has been interested in applying narrative ideas to the practice and ethos of the service over a number of years. Narrative approaches (White, 2007) view problems as separate from the person or setting and as such are one story amongst many that people have in their lives.This paper presents a reflection on the work of Darlington Educational Psychology Service (DEPS) in developing narrative approaches to practice. The work is considered through a number of case studies including direct work with children and young people, training to bring about organisational change and research. It is suggested that a narrative approach provides a challenge to prevailing socio-cultural narratives and offers alternative richer understandings of behaviours often characterised as problematic.
Reading Rosie: The postmodern disabled child
Authors: Goodley Dan , Runswick-Cole Katherine 
Published: January 2023

This paper reads disabled childhoods in a number of distinct ways in order to stimulate debate around the kinds of stories that researchers and practitioners tell about the children that they work with. Narratives of bio-power – discourses of the self – have expanded as knowledge from the human and social sciences grow and institutions of society become more pronounced. Nowhere is this growth of bio-power more evident than in the lives of disabled children. It is becoming increasingly apparent that distinct bio-political discourses are building up around disabled children at the same time as these children have become the focus of participation, policy and service provision. Consequently, we believe the time is ripe to step back from the current discursive context to question how we as researchers and practitioners understand the disabled children whom we work with. Our aim, then, is to deliberately and self-consciously read the story of Rosie – a disabled child we have worked with in our research – guided by four disability discourses, with an emphasis on making this reading useful to practitioners in the area of childhood and disability.The first reading attends to the teachings of what we describe below as the autism canon, the second reading is located in an orthodox social model approach to disability, the third draws on a Nordic relational model of disability, and the fourth is filtered through what we term a socio-cultural lens. In narrating Rosie from different discursive repertoires, our aim is to explicate different understandings of disability and child that emerge and to warn against the dominance of readings which threaten to pathologise, other and separate disabled children from their peers, their families and the wider community.
Evidence-based practice in educational and child psychology: Opportunities for practitioner-researchers using problem-based methodology
Authors: Kennedy Emma-Kate , Monsen Jeremy J. 
Published: January 2023

Aim:This paper proposes that certain interpretations of evidence-based practice contribute to a research-practice gap in Educational and Child Psychology [ECP]. It critically analyses one methodology – Problem Based Methodology [PBM] – that may help narrow such a gap.Rationale:Evidence-based practice is sometimes perceived as the use in applied practice of the best available research evidence, almost to the exclusion of practitioner expertise and client preferences. There is even less acknowledgement of how applied psychologists effectively integrate research, clinical judgment and client choice in applied practice contexts. Research methodologies that support practitioner-researchers with decision-making processes undertaken in complex human systems may therefore have significant advantages. In particular, those undertaking research for the purpose of enhancing practice, often an aim of ECP enquiry, may benefit from utilising methodologies that are well matched to the nature of applied practice.Findings:Problem Based Methodology is an approach to systematically researching applied practice with the explicit purpose of improving it. PBM advocates active discovery of and engagement with an individual’s thinking, reasoning and decision-making [referred to as their Theory of Action]. In this paper, the epistemological and theoretical bases of PBM are outlined and empirical studies that have employed it are briefly described. An example of research on client outcomes in integrated early intervention contexts is discussed to illustrate the rich learning that comes from using PBM.Conclusions:The paper concludes with some suggestions for future developments in PBM.
Grounded theory: A method for practitioner research by educational psychologists
Authors: Sutcliffe Andrew 
Published: January 2023

