Early Years Staff Experiences in a “Culture of Learning” Regarding Inclusion in a Nursery Class in a British School: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- What does professional learning mean for the participants’ role?
- Which professional learning opportunities are meaningful for them?
- In which circumstances do these opportunities take place?
2. Research Methods
3. Data Analysis
4. Findings and Discussion
4.1. Challenges Posed to Continuous Professional Development by Differing Professional Roles
4.2. Motives for in-Service Training: Combining Career, School, and Authorities’ Interests
“I have been fortunate in this school. If I weren’t in this school, I wouldn’t have this amount of training…. So, I will just be put into the role, and I would like to learn just as I go along”, Alice comments.
“It is helpful to stop and think about the year which has just passed. Sometimes you are too busy to stop and look at what has or hasn’t been achieved and how the activities are progressing. It is good to have the opportunity to reflect on the academic year and how it has affected each child”.
“When I had these two little boys, I went to a beneficial autism course. I chose to go there because I wanted to do the best for this little boy and because he was so severely autistic. It was like he was in his little world. We wanted to break these barriers and integrate more. He is still in this school, and he said, “Hello Miss”, and the chat started to be more forward. That course was beneficial, and it still runs now”.
4.3. School Promotes Meaningful Professional Development Experiences: Non-Formal Learning That Made the Staff Reflect
“I have tried to persuade teachers and teaching assistants to participate in the training in the evenings. This expert gives some examples, and everybody who goes says he is such a good speaker. Of course, it is a long evening, as it is from 6:40 to 8:45 at the end of a working day, but everybody said that the time went by quickly, as he was outstanding”.
4.4. Shared Culture of Learning about Inclusion: A Self-Determined Classroom Motivated by Respect and Recognition
4.4.1. Non-Formal Learning as Continuous Training inside the Nursery Classroom
“Nursery is a completely different place to anywhere else in the school because it is usually the first place a child has been left without their parents. When they arrive at nursery, they often do not know how to sit and listen, cross their legs, follow instructions or how to focus. They also don’t know what we expect from them. So, our first aim is to get them accustomed to these basic things so that they will be prepared for the next level”.
“all children with SEN had come such a long way. They had been doing a lot of facial exercises and pronunciation, a lot of individual work, peer work and group work, they knew a lot of words now, they were communicating well, yet when they came into nursery, they did not have any language. The child (C) has come a long way as well; he is more communicative and understands a lot more, using the advice of the speech therapist and the psychologist”.
4.4.2. Affinity with Sources of Opportunities for Professional Development through after-Work: Informal Learning
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
PSEUDONYM: ALICE FUNCTION: “MAIN CLASS TEACHER A” (Deputy SENCO) AGE: Around 32 Years Old Two Interviews (October 2018 and June 2019) | |
---|---|
Previous Studies | She had a bachelor of arts with qualified teacher status and a summer scheme with autistic children. Twelve years of experience with children with ASD, ADHD, hearing impairments, EAL, visual impairments, and social and communication difficulties. She was a deputy SENCo doing a SENCo accreditation course by funding available from the school and was responsible, together with the SENCo, for drawing new targets for children with SEN in nursery. She worked as a school SENCo on Fridays. |
Experience | She had worked in summer schemes with autistic children. She said that she learns a bit at the university and wherever we are demanding. The teacher training included differentiation and inclusion. “You get years of experience, then you start to pick out different things you go to courses and then you watch other people and a lot of new information, and further research comes in. You read it, and then you applied it”. “I got 18 A levels, then I went to the university for four years to do teacher training, and I earned a Bachelor of Education and history; this is the qualified teacher status. She is a qualified teacher from 3 to 11, and then she can teach from nursery right up to year 6. She has been to two other schools, but they have not had nursery classes in the other schools and had different age groups. “This is my fourth year in this nursery”. |
PSEUDONYM: ANNA FUNCTION: “MAIN CLASS TEACHER B” Age: Around 50 Years Old 2 Interviews (October 2018 and June 2019) | |
Previous Studies | Bachelor of Education Honours and 24 years of experience with children with autism, children with physical disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, EAL, ADHD, and ASD. She did four years of study at the university, and as part of the course, she studied how children acquired speech and how language is brought up and how that it was a significant section of that and to understand where children are when they come into the school and if they do not speak, what are the possible causes. |
