Teacher Training and Special Educational Needs

Almost all the academic staff was suitably qualified yet there was a profound sense of „I cannot meet the learning needs for pupils with SEN‟. It is plausible that one of the explanations for the general low teacher efficacy amongst those teaching low ability streams in MMPS related to the deficiencies in the their teacher training where there is little or no content specifically equipping them to deal with the rigour and challenge of teaching pupils with SEN. This was expressed in this comment: In the training I did a course when I was doing my degree it was not an intensive course just an introductory one [special needs course] (D Stream Teacher) The criticism has been raised that the schools of education have not been very responsive to a changing world. Teacher education must change if it is going to be effective in its role of changing schools (Caillier and Riordan, 2009). However, schools having identified the gap in teacher training programmes in relations to equipping them to effectively teaching pupils with SEN. It would be beneficial for school to organise supplemental training to offset the deficit existing in teachers‟ competencies. The next theme will develop the discourse with regards to parental support of pupils with SEN.

5.2.8 Theme Eight: Parental Support for Pupils with SEN

Parents are key figures in the lives of most children. Therefore, home support is crucial in all childhood phases of education. Parents have the potential to have a significant effect on children's views towards achievement (Pomerantz et al, 2005). At MMPS parental involvement is critical element in the provision of intervention strategies for pupils with SEN. This is particularly so in those cases deemed as severe, since the way forward usually involves external agencies. At this juncture therefore parental involvement becomes even more critical. Whilst the school seeks to bring on board the essential element of the home input, it is sometimes the cause of much frustration for the following reasons:

Parents /caregivers refuse to respond to the school's request of attending a meeting with regards to their children's SEN.

Parents are in denial about their children possibly having SEN.

Some parents reported being embarrassed about their children's SEN.

There is general agreement concerning the need to increase family participation in the educational process, although it continues to reflect a less than desired level of involvement (Garcia, 2004). Numerous studies demonstrate the direct relationship

168

between academic achievement and home support (Bailey, 2006 and Bryan et al, 2001).

However, due to the situated learning context of shift school where there is the element of time pressure its need is even more critical since children in this environment have reduced contact time with teachers. Home support is not only critical in general for pupils having SEN but also supplemental in nature in terms of making up the time deficit of this shortened shift school day.

One of the observations made by the researcher is that overall there was more parental support of pupils in the higher streams than in the lower ones. Pupils in the higher streams tend to have the school tools and equipment for learning and better attendance (re attendance see Tables 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4) as opposed to pupils in the lower streams. This observation was confirmed by an A Stream teacher who opined that “the students who do better tend to have more supportive parents”. In addition, the number of parents and caregivers in attendance to the general PTA, and grade meetings are significantly lower for pupils in the lower streams. A teacher of a D stream stated that

“9 out 33 parents came to parents‟ day [from her class] which was good; I normally don‟t get so many. Although most of them are the ones I see all the while”. When one considers that this teacher considers just over 25% of parents in attendance to a parents day to be “good” it really begs the question what the regular attendance would have been like. The importance of home support was also acknowledged and embraced by a parent in her interview

I help him at home [referring to her child with SEN]. The parents need to put effort in helping their children –those who want to learn will learn. Teachers du fi dem part and wi du fi wi [teachers do their part and we do ours]. Teachers alone is not enough. Remember one class has a lot of children so the teacher can‟t go through all the children especially some classes are slow so the teacher need[s] the help. (Parent)

However, in the context of the shift school, where many of the parents and caregivers are unemployed and are from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, could it be that instead of the school looking at parental support from a largely unilateral perspective (simply put, that they are not supporting their children enough), could it be that a more multifaceted take on the matter may reveal that some of these parents do not possess the skills and other resources with which to support their children? (This is a worthwhile research prospect). This possibility was captured by Lois*, a teacher, “for most of them their parents cannot read”. As was previously mentioned an Evening Institute is held at MMPS to facilitate the educational improvement of parents. Is this facility an acknowledgement by the school that in order to help its pupils; the parents have to be

169

included in the framework? In some cases when parents are told that their children may have SEN, parents sometimes give up on their children because they are not empowered to help. For example, one parent said that „she did not feel badly when your child was placed in D stream because she was also in D stream when she was at school and that she is still just like her child‟ (paraphrased interview extract, parent). If pupils are unable to read and write which are basic tools for accessing the rest of the curriculum;

and they are given home work and they go home to parents of similar competence, then there is none to help the other. It is possible too, that some of these parents have low parental self-esteem or efficacy which refers to the extent to which parents viewed themselves as effective in their parenting responsibility (Hassall et al, 2005). Therefore, it should be acknowledged that some parents are simply not refusing to help their children, but they are unable to do so or they do not perceive themselves as being able to do.

