Teachers’ Responses to the Ecosystemic Approach to Changing Chronic Problem Behaviour in Schools

Abstract

This paper discusses the responses of a group of thirty‐three primary and two secondary teachers to a series of sessions in which the ecosystemic approach to changing chronic problem behaviour in schools was explained and then tried out in practice. Three case examples are presented, as well as related discussions, which illustrate the approach. This study follows on from the work reported in Pastoral Care, December 1998.

Supporting the Vulnerable Child: Engaging Fathers in the Home–School Dimension of Pastoral Care

“…The usefulness of systems theory lies both in the alternative view it offers of complex interactions and in the opportunities it provides for generating (new) solutions, especially ways to break free from conflicted 'impasse' situations (Souter, 2001). Research by Tyler and Jones (2002) suggests that teachers can readily appreciate the power of 'reframing', although the teachers themselves concluded that a systems approach would only be suitable for their more adventurous colleagues. For the most vulnerable children, interagency work will often constitute an important dimension of the school's role (Milbourne, 2005): for example, the National Pyramid Trust builds self-esteem and resilience by providing clubs for primary school children supported by a range of different agencies (www.nptrust.org.uk).…”