Education and lifelong learning research findings No.42/2008: Evaluation of the extended pre-school provision for vulnerable two year olds pilot programme

The University of Strathclyde was commissioned by the Scottish Government to evaluate a pilot programme of extended pre-school provision for vulnerable two year olds. The team gathered both quantitative and qualitative data across the three pilot areas of Glasgow, Dundee, and North Ayrshire. Data were collected from multiple stakeholders- children, parents, preschool centre staff, heads of centres and local authority childcare strategy managers. The overall aim was to build up a coherent picture of the programme's impact by triangulating findings from different methodologies and different informants

Evaluation of the extended pre-school provision for vulnerable two year olds pilot programme: final report

In August 2006 the Scottish Government invited Glasgow, Dundee and North Ayrshire local authorities to take part in a £2 million Extended Pre-School Provision for Vulnerable 2 Year Olds Pilot Programme. The pilot programme was to run for a two year period with the key aim of providing positive preschool experiences one year early for vulnerable children and supporting their parents. Local authorities were encouraged to develop their own models of delivery within the broad aims of the project. A research team from the Department of Psychology, University of Strathclyde, headed by Dr Lisa Woolfson was contracted to carry out an evaluation of the programme in the second year of the pilot. The research study ran from April 2007 to September 2008 and evaluated children who participated in the pilot programme between August 2007 and June 2008, the second year of the pilot programme. Aims We aimed to explore the impact of the extended pilot programme on cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural developmental child outcomes, as well as the impact on participating parents. In addition we aimed to identify recruitment criteria and admission procedures used by the participating local authorities as well as staffing, numbers of children, attendance rates and practical issues around programme set-up and delivery

Cognitive change and effective parenting of disabled children

Abstract of paper presented to the British Psychological society. Addresses the importance of cognitive change in parents of disabled children within a society that views disability negatively. It explores how attitudes to disability identified by a social model of disability might translate to parent views of their disabled child and how this might impact on parenting

Disabled children, parents and society - a need for cognitive reframing

Abstract of paper presented at the British Psychological Society. This paper focuses on the experience of disability at the level of the family by integrating perspectives from a social model of disability with psychological research on the role of cognitive change in coping and adjustment to the stress of disability and disease

Maladaptive cognitive appraisals in children with high-functioning autism : associations with fear, anxiety and theory of mind

Despite the well-documented success of cognitive restructuring techniques in the treatment of anxiety disorders, there is still little clarity on which cognitions underpin fear and anxiety in children with high-functioning spectrum disorders (HFASD). This study examined whether certain cognitive appraisals, known to be associated with fear and anxiety in non-HFASD groups, may help explain these emotions in children with HFASD. It also investigated relations between these cognitive appraisals and theory-of-mind (TOM). Using a vignette approach, appraisals, fear and anxiety were assessed in 22 children with HFASD and 22 typically developing (TD) children. The two groups differed significantly on all four appraisal types. Anxiety was negatively correlated with future expectancy and positively with problem-focused coping potential in the HFASD group, but was not correlated with appraisals in the TD group. Emotion-focused coping potential was the only appraisal correlated with fear in the HFASD group and only self-accountability in the TD group. Linear regression analysis found appraisals of emotion-focused coping potential, problem-focused coping potential and future expectancy to be significant predictors of TOM ability in the HFASD group. These findings indicate that specific, problematic patterns of appraisal may characterise children with HFASD

A comparison of parenting of developmentally disabled and typically developing children

The aim of this study was to compare parenting, stress and problematic child behaviour in developmentally disabled (DD) and typically developing (TD) children across two child age groups. 115 parents (55 parents of DD children, 60 parents of TD children) participated in the study. Fifty-seven children were three-to five-years-old and 58 were nine- to 11-years-old. Measures used were Rickel and Biasatti's (1982) modification of Block's (1981) Child Rearing Practices Report, and the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (Abidin, 1995). Results showed that parents of DD children experienced more stress and found their children's behaviour more problematic than did the parents of TD children, for both younger and older age groups. No differences in parenting practices were found for the two parent groups but use of authoritative parenting style with age of child was different across parent groups. Possible reasons for this are explored

A cross-sectional pilot study of the Scottish early development instrument : a tool for addressing inequality

Early childhood is recognised as a key developmental phase with implications for social, academic, health and wellbeing outcomes in later childhood and indeed throughout the adult lifespan. Community level data on inequalities in early child development are therefore required to establish the impact of government early years' policies and programmes on children's strengths and vulnerabilities at local and national level. This would allow local leaders to target tailored interventions according to community needs to improve children's readiness for the transition to school. The challenge is collecting valid data on sufficient samples of children entering school to derive robust inferences about each local birth cohort's developmental status. This information needs to be presented in a way that allows community stakeholders to understand the results, expediting the improvement of preschool programming to improve future cohorts' development in the early years. The aim of the study was to carry out a pilot to test the feasibility and ease of use in Scotland of the 104-item teacher-administered Early Development Instrument, an internationally validated measure of children's global development at school entry developed in Canada. Phase 1 was piloted in an education district with 14 Primary 1 teachers assessing a cohort of 154 children, following which the instrument was adapted for the Scottish context (Scottish Early Development Instrument: SEDI). Phase 2 was then carried out using the SEDI. Data were analysed from a larger sample of 1090 participants, comprising all Primary 1 children within this school district, evaluated by 68 teachers. The SEDI displayed adequate psychometric and discriminatory properties and is appropriate for use across Scotland without any further modifications. Children in the lowest socioeconomic status quintiles were 2-3 times more likely than children in the most affluent quintile to score low in at least one developmental domain. Even in the most affluent quintile though, 17% of children were 'developmentally vulnerable', suggesting that those in need cannot be identified by socioeconomic status alone. The SEDI offers a feasible means of providing communities with a holistic overview of school readiness for targeting early years' interventions

Are leaders leading the way with inclusion? Teachers' perceptions of systemic support and barriers towards inclusion

This study explored teachers' views of systemic support for inclusion and barriers to its success at school and classroom levels. The research employed a thematic analysis of the insights of 120 Canadian primary and secondary teachers. Findings show that many key issues surrounding the success of inclusion lie not only at the level of the classroom teacher in terms of their attitude and practical application of inclusive strategies in the classroom, but that they also lie in the school climate and culture, and through systemic support from leadership and the Board. Major concerns were around human resource, other teachers’ attitudes, competing demands, leadership and board support, and professional development. Results suggest the need for greater focus on high leverage, maximum impact systemic support at the leadership level if education systems are to truly make a paradigm shift towards inclusion

Engaging with the research-to-practice challenge

As practitioner-researchers working in real-world settings, we need to ensure that the studies we carry out in schools are sufficiently well-designed for there to be clear conclusions and implications for practice. As well as being a methodological issue, this is also an ethical one in that we should not be taking up participants’ time for studies that, because of their design, cannot make a difference. We know that teachers’ and parents’ time is valuable, and it is worth reminding ourselves that children’s time is valuable too

Beyond formal assessment : the complex relationship between teacher beliefs and teaching

For inclusive educational policies to be successful, teachers need to support their implementation in the classroom, in terms of their beliefs and instructional practices. But what do teacher believe about teaching and learning in children with special needs and disabilities in inclusive classrooms? This position paper considers this question. Possible ways forward will be suggested to encourage teacher beliefs that better support effective inclusive instructional practices