From its origins during the qualitative revolution of the 1960s, grounded theory has become one of the most popular methodologies in use today. Glaser and Strauss’s (1967) book introducing the method represented a breakthrough, standing out for the systematic procedures it presented and how it countered the dominant view that quantitative research is the only valid approach to scientific inquiry.Grounded theory is a broad method, spanning contrasting ontologies but with nevertheless consistent guidelines and procedures, where the researcher avoids formulating a hypothesis in advance and instead takes a reflexive approach to prior knowledge and assumptions, focusing on the individual and how they see the world that they experience. The guidelines of grounded theory are applied as flexible tools rather than strict rules, providing a system for developing conceptual frameworks that define the relationships between categories.In grounded theory research, through the recursive processes of theoretical sensitive coding, theoretical sampling and constant comparison, data is broken down before the relationships between categories are used to construct an integrated framework which expresses the core concepts of the data, and can be used to explain or predict phenomena.This paper outlines the history and development of the method, along with the relationship between different versions of grounded theory and their epistemological and ontological positions. Grounded theory research carried out by educational psychologists and psychologists working in education will also be examined before using the author’s own experience to outline a worked example of the method.
Children’s access to their right to play: Findings from two exploratory studies
Authors: Atkinson Cathy , Bond Caroline , Goodhall Natasha , Woods Francesca 
Published: January 2023

Aim:This article explores possibilities for educational psychologists (EPs) in supporting children’s right to play, which constitutes Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989).Method:Two small-scale studies explored the role EPs can play in facilitating a child’s right to play. The first used a focus group to seek EP views about supporting play. The second used single-case design to understand the play experiences of a six-year-old child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) within a mainstream classroom.Findings:Focus group EPs highlighted how play influenced social and learning development and felt well-positioned to advocate for Article 31. The national curriculum, the local authority context and staff and parental awareness of the benefits of free play were seen as potential barriers, with access for children with SEND seen as particularly problematic. In the single case study, the pivotal keyworker role and child’s personality were facilitators of play access, although this was enabled through placement amongst younger children and could not be maintained.Limitations:Both studies were exploratory and small scale. Findings were influenced by the context, affecting their transferability. Nonetheless, outcomes provide numerous avenues for further study, in an under-researched area.Conclusions:Understanding international legislation regarding children’s access to play and its potential benefits is important for school-based practitioners. EPs are potentially well- positioned to advocate for this right and may be able to develop practice through case and systemic work.
Child psychology beyond the school gates: Empowering foster and adoptive parents of young people in public care, who have been rejected, neglected and abused
Authors: (Seán) Cameron R.J. 
Published: January 2023

Aim:In this article, an applied psychology approach designed to support carers of looked-after children is described and its impact on these young people is evaluated.Rationale:Children and young people in public care are arguably the most vulnerable group in our society and despite considerable support and financial expenditure, their personal, social and wellbeing outcomes have remained stubbornly poor. In particular, school-based interventions have led to only slight improvements in attainment levels and these children still lag far behind their peers.The ‘Emotional Warmth’ model of professional child care was developed to empower residential carers and foster/adoptive parents to understand and meet the often-complex needs of these children. In this article, the main components of the ‘Emotional Warmth’ model are described, the key role of the psychologist consultant is outlined and some input outcomes are considered.Findings:The results of a ten-month ‘Emotional Warmth’ project involving the foster and adoptive parents of fourteen children are presented. The analysis shows that significant positive change occurred in both the behavioural and affective measures (p less than 0.05). These results are discussed, as are the serendipitous benefits for both the educational psychologist consultants and their local authority service manager.Limitations:Some methodological constraints are considered.Conclusions:It is argued that this model of professional child care can enable foster and adoptive parents to achieve positive outcomes for the young people in their care.
Brief Behavioural Activation (Brief BA) in secondary schools: A feasibility study examining acceptability and practical considerations
Authors: Pass Laura , Sancho Michelle , Brett Simon , Jones Mona , Reynolds Shirley 
Published: January 2023

