dr . Renata Geležinienė Faculty of Social Welfare and Disability studies

ATEE – 2010 Responsibility, Challenge and Support in Teachers' Life-long Professional Development, Budapest, 26th - 30th August, 2010

Evidence-based teacher activity - teaching students

with emotional and behavioural disorders: a

practical approach

dr. Renata Geležinienė

Faculty of Social Welfare and Disability studies Šiauliai University, Lithuania


What is EVIDENCE in the context of the reality of modern education?

On the one hand:• scientifically based standards and rules;• finding the ‘golden standard’ determining

the efficiency of education.

The idea of evidence based teaching has originated in the sphere of medicine.


From SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST point-of view (Coe, 1999; Biesta, 2007; Petty, 2008):

• close link between evidence, value and moral education;

• decisions are made not about what is possible (a factual decision), but about what is pedagogically desirable (a value based decision);

• the complexity and situativity of the educational process - there are no universal methods and strategies, suitable to all educational situations.


Teacher in the everyday process of education has to use not only somebody else’s experiences and apply innovative teaching methods and strategies but also collect evidence about their efficiency in a particular educational situation and with particular participants of educational process.


Evidence based teaching in solving emotional and behaviour

problems of students in mainstream schools:

• importance of research into teachers’ activities in teaching and learning behaviour management strategies (Burnard, 1998);

• observing not only problem behaviour students but also assessing one’s own (teacher’s) behaviour, activities and their consequences (Corrie, 2002; Roffey, 2005).


Evidence based teaching:

•emphasis on the outcomes of the research performed by scientists and practitioners while analysing the intolerable behaviour and in foreseeing intervention strategies (Moran, Malott, 2004);

•using positive strategies based on the practical research performed by scientists and teachers (including behaviour, practitioners’ intervention, social values and systemic perspective) (Scheuermann, Hall, 2008; Swainston, 2007).


Key question of the research

How does construing evidence based teaching change the process of education of the student with emotional and behaviour difficulties?


The subject of research – the efficiency of evidence-based teacher’s activity.


THE AIM OF THE RESEARCH

Substantiate the efficiency of evidence-based teacher’s activity, teaching students with emotional and behavioural difficulties,in general education school.


Criteria of evidence-based teacher’s activity

efficiency

1. The criterion of teacher’s learning-in-action;

2. Positive behaviour supports of students with emotional and behavioural difficulties


Teacher’s learning-in-action (1)

– Versatile analysis of the situation of the student with emotional and behavioural difficulties, identifying the conceptions and expectations of the participants of the educational process;

– Goal-directed activity planning, while consulting with the participants of the situation;

– Initiation of changes in one’s activity and investigation of altered activities;


Teacher’s learning-in-action (2)

– Observation and evaluation, while analysing the contribution of every participant of the educational process;

– Initiation and implementation of reflective activities, seeking reflexive practice;

– Creation of the environments favourable for discussions in the educational institution, emphasizing equal participation of the participants of the educational process;

– Encouragement of the formation of evidence-based culture in the educational institution.


Positive behaviour supports of students with EBD (1)

• Encouragement and reinforcement of positive behaviour;

• Creation of success-orientated educational situation;

• Creation of requirements and rules orientated to positive changes; (self) disclosure of the student’s individuality, uniqueness and individual potential;


Positive behaviour supports of students with EBD (2)

• Activation of the student and his/her family in the educational process and creation of cooperation relations;

• (Self-)development of student’s self-observation, self-management and self-assessment activities;

• Development of the system of positive behaviour supports within the institution.


RESEARCH RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ANDMETHODOLOGY AND

PROCEDURES PROCEDURES

STAGES OF THE STUDY1st STAGE

2005-2007 2nd STAGE2006-2007

3rd STAGE2007-2008

4th STAGE2008

ResearchactivitiesMethodologi-cal structure

1. The review of the methods of the teachers’ practical activity, teachers N = 15.

2. Reflective practice of teachers and the students of the heterogenic class, teacher N = 1; researcher mediator N = 1; pupils N = 19.

Analysis of the teachers’ activities and experiences teachers N = 76; pupils’ cases N = 36.

Participatory action research in the educatio -nal institutions students’ cases N = 5; parents N = 7; teachers N = 13; spe cialists N = 8; administration N = 11.

The analysis of the researcher’s evidence based practice

The methodology is grounded on inductive logic: relating problem questions, and generalising and

triangulating data.

1.Exploratory qualitative study, semi-structured interview; the analysis of the documents (legal and school documents), qualitative content analysis.

2. One case study, investigation of the teacher’s activity, the analysis of the teacher’s activity diary, pupils’ diaries, and essays.

3. Empirical stu-dy, qualitative and quantitative approach, semi-structured interview, applying the elements of the in-depth interview, classical analysis of the content, cluster analysis.

4. Participatory action research, the analysis of planning, activities, evaluations and reflections, the analysis of indivi dual speeches, observations, activity evaluations, teachers’ and pupils’ diaries, and letters.

5. Reflexive practice, relating of theoretical concepts, practical activity and reflections: notes, comments, consultations, and designing of educational strategies.

TheoriesThe concept of evidence based teacher’s activity; the model of positive behaviour supports

Epistemology

Various forms of constructing cognition and knowledge: from knowing what to knowing how and learning in

action individually and in the community, reflective cognition. The principles of social constructivism, discursive cognition, critical theory, empowerment, representation and participation.

Ontology

Reality – subjective and multiple, the participants of the study construct symbolic meanings, interpretations and conceptions of everyday situations. The data are collected, analysed and

presented from different perspectives, emphasizing the democratic approach: equal participation, importance and division of created meanings. The researcher as a mediator, a participant, and not as an expert.