Experience | She has been working in this service for around 20 years. Mainly in reception, this was her second year in nursery. About eight years ago, she had a little boy with severe autism and a little boy with psychical disabilities in the same class, and she felt that she was pretty unprepared to have both of them. They were only four at the time, and the little boy with physical disabilities had a lot of equipment. He can rotate that he could not move(?), so she made many changes for him, but in terms of the learning experience, they were both fine being in mainstream school. Another 20 years back, and they would not be in a mainstream school, they would not have been the right place for them, but that was a challenging year with both of them! Since then, she has had many children from the autism spectrum, seem incremental more and more now, and fewer children with physical disabilities, but many children have barriers in different ways. She thinks that she sees children with speech and language and delay more and more now, and they need, not particular input, but you have to think carefully about the way you explain activities and have the goal of understanding the other children. |
PSEUDONYM: EMMY FUNCTION: SENCo Age: Approx. 60 Years Old Two Interviews (October 2018 and June 2019) | |
Previous Studies | She was a class teacher, and she did an open university course because she felt she had to have more training, but that was not compulsory when she started. |
Experience | She has taught in junior schools and with infants, so she had experience in all the primary range when she will left teaching when my daughter was born. She came back part-time, and that is when she started doing special needs work because there were children who needed extra support. During the years, the job has grown and grown until now that she works four days a week, and I have built up my expertise. She did an open university a short course on inclusion, and she attended lots of other courses, so she had got the knowledge of most difficulties. |
PSEUDONYM: ELLEN FUNCTION: TEACHING ASSISTANT (a) Age: Around 28 Years Old (Part-Time Teaching Assistant) HOURS A WEEK: (32.5 h a Week) Two Interviews (October, 2018 and June 2019) | |
Previous Studies And Experience | She went to school, and after she went to college and from college, she got my job straight here. She was 18 when she started here, and she has been here for ten years now. |
PSEUDONYM: ANDREA FUNCTION: TEACHING ASSISTANT (b) AGE: Around 24 Years Old HOURS A WEEK: (30 h a Week) Two Interviews (October 2018 and June 2019) | |
Previous Studies | She has received a degree, so it has all been about being inclusive. She has a bachelor in education in childhood studies. |
EXPERIENCE | It has been a year and a half that she has been here, a year in the nursery, and a few months in reception. |
PSEUDONYM: MARY FUNCTION: TEACHING ASSISTANT (c) (Part-Time in Nursery and Reception) AGE: Around 34 Years Old. WORKING HOURS: (13 h a Week) Two Interviews (October 2018 and June 2019) | |
Previous Studies | College for further education to be a nursery nurse, from 16 (the soonest you can leave the school) and she left it when she was 18, and she went straight to the job. The course she did took her around two years to do in which she had to do a lot of coursework, observations, planning, and she used to do a set amount of days in college and a set amount of days in school and in the nursery and some training in a hospital as well. |
Experience | She had 16 years of experience. She has been working in nurseries, in people’s homes as a nanny, and schools playgroups. She has only been working in the nursery since this September. She has been working with children from anything from birth to eight years. |
PSEUDONYM: DORY FUNCTION: TEACHING ASSISTANT (d) AGE: Around 35 Years Old WORKING HOURS (19.5 h a Week) Three Interviews (November, April, and May) | |
Previous Studies | She has always been a nursery nurse, she went to college for two years, and she had her diploma from the college, and there were always ongoing training and courses. |
Experience | A part of the training working in a special needs school and I she thought that was something that she wanted to do… but when she was there, she thought that this wasn’t for her. So she have been in this school for 17 years, and before that, she was in a private day nursery for two years. |
Appendix B. Interview Guide
What is Inclusion? |
---|
Could you please describe what is learning at school? How do you learn about inclusion? Could you please describe what happens when you are learning, in your own words? What do you do when you are learning? How do you feel when you learning? Prompt: physically, emotionally, mentally. Identity and roles Describe your background on working with children with SEN or disabilities? How could you describe yourself as an individual that include all children in the class? Working here made you a difference on how you work as teacher? What about compared to before working here? |
Appendix C
References
- UNESCO. The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education; UNESCO: Paris, France, 1994. [Google Scholar]
- United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In Treaty Series; United Nations: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2006; Volume 2515. [Google Scholar]
