Developing the model

Initially the model came from the theoretical work in the literature review where the levels of influence on the teacher (weak to strong causation) went from the system wide - ‘fields’ and

‘background’ to the institutional (‘habitus’ and ‘school culture’) and then to the personal (‘doxa’ and the psychological construction of practice for the teacher).

The three areas of the model then broke down into the following parts with the elements forming the main responses from the interviewees.

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Factors Elements Elements Elements Elements Elements Elements 1.

The personal practice factor links well with the teaching framework used by Lewis and Norwich (2005) who argue that it is in curriculum knowledge and knowledge about the learners specific needs that significant differences exist between special and mainstream schools and that the teacher’s pedagogic knowledge will have the adaptability to teach pupils in either setting. There are therefore they argue no distinct or special pedagogies for pupils with special educational needs (although there are special curricular and programmes).

By evaluating the interviewees answers according to each of the three groups and allocating sections of the transcript to one or other the Venn Diagrams were created that provided a visual representation of the amount of salience the interviewees gave to each of the areas which could then be used when planning for the second interviews See appendices).

144 4.5 The second set of interviews

In considering how the follow-up interview could provide data that would triangulate the findings led to the plan have a three part structure. The first part would be a reflection on the main themes of the original interviews with questions that probed further into the thinking of the teachers. The second part would be for the teachers to create a Venn Diagram for

themselves of the relative strengths of the three areas in the model that I describe to them.

The third part would be a questionnaire that asked them to grade their responses from 1 – 7 to provide data that could be used to compare each of their experiences in more detail.

4.5.1 Interviews

This would test out the themes derived from the initial interviews and probe further to elaborate on them by summarising them and inviting comments.

4.5.2 Venn Diagrams

The interviewees would be invited to produce a Venn Diagram depicting the relative strengths of each of the factors in the model hypothesised as an explanatory tool for the transition. They would be given minimal guidance so that they had space to interpret the model in the way it felt meaningful and comfortable for them.

4.5.3 Questionnaire

This began with 15 statements grouped into three issues – expectations, school culture and teaching. Three teachers completed this questionnaire and then after reflection on the data being provided and the willingness of the teachers to complete such a task quite quickly it was expanded to 25 questions with the addition of two further issues – professional development and change.

145 4.6 Case stories

Case stories are an adaption of the research technique of Ackerman (2002) and are described in Flick (2009, p347) as following certain stages. This is the original narrative interview, followed by the thematic analysis and then this leads to the reconstruction of the data as a case story. The case story can then be used to contrast with others. This further deepens and consolidates the analysis of the interviews and the triangulating data within the theoretical approach of the researcher which has been developed from both the literature review and the data collected. It is a narrative précis of the complete transcriptions of the interviews and consequently depends upon the insight and capacity of the researcher to fairly and accurately represent the evidence. It summarises the ‘narrative reflection’ level in Days (2004) gradings of teacher’s reflections on their practice. It builds upon the teacher’s narrative responses to the interviews conducted and avoids the too deliberate, self-censoring and possibly rushed response that would have resulted from a request to write the story for themselves. The teachers in the study had limited time available to me to be involved in the research and expressed wariness of strategies that were not ‘interview like’ when the initial approaches were made.

4.6.1 Diane’s story First Interview

Diane found the initial period of the transition a ‘steep learning curve’ as she discovered that many of her teaching strategies weren’t applicable in the special school setting. Some were though and these were valued by the school’s management. It was the challenge of the pupils’ behaviour that most surprised Diane. She found that the underlying structure to her teaching was similar but the pace of the pupil’s learning was significantly different and the

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range for which she needed to differentiate her teaching was far wider. This impacted upon the flow of the day and when combined with the personal care needs of the pupils and the support they required to manage the transitions between lessons and from activity to activity it resulted in a quite different feel for how her teaching day progressed and how she was situated within it. Diane was supported by her line-manager to understand the demands of the learners, their behaviour and the curriculum they required. The pressure to lead a team of teaching assistants and provide them with guidance and direction so that the needs of the learners were addressed was intense and Diane was helped by an experienced teaching assistant. Diane felt that the children in her class were viewed more as individuals than those she had taught in the mainstream school. Nevertheless she felt that she had the same high expectations for them to make progress in their learning as she had in the mainstream class - it was just more personalised. Diane felt that the classroom culture in the mainstream school was more formal than in the special school where because the pupils were less engaged in the learning process the teacher had to put in more time and be more flexible to encourage the children to learn. Diane feels it’s very important for the children in her class to be happy and pleased to come to school and for her to be teaching them useful practical things that will increase their independence.

