British Journal of Special Education最新文献

Wales is in the middle of a fundamental reform of its curriculum and consequent assessment design. There is a welcome broadening of the range of subjects offered at levels 1 and 2, yet the notion that some subjects are more important than others persists. Furthermore, the ‘core’ subjects of language, mathematics and science are seeing the biggest changes: English language and literature will be merged; Welsh language and literature will be merged; physics, chemistry and biology will be merged; and separate mathematics qualifications (mathematics and numeracy) will be combined. The tension between the demands of industry on the one hand and the needs of learners on the other often means that schools are caught in the middle, trying to do the best for their individual learners while being held accountable for attainment data decided by Government. Yet in a system created for externally decided grade boundaries and standardised scores in which a certain proportion of ‘failure’ is ‘baked in’ by the statistics, how can we ensure the flourishing of all our children, even those who fall below one standard deviation from the mean? How much of an influence can the idea be that the inherent benefit to an individual is sufficient justification for an education without the need to pander to the requirements of a capitalist influence on policymakers? Furthermore, can GCSE English (or Welsh) be used as a reliable proxy for literacy? This article imagines the outcomes for learners, schools and employment if the power of the notion of core subjects were drained from metrics such as Attainment 8/Capped 9 and any best grades were counted instead.

Reading proficiency is essential to positive school and transition to adult life outcomes, as reading skills contribute to high school graduation, gainful employment, and the ability to enact the full range of rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship. This article discusses concerning trends in school-based reading instruction and intervention for students with emotional and behavioural disabilities. Trends discussed include student reading outcomes and access to effective reading instruction. Contextual factors that contribute to the provision of low-quality reading instruction are also discussed and include insufficient teacher preparation and training, the challenges associated with special educator workload and burnout, insufficient access to essential curricular and collegial resources, and ableist mindsets (e.g., the concept of ‘readiness to learn’). Recommendations for improving service delivery to this student population are also discussed.

This study examines the impact of curriculum-based measurements (CBMs) on literacy assessment in Omani schools, with a focus on how these tools affect Emergent and Proficient Readers. Grounded in the concepts of graphocentrism and ableism, the research highlights the systemic biases embedded within standard literacy practices that favour written language and normative learning trajectories. Through the analysis of literacy outcomes among Grade 1 students aged between six and seven years, the study reveals significant performance disparities, indicating that current assessment practices disproportionately benefit Proficient Readers while marginalising those with diverse learning needs. The findings underscore the need for a decolonising approach to literacy that incorporates multi-literacies and culturally relevant pedagogies, advocating for educational reforms that recognise and value the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of students. By shifting toward more inclusive assessment methods, Oman can better address educational inequities and foster an environment where all students have the opportunity to succeed. This research contributes to the global discourse on educational equity, suggesting that literacy assessments be restructured to ensure inclusivity and fairness in the evaluation of student competencies.

This research was carried out to develop a reliable and valid instrument for assessing teachers' professional competence and skills from the perspective of students with special educational needs. Initially, a pool of 45 statements was generated to collect pupils' perceptions and use their ratings to measure teachers' pedagogical skills. These items were categorised into six dimensions or categories of perceived teacher competence, which were determined based on factors identified through exploratory factor analysis. These six dimensions are as follows: teaching strategies and skills, expository teaching, encouraging independent thinking, probing-inquiry style of teaching, communication skills and teacher openness. Standardisation of the scale was completed with 209 students with special educational needs, in the 12–15 age group, studying in grades 6 to 12 in various special and inclusive schools. The sample was taken using multistage random sampling. Four statements were rejected based on the Content Validity Index (CVI), and 41 statements were retained for further analysis. The calculated scale-level CVI (S-CVI)/Ave for 41 statements is 0.93. Item analysis was performed by calculating each statement's corrected item correlation value; two items were eliminated, and 39 items were retained. Finally, exploratory factor analysis was applied, and six factors were generated, explaining 53.88% of the total variance. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the final Perceived Teacher's Competency Scale, consisting of 29 items, was 0.83. The findings of the present study suggest that the Perceived Teacher's Competency Scale may be helpful in future research to measure a teacher's teaching skills using student ratings. Further, the results indicate that the Perceived Teacher's Competency Scale is reliable and valid. The Perceived Teacher's Competency Scale would benefit teachers and various stakeholders (such as school administration and government) by allowing them to assess students' perspectives on teachers' professional skills. Further, the ratings given by students can be used as feedback by teachers to improve their teaching skills and make teaching and learning experiences more compelling.

This study aimed to explore how children with specific learning disabilities perceive their school and teachers through an analysis of their drawings. The participants were four children aged seven to nine years (two girls and two boys) diagnosed with specific learning disabilities. The analysis revealed that the children primarily associated the classroom and formal lessons with their learning environment, often exhibiting an anxious and perfectionist attitude. Notably, their drawings placed less emphasis on elements such as learning through play, school gardens and peer relationships. These findings highlight that children with specific learning disabilities tend to view structured lessons as their primary learning context, underscoring the need for more holistic and supportive educational approaches tailored to their unique needs.

This article explores the impact of teacher attitudes on the provision of Special Educational Needs (SEN) and the increasing trend of segregated educational settings. It introduces the concept of Dysconscious ableism to analyse how implicit biases and perceptions shape educational processes for children with SEN. By reflecting upon teacher perspectives across different national contexts, this article aims to highlight the role of attitudes in reinforcing exclusionary practices or promoting inclusive education.

This article suggests that the rise in referrals for children seen as having specific educational needs in England is the inevitable outcome of a system with ever-rising expectations and accountability. It suggests two key reasons for this. The first is that the increased pressures upon teachers lead to them needing a ‘scapegoat’ to point the finger at when they fail to meet those unreasonable expectations. The child being ‘unable to perform’ is the last get-out clause available to them. The second is that the toxicity created by the mounting pressure on teachers significantly impacts teacher well-being. Tired, fraught and harried teachers are not in a position to offer a safe and secure learning environment for the children that they teach. The optimal conditions for the successful performance of both teacher and child—based upon potential, unconditional positive regard and care—have been eroded from the heart of education. Children are not failing; the system is failing them. In light of this, this article encourages all educators to rebelliously see the positive potential of all the children they work with and to be strengthened by those ‘moments of light’ that can be celebrated in even the smallest steps taken towards positive development.

Over the last four to five years, I've increasingly been reflecting on the role of what were formerly referred to as offsite or pupil referral units. These are now subsumed within a more generic grouping known as alternative provision. My interest has been triggered by the recent publication of ‘Alternative provision in local areas in England: a thematic review’, which, among other things, ‘sets out good practice and highlights particular areas requiring further attention’. This was sufficient stimulus for me to continue my conversations with a small group of school leaders, working in both specialist and mainstream settings, regarding their views on what might best represent effective provision for learners at risk of disengaging from formal education or who have already been excluded from the system.