- Warnock, M. Children with special needs: The Warnock Report. Br. Med. J. 1979, 1, 667. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Chadwell, M.R.; Roberts, A.M.; Daro, A.M. Ready to teach all children? Unpacking early childhood educators’ feelings of preparedness for working with children with disabilities. Early Educ. Dev. 2020, 31, 100–112. [Google Scholar]
- Manning, M.; Wong, G.T.; Fleming, C.M.; Garvis, S. Is Teacher Qualification Associated with the Quality of the Early Childhood Education and Care Environment? A Meta-Analytic Review. Rev. Educ. Res. 2019, 89, 370–415. [Google Scholar]
- Nutbrown, C.; Clough, P.; Atherton, F. Inclusion in the Early Years; SAGE Publications: Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Park, M.-H.; Dimitrov, D.M.; Park, D.-Y. Effects of Background Variables of Early Childhood Teachers on Their Concerns about Inclusion: The Mediation Role of Confidence in Teaching. J. Res. Child. Educ. 2018, 32, 165–180. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pit-ten Cate, I.M.; Markova, M.; Krischler, M.; Krolak-Schwerdt, S. Promoting Inclusive Education: The Role of Teachers’ Competence and Attitudes. Insights Learn. Disabil. 2018, 15, 49–63. [Google Scholar]
- Borkett, P. Special Educational Needs in the Early Years: A Guide to Inclusive Practice; SAGE: London, UK, 2020. [Google Scholar]
- Davies, J.D.; Garner, P.; Lee, J. Managing Special Needs in Mainstream Schools: The Role of the SENCo; Routledge: London, UK, 2018; Volume 14. [Google Scholar]
- Nurse, A.D. The New Early Years Professionals Dilemmas and Debates; Routledge: Oxon, UK, 2007. [Google Scholar]
- Peleman, B.; Lazzari, A.; Budginaitė, I.; Siarova, H.; Hauari, H.; Peeters, J.; Cameron, C. Continuous Professional Development and ECEC Quality: Findings from a European Systematic Literature Review. Eur. J. Educ. 2018, 53, 9–22. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vangrieken, K.; Meredith, C.; Packer, T.; Kyndt, E. Teacher Communities as a Context for Professional Development: A Systematic Review. Teach. Teach. Educ. 2017, 61, 47–59. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fonsén, E.; Soukainen, U. Sustainable Pedagogical Leadership in Finnish Early Childhood Education (ECE): An Evaluation by ECE Professionals. Early Child. Educ. J. 2019, 48, 213–222. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Grisham-Brown, J.; Hemmeter, M.L.; Pretti-Frontczak, K. Blended Practices for Teaching Young Children in Inclusive Settings; Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.: Baltimore, MD, USA, 2017. [Google Scholar]
- Sheridan, S.M.; Edwards, C.P.; Marvin, C.A.; Knoche, L.L. Professional Development in Early Childhood Programs: Process Issues and Research Needs. Early Educ. Dev. 2009, 20, 377–401. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fukkink, R.G.; Van Verseveld, M. Inclusive early childhood education and care: A longitudinal study into the growth of interprofessional collaboration. J. Interprof. Care 2020, 34, 362–372. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jensen, B.; Iannone, R.L. Innovative approaches to continuous professional development (CPD) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Europe: Findings from a comparative review. Eur. J. Educ. 2018, 53, 23–33. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Peeters, J.; Sharmahd, N.; Budginaite, I. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) assistants in Europe: Pathways towards continuous professional development (CPD) and qualification. Eur. J. Educ. 2018, 53, 46–57. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Slee, R. Belonging in an age of exclusion. Int. J. Incl. Educ. 2019, 23, 909–922. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hargreaves, A. Teacher collaboration: 30 years of research on its nature, forms, limitations and effects. Teach. Teach. 2019, 25, 603–621. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Manrique, A.L.; Dirani, E.A.; Frere, A.F.; Moreira, G.E.; Arezes, P.M. Teachers’ perceptions on inclusion in basic school. Int. J. Educ. Manag. 2019, 33, 409–419. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lehrer, J.; Massing, C.; O’Keefe, A.R. Innovative professional learning in early childhood education and care: Inspiring hope and action. J. Child. Stud. 2019, 44, 1–4. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Woodcock, S.; Woolfson, L.M. Are leaders leading the way with inclusion? Teachers’ perceptions of systemic support and barriers towards inclusion. Int. J. Educ. Res. 2019, 93, 232–242. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rogers, M.; Dovigo, F.; Doan, L. Educator identity in a neoliberal context: Recognizing and supporting early childhood education and care educators. Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J. 2020, 28, 806–822. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sims, M. Neoliberalism and early childhood. Cogent Educ. 2017, 4, 1365411. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Elfer, P.; Dearnley, K.; Wilson, D. Work discussion in English nurseries: Reflecting on their contribution so far and issues in developing their aims and processes; and the assessment of their impact in a climate of austerity and intense audit. Infant Obs. 2018, 21, 189–203. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bradbury, A. Datafied at four: The role of data in the ‘schoolification’ of early childhood education in England. Learn. Media Technol. 2019, 44, 7–21. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rouse, E.; Hadley, F. Where did love and care get lost? Educators and parents’ perceptions of early childhood practice. Int. J. Early Years Educ. 2018, 26, 159–172. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jeon, H.J.; Diamond, L.; McCartney, C.; Kwon, K.A. Early Childhood Special Education Teachers’ Job Burnout and Psychological Stress. Early Educ. Dev. 2021, 33, 1364–1382. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Davies, E.L.; Matley, F. Teachers and pupils under pressure: UK teachers’ views on the content and format of personal, social, health and economic education. Pastor. Care Educ. 2020, 38, 4–22. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jennings, P.A.; Jeon, L.; Roberts, A.M. Introduction to the Special Issue on Early Care and Education Professionals’ Social and Emotional Well-being. Early Educ. Dev. 2020, 31, 933–939. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Durksen, T.L.; Klassen, R.M.; Daniels, L.M. Motivation and collaboration: The keys to a developmental framework for teachers’ professional learning. Teach. Teach. Educ. 2017, 67, 53–66. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wenger, E. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity; Cambridge University Press: New York, NY, USA, 1998. [Google Scholar]
- Richter, D.; Kunter, M.; Klusmann, U.; Lüdtke, O.; Baumert, J. Professional development across the teaching career: Teachers’ uptake of formal and informal learning opportunities. In Teachers’ Professional Development; Brill Sense: Paderborn, Germany, 2014; pp. 97–121. [Google Scholar]
- Cramer, T.; Canto Porto de Moraes, J.; McKenna, A.; Keays Hagerman, K.; Allen, L. Knowledge dissemination among early childhood staff members: A promising pathway for professional learning. J. Early Child. Teach. Educ. 2021, 43, 554–567. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Darling-Hammond, L.; Hyler, M.E.; Gardner, M. Effective Teacher Professional Development; Learning Policy Institute: Palo Alto, CA, USA, 2017. [Google Scholar]
- Egert, F.; Fukkink, R.G.; Eckhardt, A.G. Impact of in-service professional development programs for early childhood teachers on quality ratings and child outcomes: A meta-analysis. Rev. Educ. Res. 2018, 88, 401–433. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jagers, R.J.; Rivas-Drake, D.; Williams, B. Transformative social and emotional learning (SEL): Toward SEL in service of educational equity and excellence. Educ. Psychol. 2019, 54, 162–184. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Siraj, I.; Kingston, D.; Neilsen-Hewett, C. The Role of Professional Development in Improving Quality and Supporting Child Outcomes in Early Education and Care. Asia-Pac. J. Res. Early Child. Educ. 2019, 13, 2. [Google Scholar]
- Lipscomb, S.T.; Hatfield, B.; Goka-Dubose, E.; Lewis, H.; Fisher, P.A. Impacts of roots of resilience professional development for early childhood teachers on young children’s protective factors. Early Child. Res. Q. 2021, 56, 1–14. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Thornton, K.; Cherrington, S. Professional learning communities in early childhood education: A vehicle for professional growth. Prof. Dev. Educ. 2019, 45, 418–432. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wedell, K. Inclusion: Confusion about inclusion: Patching up or system change? Br. J. Spec. Educ. 2008, 35, 127–135. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lindqvist, G.; Nilholm, C. Making schools inclusive? Educational leaders’ views on how to work with children in need of special support. Int. J. Incl. Educ. 2013, 17, 95–110. [Google Scholar]
- Porter, D.O. Co-production and network structures in public education. In New Public Governance, the Third Sector and Co-Production; Routledge: London, UK, 2012; pp. 145–168. [Google Scholar]
- Bateman, A. Conversation Analysis and Early Childhood Education: The Co-Production of Knowledge and Relationships; Routledge: London, UK, 2016. [Google Scholar]
- Honingh, M.; Bondarouk, E.; Brandsen, T. Co-production in primary schools: A systematic literature review. Int. Rev. Adm. Sci. 2020, 86, 222–239. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Broadfoot, H.; Pascal, C. An exploration of what conditions facilitate experiences of compassion in one early childhood community. Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J. 2021, 29, 910–924. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schlappa, H.; Imani, Y.; Nishino, T. Relational leadership: An analytical lens for the exploration of co-production. In The Palgrave Handbook of Co-Production of Public Services and Outcomes; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2020; pp. 471–490. [Google Scholar]
- Brandsen, T. Vulnerable Citizens: Will Co-production Make a Difference? In The Palgrave Handbook of Co-Production of Public Services and Outcomes; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2020; pp. 527–539. [Google Scholar]
- Litty, C.G.; Hatch, J.A. Hurry up and wait: Rethinking special education identification in kindergarten. Early Child. Educ. J. 2006, 33, 203–208. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Department for Education (DfE) School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2016 and Guidance on School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions 2016. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/550286/STPCD_2016_guidance.pdf (accessed on 9 March 2017).
