Inclusion of pupils perceived as experiencing social and emotional behavioural difficulties (SEBD): affordances and constraints

Abstract

This paper takes as its principal theme barriers to the inclusion of pupils perceived as experiencing social and emotional behavioural difficulties (SEBD) and how these might be overcome. It draws upon an evaluative case study of an initiative, devised by the author, to support pupils -the Support Group Initiative (SGI) -which was conducted over a five-year period in a Scottish Secondary School situated in an area of multiple deprivation. The central focus of the discussion is the range of variables that impacted upon pupil outcomes, illustrating the ways in which these variables acted as affordances or constraints in the pursuit of inclusive practice. The paper takes as its starting point the contested nature of inclusion and introduces, briefly, the Scottish policy context as it pertains to inclusion before exploring the nature of the problem -the barriers to the inclusion of and the difficulties presented by the inclusion of pupils perceived as having SEBD, as discussed in the literature. The findings of the study are discussed in relation to central themes -the ethos of the Support Group; the process of re-signification through which pupils are enabled to effect improvement; the classroom context; and wider variables relating to school policy, practice, ethos and the management of change. The paper concludes by exploring what inclusion has meant to the pupils involved within the intervention, summarising the affordances and constraints to its realisation, before reflecting upon the significance of the study.

‘Inclusion – that word!’ examining some of the tensions in supporting pupils experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties/needs

“…The study is built upon a previous case study (Bassey 1999) conducted within a single setting, which focused upon the evaluation of support groups (Mowat 2008(Mowat , 2009(Mowat , 2010a(Mowat , 2010b(Mowat , 2010c(Mowat , 2011. The aims of the study were to evaluate the efficacy of the approach and to identify variables that had impacted upon pupil outcomes as a means of fostering understanding of inclusive practice for pupils experiencing SEBD.…”

“…Orsati and Causton-Theoharis (2013, 522) observe that relationship building, characterised by 'trusting, communicating and listening', is the true path to enabling pupils to make real changes. Macleod (2012) and Mowat (2010a) draw from Cooper (1995) to explore how, through a process of resignification (the mirror image of the process through which children take on negative identities), fostered through positive relationships with a caring and affirming adult, children and young people can begin to see themselves in a more positive light and take on a more positive identity.…”

“…Children presenting with SEBD are often measured against unexamined norms, related to 'socio-cultural constructs around what is considered as normal or abnormal repertoire for children' (Armstrong and Hallet 2012, 79, citing Cooper 2008and Grieve 2009). Such constructs arise from psychopathologising discourses which categorise children as 'disorderly' (Graham 2008) or 'bad, sad, or mad' (MacLeod 2006;, as cited in Armstrong and Hallet 2012and Mowat 2010a, 2010b Orsati and Causton-Theoharis (2013) also posit that 'challenging behaviour is a social construct' arising from the 'social environments and relationships within the classroom' (508), and observe that teachers use terms such as 'serious misconduct', 'aggressive behaviour' routinely in an unexamined way (509-10). Such discourses 'privilege control and discipline over learning and participation of all students in the classroom' (510), leading to a 'them and us' culture (516), with them being regarded as somehow 'lesser'.…”

Speed bumps, roadblocks and tollbooths: how culturally and linguistically diverse parents navigate the highways and byways of giftedness in Ontario

“…Numerous researchers have advocated for inclusive programme delivery in the interlocking realms of differentiated learning and special education (see, for example, Glazzard, 2011; Graham & Jahnukainen, 2011; Mowat, 2010; Polat, 2011). Within this body of research, inclusion is often conceptualised as a way of supporting learning needs in a mainstream classroom (Booth, 2011).…”

The inclusion of pupils perceived as having social and emotional behavioural difficulties in mainstream schools: a focus upon learning

“… Statistical significance of findings as they pertain to learning‐related perceptions (Mowat, 2009, Table 2) …”