Teachers and administrators expect parents to come to their territory of the school for meetings. However, school may connote quite deep emotive responses for some of these parents who are expected to come to school when they are invited to. For some of them school may have been where they failed and as a consequent of which, they may feel very uncomfortable and even antipathetic towards going to school for their children. Therefore, the school system needs to find creative ways to get parents to be able engage with the school in the lives of their children. Garcia (2004, p. 2 91) posits that:

Building successful home-school and community partnerships involves the integration of a number of players with vested interest. The responsibility for initiating and maintaining these initiatives in schools is not solely the role of selected individuals but must be perceived as a collective shared process

One of the guidance counsellors stated “lack of parental guidance, especially of the fathers” was one of the weaknesses experienced by the school. At a special Parents Evening during a month long parents‟ celebration held by the school only 10 fathers were in attendance. Their poor attendance was noticeable. In addition, some homes do not have the resources “as simple as plain paper cannot be sourced in some homes, let alone Encyclopaedia” (D stream Teacher, conversation). The PE teacher said, “the further down [the class streams] the less pupils with PE gears”. In 7D* only 2 or 3[pupils] have [their] gears”. Similarly, a D stream GSAT teacher said “out of 22 [pupils] approximately 3 have their text books”. She went on to say that for her to cope she borrowed text books from pupils in other classes. On the contrary, one of the

170

administrators is of the view that the majority of parents were demonstrating adequate support.

I tell you these parents they really put in their bit [contribution] to make sure that these students get what they are supposed to get … [simultaneously stating that the opposite view] I can tell you straight off, you see with these children usually we don't see the parents. Yes, most of the times you do not see the parents for those children, so what happens is the Guidance Counsellor, depending on where they live too, because there are some places I would not advise my guidance Counsellors to go in at all; but if it is an area where the guidance Counsellor can go, then they would go and bring the parents out (Administrator 3).

The seeming contradiction in the above comment appeared to be that the first comment may have been in reference to the general pupil population and the second part of the comment was with regards to those with SEN. Essentially, pupils with SEN (where the greater needs usually exist) on the whole receive much less home support regarding their learning. What could be possible causes for this? Could it be that the placement of pupils with SEN into low ability streams, may have had an unintentional negative effect? It may have been that when pupils were placed in these classes their parents or caregiver may have felt that there was little point in making the sacrifice to support their children‟s learning because they have been wasting their efforts. It could also be that pupils‟ placement in lower ability classes serves as a reinforcement of some parents‟

already negative perception of their children and thus it provides the proverbial “final nail in the coffin”. It is possible therefore that the school based on their pupil placement strategy, is a contributing factor to the inadequate parental support pupils with SEN receive. The school, therefore, needs to take a critical holistic approach to pupil placement. As was mentioned before, the critical stakeholder of parents should have a voice in the school's pupil grouping practice. There needs to be clear guidelines drafted as a policy with regards pupils‟ class placement in the school. This would serve as a forum in which parents, pupils, teachers, administrators, and schools board members could have their voices heard. This process has the potential to yield insightful corporative thinking; whereby the class placement of pupils with SEN would better serve their needs, reduce the likelihood of teasing and name-calling and lend itself to a more equitable use of teacher resources.

Extensive evidence suggests that parental support is a precursor to pupils‟

increased achievement (Pomerantz et al, 2005). Since parental involvement is such a critical factor in pupil's academic achievement and especially for those with SEN, schools should strive to be much more than just an adjudicator; making the

171

pronouncements of the prevailing condition of lack of parental support. Rather they should strive to be facilitators; being creative in formulating strategies to cultivate greater parental involvement and overcome barriers that impede this critical home/school dynamics. The upcoming theme will discuss pupils‟ self-concept in relation to their SEN.