- Department for Education (DfE). Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage; Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for Children from Birth to Five; Department for Education (DfE): London, UK, 2017. [Google Scholar]
- Department for Education (DfE). Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for Children from Birth to Five. EYFS Profile Pilot Framew. 2018. (Revised Version). Available online: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/EYFSPPilot-Handbook-2018.pdf (accessed on 3 May 2023).
- Department for Education and Skills (DfES). The Early Years Foundation Stage; HMSO: London, UK, 2021. Available online: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974907/EYFS_framework_-_March_2021.pdf (accessed on 3 May 2023).
- Flewitt, R.; Cowan, K. Valuing Young Children’s Signs of Learning: Observation and Digital Documentation of Play in Early Years Classrooms; The Froebel Trust: London, UK, 2019. [Google Scholar]
- Luff, P. Observations: Recording and Analysis. In Palaiologou I The Early Years Foundation Stage: Theory and Practice; Sage: London, UK, 2016; Volume 148. [Google Scholar]
- Brooker, L.; Rogers, S.; Ellis, D.; Hallet, E.; Roberts-Holmes, G. Practitioners’ Experiences of the Early Years Foundation Stage. 2010. Available online: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181479/DFE-RR029.pdf (accessed on 3 May 2023).
- Zaslow, M.; Tout, K.; Halle, T.; Whittaker, J.V.; Lavelle, B. Toward the Identification of Features of Effective Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators. Literature Review; U.S. Department of Education Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Policy and Program Studies Service: Washington, DC, USA, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Eraut, M. Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence; Psychology Press: London, UK, 1994. [Google Scholar]
- Elkins, J. Educating Children with Diverse Abilities; Pearson Education: Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- Nutbrown, C.; Clough, P. Inclusion and exclusion in the early years: Conversations with European educators. Eur. J. Spec. Needs Educ. 2004, 19, 301–315. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Creswell, J.W.; Creswell, J.D. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches; Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2017. [Google Scholar]
- Devarakonda, C. Promoting Inclusion and Diversity in Early Years Settings: A Professional Guide to Ethnicity, Religion, Culture and Language; Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London, UK, 2020. [Google Scholar]
- Van Kraayenoord, C. The task of professional development. Int. J. Disabil. Dev. Educ. 2003, 50, 363–365. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Miles, M.B.; Huberman, A.M.; Saldaña, J. Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook, 3rd ed.; Sage: London, UK, 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Smith, J.A. Evaluating the contribution of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Health Psychol. Rev. 2011, 5, 9–27. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Smith, J.A. Reflecting on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in psychology. Qual. Res. Psychol. 2004, 1, 39–54. [Google Scholar]
- Yuksel-Arslan, P.; Yildirim, S.; Robin, B.R.A. phenomenological study: Teachers’ experiences of using digital storytelling in early childhood education. Educ. Stud. 2016, 42, 427–445. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stoll, M.; McLeod, J. Guidance teachers’ and support staff’s experience of working with pupils with mental health difficulties in two secondary schools: An IPA study. Br. J. Guid. Couns. 2020, 48, 815–825. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pietkiewicz, I.; Smith, J.A. A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological analysis in qualitative research psychology. Psychol. J. 2014, 20, 7–14. [Google Scholar]
- Brocki, J.M.; Wearden, A.J. A critical evaluation of the use of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) in health psychology. Psychol. Health 2006, 21, 87–108. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Frost, N.; Nolas, S.M.; Brooks-Gordon, B.; Esin, C.; Holt, A.; Mehdizadeh, L.; Shinebourne, P. Pluralism in qualitative research: The impact of different researchers and qualitative approaches on the analysis of qualitative data. Qual. Res. 2010, 10, 441–460. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Boadu, G. Giving voice to teachers through interpretative phenomenological research: A methodological consideration. Qual. Res. J. 2021, 21, 408–423. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Beck, C.T. Introduction to Phenomenology: Focus on Methodology; SAGE Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2019. [Google Scholar]
