Collecting the Views of All Children on Barriers and Supports to Learning :Collecting the Views of All Children on Barriers and Supports to Learning Jill Porter University of Bath


Policy :Policy UN Convention 1989 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child called for state parties to: “ assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.” Article 12.


For All :For All DfES (2004) Removing Barriers to Achievement ; Governments Strategy for SEN “All children and young people have a right to have their views taken into account in decisions about their education.. All children, even those with the most severe or complex needs, will have views about their education ad the choices before them, and all should be enabled to communicate their wishes, using specialist tools and techniques.”p67


The Challenges -Cognitive Demands :The Challenges -Cognitive Demands Time lag between interview and events Differences between recall and recognition Difficulty of remembering emotions accurately – recall often inaccurate- overstate initial emotional state & emotional states recalled more intensely if individual has successfully overcome them Describe, anticipate and predict Abstract terms Dockrell (2004)


The Challenges- asking questions :The Challenges- asking questions open or moderately focused questions seem to generate more accurate responses avoid repeat questions avoid yes/no alternatives enable don’t know/don’t understand responses using statements can trigger a fuller response counter a view that the adult knows the answer encourage an uninterrupted narrative- cue cards (people, feelings, actions, speech, location and consequences) Lewis (2004)


Slide 6:Finding a response mode that is not pre-determining; Porter and Lacey (2005) shifting the control to enable people to depict their world as they want e.g. cameras In using photographs the potential exists, however elusive the achievement, to find ways of thinking about social life that escapes the traps set by language…’ Walker (1993, p72) The Challenges: enabling a response


The Challenges :The Challenges expressing a view also an emotional activity expressing a view is also a cultural activity Mabel Cooper “I never said anything in the hospital because there was no point. Nobody listened so why speak ? “ (in Atkinson 2002) Building rapport and establishing trust Counteracting the impact of context- adult status, school


Am I Disabled? :Am I Disabled? A Department for Children, Schools and Families (DfCSF) funded research project to investigate Disability Data Collection for Children’s Services Jill Porter, Harry Daniels, Jan Georgeson, University of Bath with Anthony Feiler, Beth Tarleton, Debbi Watson, University of Bristol


Slide 9:Talking Mats Pupil Interviews Point2Point Flexible Tools


Flexible Tools :Flexible Tools i) talking mats- concrete individualised


Slide 11:Mrs Crosby working in a primary school with children with communication difficulties started by putting out pictures of food and asked children whether they wanted to put a smiley face on the picture or a sad picture. When she felt they understood the activity she introduced pictures of different lessons and repeated the task, then introduced pictures of places and finally pictures of people.


Slide 12:Alex is 7 years old and goes to a special school. He cannot speak and does not use signs but is able to eye point, and he enjoys looking at pictures in a book. Wendy, his High Level Teaching Assistant took photographs of him experiencing a range of activities, in different places and with different people. She presented three photos to him at a time and noted which ones he looked most at. She represented the ones he looked most at to get a more refined idea of his preferences. At this stage it could not be said that Alex was expressing a view but his responses suggested that he liked particular activities. These were ones that he appeared to enjoy at the time and she was pleased to see him glancing between pictures of him using the sand tray and that equipment in the room, showing that he had clearly made a link


Easy form child questionnaire administered through interview :Easy form child questionnaire administered through interview designed to be undertaken either individually, pairs or in a small group explores children’s favourite things about school as well as those aspects they don’t like doing and what would make these activities easier. supported by the use of photographs During the course of the pilot we also looked at a symbol based version being used in school which did not quite match our questions but provided insights into the range of support required by pupils and guidance needed for staff.


Slide 14:What happens when we interview … we are faced with dilemmas . Do we prompt “better answers” ? Do we provide some scaffolding e.g. contextualise the question, make it more concrete Does this change what we are asking ?


Slide 15:Ollie yr 7 pupil in school for children with learning difficulties: TA Whose your friend .. O Joyce Mac T Who do you run round the playground with O Naomi TA So you have friends O No TA Have you got friends at school O No TA asks again O Yes (recorded as asking twice and saying yes)


Slide 16:Antaki et al (2002) deviations from neutrality in interviewing people with learning disability. When a question fails the interviewer may provide a “supportive cradle” and the new question is anecdote specific alternatively they may lead up to a question using yes/no confirmatory questions referring to something the interviewer specifically knows


Slide 18:10% felt school was bad (cf 9% primary) 29% don’t like assembly ( 28%) 9% don’t like break time (11%) 27% don’t like circle time (36%) 27% don’t like reading & writing (24%) 18% don’t like maths (20%) 14% don’t like project work (9%)


What did they find difficult ? :What did they find difficult ? 30% doing work (29% in primary) 30% playing with others (27%) 21% making friends (27%) 18% using the toilet (13%) What makes school better ? More help with… 29% making friends (59%) 36% work (25%)


How do they like to work ? :How do they like to work ? 52% by self (28% in primary ) 59% with other children (53%) 64% with teacher (51%) 64% with helper (42%)


Point to Point :Point to Point


Key Issues for Us :Key Issues for Us the differing ways in which the tools placed constraints on the information collected; the implications this has for the authenticity of the data collected on pupil views; the perceived use and usefulness of the tools by different stakeholders; the ethical issues raised by the research.


Slide 23:Antaki C., Young N., & Finlay M. (2002) Shaping Clients’ Answers: departures from neutrality in care-staff interviews with people with a learning disability. Disability & Society, 17, 4, 435-455 Dockrell J. (2004) How can studies of memory and language enhance the reliability of interviews ? British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 32, 4. Finlay W.M.L & Lyons E.(2002) Acquiescence in interviews with people who have mental retardation. Mental retardation, 40, 1 14-29. Grove, N., Bunning K., Porter J., & Morgan, M. (2000) See What I Mean. Guidelines to aid understanding of communication by people with severe and profound learning disabilities. Kidderminster: BILD Harris, J., (2003) Time to make up your mind: why choosing is difficult. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 31, 3-8 Lewis, A. (2002) Accessing through research interviews, the view of children with difficulties in learning. Support for Learning, 17, 3, 110-116. Lewis A., & Porter J. (2004) Interviewing Children & Young People with Learning Disabilities: Guidelines for researchers and multi-professional practice. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 32, 191-197. Porter (in press) Missing Out ? Challenges to Hearing the Views of All Children on the Barriers and Supports to Learning Education 3-13 Porter J., & Lewis A., (2004) Editorial. Special Issue "Eliciting the views of children and young people” British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 32, 4, 157-158 Porter J., Lacey P. (2005) Researching Learning Difficulties London: Sage Ware, J. (2003) Eliciting the views of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. SLD Experience, 36, 7-11 Some References