An exploration of the links between special educational needs students' acceptance of support in 'inclusive' classrooms and their awareness of interventionist and pathognomonic practices on educational attainment

  • Clare Kilgallon

Student thesis: Doctoral ThesisDoctor of Philosophy

Abstract

More special educational needs pupils are in mainstream classroom evidenced by the rising percentages of statements from 3.9% in 2007/8 to 8.3% in 2021/22 in Northern Ireland. Schools, however, are not coping well because resources are scarce and are likely to be reduced further, and teacher professional development is inadequate. The 2017 NICCY Report states that parents, teachers and other stakeholders were unanimous in their concern about the quantity, quality and accessibility of supports for children at all stages of the SEN process.

This thesis reports on SEN pupils’ perspectives on so-called ‘pathognomonic’ and ‘interventionist’ beliefs. The Canadian Supporting Effective Teaching (SET) Project established the evidence based pathognomonic and interventionist belief framework, which found that interventionist beliefs correlated with better teacher-self efficacy, a greater willingness to keep SEN pupils in their classroom and a higher rate of teacher/student interaction than teachers with pathognomonic beliefs. Pathognomonic type teachers believe that disability is an internal, fixed, and pathological condition of the individual that is not amendable to instruction. Research on teachers’ pathognomonic and interventionist beliefs has focused exclusively on teachers and principals, while the perceptions of, and impact on, special educational needs (SEN) pupils of these beliefs remain largely unknown.

I sought, therefore, to explore whether SEN pupils were aware of these beliefs and how they impacted their education. I undertook qualitative research using Participatory Action Research framed within an interpretivist, constructivist paradigm. I recruited a Young Persons’ Advisory Group (YPAG) in Northern Ireland of five SEN students who contributed to the design of the research and advised on the theoretical-interpretive approach, namely Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach and Biggeri’s capability list which was developed with children. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted with SEN pupils in a mainstream selective secondary school, a mainstream non-selective secondary school, and in a summer scheme for autistic young people.

Thematic analysis revealed that while there was a collective affinity with the theoretical ideas of pathognomonic-interventionist (P-I) beliefs, the pupils were cautious about asserting with certainty that their teachers were on the P-I spectrum. SEN students expressed a desire to be consulted over their educational supports and revealed that they experienced isolation and low self-esteem when exposed to pathognomonic beliefs, which they believed negatively affected, not only their educational outcomes, but their future prospects.

To ensure the inclusion of the SEN in mainstream classrooms, I conclude that SEN teacher training should be reviewed and continually updated. SEN pupils should be consulted when resources are being developed, during the statementing process and on the kinds of support they need.
Date of AwardJul 2024
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Queen's University Belfast
SponsorsNorthern Ireland Department for the Economy
SupervisorJennifer Roberts (Supervisor) & Alison MacKenzie (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • teachers' beliefs
  • special education
  • interventionist
  • pathognomonic
  • inclusion

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