- Joshi, A.; Vinay, M.; Bhaskar, P. Impact of coronavirus pandemic on the Indian education sector: Perspectives of teachers on online teaching and assessments. Interact. Technol. Smart Educ. 2020, 18, 205–226. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Smith, J.A.; Jarman, M.; Osborn, M. Doing interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qual. Health Psychol. Theor. Methods 1999, 1, 218–240. [Google Scholar]
- Sharma, U.; Salend, S.J. Teaching assistants in inclusive classrooms: A systematic analysis of the international research. Aust. J. Teach. Educ. 2016, 41, 7. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Duckett, I. Curriculum and Social Class: Adventures in pedagogy, engagement and intervention in England and Wales. J. Crit. Educ. Policy Stud. (JCEPS) 2021, 19, 315–343. [Google Scholar]
- Webster, R.; De Boer, A. Teaching assistants: Their role in the inclusion, education and achievement of pupils with special educational needs. Eur. J. Spec. Needs Educ. 2019, 34, 404–407. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Basford, E.; Butt, G.; Newton, R. To what extent are teaching assistants really managed?: ‘I was thrown in the deep end, really; I just had to more or less get on with it’. Sch. Leadersh. Manag. 2017, 37, 288–310. [Google Scholar]
- Allen, R.; Benhenda, A.; Jerrim, J.; Sims, S. New evidence on teachers’ working hours in England. An empirical analysis of four datasets. Res. Pap. Educ. 2020, 36, 657–681. [Google Scholar]
- Elfer, P.; Greenfield, S.; Robson, S.; Wilson, D.; Zachariou, A. Love, satisfaction and exhaustion in the nursery: Methodologica issues in evaluating the impact of Work Discussion groups in the nursery. Early Child Dev. Care 2018, 188, 892–904. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Beausaert, S.; Segers, M.; Fouarge, D.; Gijselaers, W. Effect of using a personal development plan on learning and development. J. Workplace Learn. 2013, 25, 145–158. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Janssen, S.; Kreijns, K.; Bastiaens, T.J.; Stijnen, S.; Vermeulen, M. Teachers’ beliefs about using a professional development plan. Int. J. Train. Dev. 2013, 17, 260–278. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Department for Education. The Inclusion Development Programme (IDP). 2010. Available online: http://www.idponline.org.uk (accessed on 24 November 2022).
- Klu, E.K.; Mulaudzi, L.M.P.; Neeta, N.C.; Gudlhuza, W.J.; Makhwathana, R.M.; Maluleke, M.J. Towards the Professionalisation of Teaching through Improving Teacher Knowledge and Teacher Development. Int. J. Educ. Sci. 2014, 6, 255–262. [Google Scholar]
- Bateson, J. From nursery to reception. In Transitions in the Early Years: Working with Children and Families; Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2012; Volume 39. [Google Scholar]
- Broadhead, P. Cooperative play and learning from nursery to year one. In Play and learning in the Early Years; Sage: London, UK, 2010; pp. 43–60. ISBN 9781446244333. [Google Scholar]
- McElearney, A.; Murphy, C.; Radcliffe, D. Identifying teacher needs and preferences in accessing professional learning and support. Prof. Dev. Educ. 2019, 45, 433–455. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Boesley, L.; Crane, L. ‘Forget the Health and Care and just call them Education Plans’: SENCo s’ perspectives on Education, Health and Care plans. J. Res. Spec. Educ. Needs 2018, 18, 36–47. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Whalley, S. A tale of three SENCOS, post 2015 reforms. Support Learn. 2018, 33, 407–428. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Curran, H.; Boddison, A. ‘It’s the best job in the world, but one of the hardest, loneliest, most misunderstood roles in a school.’ Understanding the complexity of the SENCo role post-SEND reform. J. Res. Spec. Educ. Needs 2021, 21, 39–48. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Eraut, M. Non-formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 2000, 70, 113–136. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Eraut, M. Informal learning in the workplace. Stud. Contin. Educ. 2004, 26, 247–273. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Eraut, M. Learning from other people in the workplace. Oxf. Rev. Educ. 2007, 33, 403–422. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tharp, R. Teaching Transformed: Achieving Excellence, Fairness, Inclusion, and Harmony; Routledge: London, UK, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- Peeters, J.; Sharmahd, N. Professional development for ECEC practitioners with responsibilities for children at risk: Which competences and in-service training are needed? Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J. 2014, 22, 412–424. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kwon, K.A.; Elicker, J.; Kontos, S. Social IEP objectives, teacher talk, and peer interaction in inclusive and segregated preschool settings. Early Child. Educ. J. 2011, 39, 267–277. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kemp, C. Investigating the Transition of Young Children with Intellectual Disabilities to Mainstream Classes: An Australian perspective. Int. J. Disabil. Dev. Educ. 2003, 50, 403–433. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schischka, J.; Rawlinson, C.; Hamilton, R. Factors affecting the transition to school for young children with disabilities. Australas. J. Early Child. 2012, 37, 19. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stormont, M.; Beckner, R.; Mitchell, B.; Ritcher, M. Supporting successful transition to kindergarten: General challenges and specific implications for students with problem behaviour. Psychol. Sch. 2005, 42, 765–778. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McIntyre, L.L.; Eckert, T.T.; Fiese, B.H.; DiGEnnaro Reed, F.D.; Wildenger, L.K. Family Concerns Surrounding Kindergarten Transition: A Comparison of Students in Special and General Education. Early Child. Educ J. 2010, 38, 259–263. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Trodd, L.; Dickerson, C. ‘I enjoy learning’: Developing early years practitioners’ identities as professionals and as professional learners. Prof. Dev. Educ. 2019, 45, 356–371. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Stoll, L.; Bolam, R.; McMahon, A.; Thomas, S.; Wallace, M.; Greenwood, A.; Hawkey, K. Professional Learning Communities: Source Materials for School Leaders and Other Leaders of Professional Learning; National College for Teaching and Leadership: London, UK, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- McDonald, P.; Thorpe, K.; Irvine, S. Low pay but still we stay: Retention in early childhood education and care. J. Ind. Relat. 2018, 60, 647–668. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Liu, Y.; Bellibaş, M.Ş.; Gümüş, S. The effect of instructional leadership and distributed leadership on teacher self-efficacy and job satisfaction: Mediating roles of supportive school culture and teacher collaboration. Educ. Manag. Adm. Leadersh. 2020, 49, 430–453. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mackenzie, S. ‘Yes, but…’: Rhetoric, reality and resistance in teaching assistants’ experiences of inclusive education. Support Learn. 2011, 26, 64–71. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bowles, D.; Radford, J.; Bakopoulou, I. Scaffolding as a key role for teaching assistants: Perceptions of their pedagogical strategies. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 2018, 88, 499–512. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ingleby, E.; Hedges, C. Exploring the continuing professional development needs of pedagogical practitioners in early years in England. Prof. Dev. Educ. 2012, 38, 533–549. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Osgood, J. Narratives from the Nursery: Negotiating Professional Identities in Early Childhood; Routledge: London, UK, 2011. [Google Scholar]
- Page, J.; Elfer, P. The emotional complexity of attachment interactions in nursery. Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J. 2013, 21, 553–567. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lightfoot, S.; Frost, D. The professional identity of early years educators in England: Implications for a transformative approach to continuing professional development. Prof. Dev. Educ. 2015, 41, 401–418. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Elfer, P. Emotion in nursery work: Work discussion as a model of critical professional reflection. Early Years 2012, 32, 129–141. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Souto-Manning, M.; Dice, J.L. Reflective teaching in the early years: A case for mentoring diverse educators. Early Child. Educ. J. 2007, 34, 425–430. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Parry, J. Making connections and making friends: Social interactions between two children labelled with special educational needs and their peers in a nursery setting. Early Years 2014, 34, 301–314. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Brennan, H.R. Behavioral and Social Effects of Inclusion at the Preschool Level: Exploring an Integrated Early Childhood Classroom. Online Submission 2005. A Capstone Project Submitted to the Faculty of the Education Division of Keuka College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Childhood Education. Available online: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED490544.pdf (accessed on 3 May 2023).