Second Interview

Diane is clear that the key issue for the transition is the needs of the pupils and how you adapt the curriculum so that effective learning takes place. Finding out about the school culture would be true of any change between schools but the significant factor for the teacher and it is always part of their practice is how to adapt the curriculum to the continuing

changing needs of the learners.

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She feels that during the transition her personal teaching beliefs and practices needed to take a backseat to the school’s guidance and support on good teaching and classroom

management. She trusted the school’s direction on meeting the Ofsted criteria for her expected teaching practice. Over time though this changed and Diane was able to describe her position as one where her own teaching practice now met the requirements of outstanding teaching for the school and Ofsted but was ‘her own’ and she was confident in her own self-evaluations of her teaching.

Second task

Diane placed the learner’s characteristics higher than the more ‘external’ demands on her role for setting her learner expectations. Similarly she rated the influence of her colleagues higher than the external factors. She has incorporated into her own personal teaching practice the external expectations for high standards and they are of as equal importance for her relationship with the learners. She attains a high level of personal and professional self-fulfilment from her teaching.

4.6.2 Tina’s story First interview

Tina felt that ‘all of the basics’ of her teaching transferred when she moved from the mainstream school and found the differences to be around specific ways of supporting the learners because of their specific needs. She felt that the need to be more controlled, precise and structured with her language was a major difference and the biggest ‘learning curve’ for her. The need to have a greater understanding of the learner because of the wider range in their needs was different and the additional demands they made in terms of their care and

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behavioural issues. Consequently Tina saw the management of the team of Teaching Assistants as crucial in order to both attain that knowledge and to be able to address the needs of the diverse range of learners in her classroom. She was supported by her line-manager. The commitment to high standards that Tina held to in the mainstream classroom also transferred easily into the special school classroom. She remembers the culture of the mainstream school to be ‘more rigid’ and sees the special school as ‘more human and personalised’ with more ‘humbleness’. The mainstream school was more hierarchical in her view whereas in the special school there was collegiality and this facilitated the transition and made her ‘accepted’ and ‘feeling part of the team’. She finds great reward in adapting her teaching and continually reworking what she does and so finds the special school

environment particularly motivating. For a transition to be effective she believes that the new teacher would need to be trained in the key communication strategies that are used within the classroom.

Second interview

Tina found the analysis of the four themes very strong and picked out the management of the team of Teaching Assistants as the one for her that was most significant.

First task

Tina feels confident in her teaching and in her successful transition and sees the requirements of national directives to be well mediated by the school for which she is adapted to but feels there is more learning still to be done in order to raise her professional practice. She is very child-centred and holds the view that it rest upon the teacher’s personal experience and their ‘gut-feeling’ about the child’s learning rather than any other measures.

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Tina feels that the experienced teacher can intuitively tell what is right for their teaching in their classroom.

Second task

Tina’s expectations of the learners are formed by the amalgam of her judgement of the learner’s ability and the school’s previous assessments and programmes. She is very aligned with the school’s perceptions of the requirements for teachers and has internalised the

‘standards agenda’.

4.6.3 Mike’s story First interview

Mike remembers the experience as being ‘quite smooth’ and he was able to transfer a lot of the skills he had developed in his teaching in mainstream school. He found the cultures of the schools different finding the special school ‘a lot less formal’ and ‘a lot happier atmosphere’.

He benefitted from the opportunity to work in a team teaching situation and was able to quickly learn the ‘procedures and routines’ from his colleague. He found the Teaching assistants who worked with him to be very supportive and committed to their role and this helped him. He noted the difference in his colleagues attitude to being observed and monitored with the tone led by the school’s management – in the special school it was welcomed as a helpful and positive experience whereas in his mainstream school it had been more critical and demotivating. He feels that his expectation of the learners hasn’t changed and it remains high although he appreciates the differences now in his behavioural

expectations and the benefits of encouraging more ‘conversation and communication’ than he ever did in his mainstream classroom. The relationships with the learners are more ‘open’

and ‘friendly’ which he sees as necessary in order for the learners to ‘come out of their

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shells’. This is helped by the smaller classes and the greater time available to do that. He found the challenge of ‘pitching’ his teaching at the right level for the learners difficult at first but recognises this as an on-going aspect of his teaching. He felt that in mainstream school the criteria for success was very much the levels that the pupils attained whereas in the special school there is a more scope for recognising a wider range of achievements. As he became more confident in his role so he felt more able to say that he was doing a good job.