AimsThis paper reports on a feasibility study of delivering Brief Behavioural Activation in schools, focusing on acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, adaptation and integration.RationaleDepression in adolescence is a common and serious mental health problem, with long-term negative impacts on social and academic functioning. In the UK, access to evidence-based psychological treatments is limited and training and employing therapists to deliver these is expensive. Treatments are typically offered in specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHs) following a General Practitioner (GP) referral, yet few depressed young people seek help from their GP or other health professionals. In the UK there are current proposals to significantly increase the role of schools in providing access to mental health treatment for children and young people but currently there is little evidence that this is acceptable, feasible or effective.Behavioural Activation (BA) is an evidence-based treatment for depression in adults. BA has recently been adapted for young people (Brief Behavioural Activation; Brief BA, Pass & Reynolds, 2014). The adaptation is developmentally sensitive, acceptable to parents and young people, links behaviours to values and is highly collaborative.MethodBrief BA was introduced into five schools where feasibility data were collected. Brief BA was delivered by four therapists from differing professional backgrounds and experience.FindingsInitial data suggest that Brief BA is feasible to deliver in schools. Brief BA was integrated successfully with some adaptation, demand was high, and the service was highly acceptable to students, parents and school staff.ConclusionsThis study provides early evidence to support the use of Brief BA to treat adolescent depression in schools, with clear learning points for future feasibility evaluation.
Identification with the school predicts better mental health amongst high school students over time
Authors: Miller Kirsty , Wakefield Juliet , Sani Fabio 
Published: January 2023

AimThe aim of the current study was to investigate, in line with the ‘Social Cure’ tradition, whether identification with various groups (including the family, school and friends) predicted better psychological wellbeing amongst high school students. While previous research had shown there was a relationship between identification with these groups and mental health in adolescents, this work was cross-sectional, meaning that the direction of the relationship could not be established. The further aim of the current study was therefore to investigate these relationships over time.MethodData were collected via self-report questionnaires from 409 pupils in several Scottish high schools. We measured students’ mental wellbeing via the GHQ-12 questionnaire, as well as identification with their family, school and friend groups.FindingsOf the three groups investigated, only school identification predicted psychological wellbeing over time, indicating that educational practitioners are in a unique position to influence young people’s mental health. Furthermore, the finding that school identification predicts mental health over time supports the theory presented in the social cure literature: that group identification predicts mental wellbeing.LimitationsA potential limitation was the use of self-report questionnaires. However, we feel that the strict policy of anonymity will have reduced socially desirable responses.ConclusionThe findings highlight the importance of the school for young people’s mental health. Future research and interventions should consider the importance of identification with the school when attempting to enhance young people’s mental wellbeing.
The training imperative
Authors: Thompson David 
Published: January 2023

The changes taking place within the Sheffield service from 1970 onwards, away from child guidance towards a broadly based application of psychology within the whole education department, not just schools, raised questions about training psychologists to take up this new role. Since the publication of the Summerfield report in 1968 (DES, 1968), there was pressure to increase initial training places by opening up new courses rather than simply expand places on existing courses. Sheffield University had an excellent Department of Psychology as well as a strong School of Education. David Loxley was a graduate from the Psychology department in Sheffield University, and was keen to support the development of such a course.The first course tutor to be appointed to the course was David Thompson, already working as a Senior EP in Sheffield. Later associate tutors working part-time in the Sheffield Service and part-time on the Sheffield University training course cemented the close relationship, and had a profound influence on the course structure and content.By the 1990s pressures for structured continuing professional development (CPD) for serving psychologists was growing, both through the requirements of the British Psychological Society (BPS) for chartered psychologists and through the rapid changes in education (national curriculum and its associated assessment procedures, introduction of the Code of Practice for SEN). The tutors on the Sheffield MSc course saw opportunities to develop a taught doctorate to meet these needs, with the first students accepted onto this new doctorate programme in 1996 The experience of developing and teaching this new programme was valuable when initial training for EPs moved to a three-year doctoral course.David Thompson remained as course tutor from 1974 until his retirement in 2007. He reflects on his long experience in the field of initial training and continuing professional development in the field of EP training in the following chapter.