- De Sousa, J.; Loizou, E.; Fochi, P. Participatory pedagogies: Instituting children’s rights in day to day pedagogic development. Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J. 2019, 27, 299–304. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Davies, R.; Hamilton, P. Assessing learning in the early years’ outdoor classroom: Examining challenges in practice. Education 2018, 46, 117–129. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Acar, I.H.; Hong, S.Y.; Wu, C. Examining the role of teacher presence and scaffolding in preschoolers’ peer interactions. Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J. 2017, 25, 866–884. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kelly, M.H. How to teach an old dog new tricks: Training techniques for the adult learner. In Paper Presented at the ASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition; OnePetro: Richardson, TX, USA, 2006. [Google Scholar]
- Stephenson, J.; Carter, M.; Arthur-Kelly, M. Professional Learning for teachers without special education qualifications working with students with severe disabilities. Teach. Educ. Spec. Educ. 2011, 34, 7–20. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fishman, B.J.; Marx, R.W.; Best, S.; Tal, R.T. Linking teacher and student learning to improve professional development in systemic reform. Teach. Teach. Educ. 2003, 19, 643–658. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lantz-Andersson, A.; Lundin, M.; Selwyn, N. Twenty years of online teacher communities: A systematic review of formally-organized and informally-developed professional learning groups. Teach. Teach. Educ. 2018, 75, 302–315. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cook, J.; Smith, M. Beyond formal Learning: Informal community eLearning. Comput. Educ. 2004, 43, 35–47. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Terry, A.J.; Faulk, D.R. Transformative learning in the online environment. In Transformative Learning for Nurses: A Guide for Nurse Educators; Springer Publishing Company: New York, NY, USA, 2012; pp. 138–151. [Google Scholar]
- Oberhuemer, P.; Schreyer, I.; Neuman, M.J. Professionals in Early Childhood Education and Care Systems: European Profiles and Perspectives; Verlag Barbara Budrich: Leverkusen, Germany, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Flood, R.L.; Romm, N.R. A Systemic Approach to Processes of Power in Learning Organizations: Part I–Literature, Theory, and Methodology of Triple Loop Learning. In The Learning Organization; Emerald Publishing: Bingley, UK, 2018. [Google Scholar]
- Rowland, C.; Hall, R. Management learning, performance and reward: Theory and practice revisited. J. Manag. Dev. 2014, 33, 342–356. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Robins, V.; Silcock, P. The invisible professionals: English school nursery nurses talk about their jobs. Eur. Early Child. Educ. Res. J. 2001, 9, 23–40. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wedell, K. Dilemmas in the quest for inclusion. Gulliford Lect. Br. J. Spec. Educ. 2005, 32, 3–11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- MacNaughton, G. Doing Foucault in Early Childhood Studies: Applying Poststructural Ideas; Psychology Press: Hove, UK, 2005. [Google Scholar]
- Dixon, R.M.; Verenikina, I. Towards inclusive schools: An examination of socio-cultural theory and inclusive practices and policy in New South Wales DET schools. In Paper Presented at the Learning and Socio-Cultural Theory: Exploring Modern Vygotskian Perspectives International Workshop. 2007. Available online: https://ro.uow.edu.au/llrg/vol1/iss1/13 (accessed on 3 May 2023).
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Corral-Granados, A.; Martínez-Martínez, A.M.; Sánchez-Muñoz, C.; Navarro-Gómez, N. Early Years Staff Experiences in a “Culture of Learning” Regarding Inclusion in a Nursery Class in a British School: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Educ. Sci. 2023, 13, 515. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050515
Corral-Granados A, Martínez-Martínez AM, Sánchez-Muñoz C, Navarro-Gómez N. Early Years Staff Experiences in a “Culture of Learning” Regarding Inclusion in a Nursery Class in a British School: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Education Sciences. 2023; 13(5):515. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050515
Chicago/Turabian StyleCorral-Granados, Anabel, Ana María Martínez-Martínez, Carlos Sánchez-Muñoz, and Noelia Navarro-Gómez. 2023. "Early Years Staff Experiences in a “Culture of Learning” Regarding Inclusion in a Nursery Class in a British School: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis" Education Sciences 13, no. 5: 515. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050515
APA StyleCorral-Granados, A., Martínez-Martínez, A. M., Sánchez-Muñoz, C., & Navarro-Gómez, N. (2023). Early Years Staff Experiences in a “Culture of Learning” Regarding Inclusion in a Nursery Class in a British School: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Education Sciences, 13(5), 515. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13050515