He feels to successfully transfer, although anybody could do it as ‘the skills are transferrable’

you need to ‘change your outlook on teaching’ and develop relationships with the learners so that you can set them appropriate learning expectations. And to do that requires a specific commitment on the part of the teacher – as Mike says ‘a particular person to want to do that’.

Second interview

Mike agreed with the four themes and said that the issue of getting the expectations of success right for the pupils in the special school was the most challenging one. He feels that mainstream schools are very directly affected by the Ofsted accountability framework whereas in the special school although it is still there it is mitigated by the focus on the individual needs of the pupils. Mike ‘likes personally getting to know the students and making professional judgements about where their learning has come from and where it needs to move to next’. And he feels this situation ‘leaves a lot more scope to actually teach’.

First task

Mike is clear that his personal judgement is the key factor now in his teaching and this fits completely with the requirements of his school and overlaps where he feels it needs to with the strictures of the wider Ofsted world.

Second task

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Mike has aligned his personal expectations with the schools and has internalised the

‘standards agenda’ and feels it is part of his everyday practice. He rates highly his relationships with the pupils.

4.6.4 Alan’s story First interview

Initially Alan found the size of the school and its organisation the most challenging aspect of the transition. He felt that his curriculum knowledge and teaching skills transferred

straightforwardly - ‘I found I didn’t have to adapt my teaching style too much’. What he feels he had to do was change the pace of his teaching – ‘slowing myself down’. He did though find the task of managing the team of teaching assistants at first quite daunting and feels that his initial attempts weren’t too successful but with their support and guidance from his managers he was able to develop his team leader skills. Alan feels that the individual needs of the pupils in the special school make them much less homogenous as a teaching group than the classes in a mainstream school and this is exacerbated by their communication problems. His experience is that all schools have differing cultures and that that then depends on the management of the school. In all schools the aims are the same – to ensure the

children make progress. Alan was well supported by his colleagues who he felt confident to ask for guidance and ideas. He gauges his successful transition to be from the time when his colleagues searched him out for support rather than the other way around. He believes that teaching skills transfer but that it takes a person with patience and resilience to overcome the particular pressures of the special school.

Second interview

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Alan emphasised again the impact of the different structures and policies on his transition experience. He also elaborated on the importance for him of the time he has for each learner in order to look ‘deeply into their needs’. Ideally he feels he would have wanted to do this in mainstream. In the special school though this meant that he spent a lot of time planning his curriculum as he was taking each child individually and aiming to set them each appropriate learning tasks.

First task

Alan feels that the national expectations and frameworks for teachers are the most powerful influences on what he does and the school is fully in line with them. Personally he keeps a part of himself at a critical distance from that.

Second task

Alan is pupil focused in his personal approach and clear that he has to operate within the national frameworks as they are interpreted by his school. He doesn’t feel a tension between these.

4.6.5 Alison’s story First interview

Alison was worried that her transition experience would be very difficult and had created ‘a lot of misconceptions in my head’ about the possible differences. In reality she feels that her teaching still has all the elements that made it enjoyable for her in the mainstream school and her teaching skills transferred straight forwardly. The biggest issue for her was the

management of her team of Teaching Assistants. As with any change between school there was a period of adapting to the routines and processes in the new institution. Alison found the culture of the mainstream school very ‘pressurised and stressful’ due to the focus on

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hitting the targets for the children. She felt that the culture in the mainstream school wasn’t supportive of her professionally or personally whereas the opposite is true of the special school. She appreciates the trust she is given and the support from her managers. There were areas of knowledge she feels that key to being successful in the special school – ‘definitely autism training’ as an example. She is clear that not all teachers could teach in a special school because it requires ‘a certain way about you’ which she feels is an understanding of the complex ways in which children can behave and learn which is non-judgemental.

Second interview

Alison reaffirms that the management of the Teaching Assistants was the biggest issue that she faced during the transition. In Alison’s view the relationship that she forms with the learner in the special school is all about encouraging them to want to learn which for the most part is not the case in the mainstream classes that Alison taught in.

First task

Alison feels that her practice is guided by her own experience and viewpoints about teaching.

She incorporates the needs of the school within that and has a much smaller regard to the demands of the government and Ofsted.

Second task

Alison has a child-centred approach to her teaching and incorporates the expectations of her school managers into this. She rates her professional development highly as having an impact on her teaching. And although admitting to finding change stressful she also sees it as a creative time.

4.6.6 Laura ’s story First interview

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Laura was clear that her transition had been helped by the fact that although a qualified teacher she had begun work at the special school as a Teaching Assistant and then done some

Laura was clear that her transition had been helped by the fact that although a qualified teacher she had begun work at the special school as a Teaching Assistant and then done some