Research design (1)

• Diagnostic qualitative researchAnalyze of teachers (N=76) experience and activity with EBD students (cases N=36), their families, colleagues in mainstream school.

(Semi-structured interview with deep interview elements, 2006-2007).

Instrument of interview was made, consisting of 4 complex questions, which include planning, action, observation and reflection. Open questions were prepared, which helped to researcher to come back to the topical questions if there arose some unexpected subjects and discourses during the interview



Research design (2)

• Participatory action research

(5 students with EBD cases in 3 mainstream schools, 2007-2008)


1st stage – The analysis of the situation from the standpoints of all participants of the educational process. 2nd stage – Planning of the activity through the disclosure of the opportunities and perspectives, envisaging of problems and tasks, search for resources, and while consulting with the participants of the situation, possible changes are identified.3rd stage – Initiation of one’s activity changes of every participant of the educational process, invoking of internal and external resources.4th stage – Self-educational activities, constructing positive behaviour: planning, observation of the changes of the educational process, reflection and evaluation, raising of the new aims, and envisaging of the activities...5th stage – Presentation of the results of the participatory action research to the participants, harmonisation of interpretations and insights, critical reflection.Reflection

Reflection

1st case

Students N = 1 Mother N = 1 Teachers N = 5 Specialists N = 2 Administration N = 3

2nd case

Student N = 1 Grandmother

N = 1 Teachers N = 5 Specialist N = 1 Administration N = 2

3rd case

Student N = 1 Parents N = 2 Teacher N = 1 Specialist N = 1 Administration N = 2

4th case

Student N = 1

Parents N = 2 Teacher N = 1 Specialists N = 2

Administration N = 2

5th case

Student N = 1 Mother N = 1 Teacher N = 1 Specialists N = 2 Administration N = 2

Reflection

Reflection


Participatory action research

Planning, take action, evaluating and reflecting collaboratively (thinking about the importance of difference, thinking creatively, thinking about power and relations, thinking about context's, thinking about barriers to inclusion):

• identifying different standpoints• raising questions• developing ideas• identifying particular focus of change

through interaction with those involved in situation.


The data in the case study under discussion are triangulated through the data collection methods (an interview, reflections of all participants, student’s and teachers’ observation protocols, activity evaluation and self-evaluation protocols), researcher’s external reflections (recorded on the dictaphone and documenting her remarks in a notebook), data collection from different participants of the educational

process.


Case analysis is based on the holistic philosophy, when the context of the research is comprehensively revealed by describing environments, participants and their actions.


Kęstas Kęstas casecase

"Tinker student" - "Tinker student" - encouragement of positive encouragement of positive

behavior behavior versus versus controlcontrol


• One of the non-state mainstream educational institutions, belonging to a religious community in town XX.

• The aim is to educate a person having an understanding about the meaning of life, having his/her place in a community, a person with strong convictions.

• The school has a few students with special needs and a Special Education Committee (SEC).

Describing of the school which the student with EBD attends 1



• Behaviour Assessment Commission (BAC), made up of school professionals, representatives of the school parliament and parents, seeks to help those who find it difficult to learn and those with behaviour problems to overcome difficulties. BAC meets ‘when the question of expelling a student from school is discussed” (From the Student’s Diary).

• Behaviour problems are dealt with by using the system of incentives and penalties – actions and criteria on the basis of which the students are either given some incentives or penalties.


• Incentives (citations, small presents, reduction of tuition fees, excursions in Lithuania and abroad for the best achievers and classes) are given for the active participation in school events, academic achievements and an orderly Student’s Diary.

• Penalties are set for misbehaving in class, corridor, refectory, etc. by the teacher who noticed the fact recording the penalty points on the student’s card (possessed by every student and containing all incentives and penalties).



The comprehensive analysis of the school

context reveals an ambiguous situation:

• School documents represent a modern educational paradigm.

• School life close to the classical impact paradigm, based on the teacher-oriented behaviouristic control methods (Jucevičienė et al., 2005; Queen, Blackwelder, Mallen (2003).


StageStage 1:1: the cycle of the analysis of the situation from the point-of-view of all participants of the educational process.

We wanted to find out the understanding of the problem by all involved, the meanings, school context and interactions construed by different teachers with Kęstas.


Kęstas

Was in Year 6; he started attending this school a year before. Already in Year 5 the student had learning (additional work was allocated for the student in Lithuanian and English for the summer holidays) and behaviour difficulties (constant conflicts with classmates,

breaking school rules, etc.). The boy was noticed as having EBD, however, his special educational needs have not been assessed by the Pedagogical Psychological Service (PPS) at the time of the research.


The meanings and senses of the participants

• The student and his family describe personal, communication and learning abilities of the boy by emphasising his leadership qualities, his friendliness, communicability and good learning results in primary school.

• The teachers stresses his sensitivity, creativeness and general abilities: a good memory, an ability to make use of support; however, describe the problem situation from the position of his shortcomings and disorders.


The situation of a student as a person who is well-

known at school

• Teachers equate the fact that he is well-known with negative behaviour.

• The family accentuates his positive features.


Stage 2 – planning activities by revealing opportunities and prospects, by foreseeing problems/tasks and looking for resources, by consulting with the participants of the situation and by identifying attention to changes.


A few spheres of activity were established:

• To encourage all participants in order to answer the question: “What can I improve in my activities?”

• To initiate reflective activities. • To initiate the creation of collaborative

learning environments. • To initiate, model and apply in practice

positive behaviour support activities • To raise problem questions: in what

way is this problem important to me? What changes can I initiate?


Stage 3 – the cycle of initiating changes in personal

activities • To suspend their present ordinary activities

• To raise new questions and plan new activities in order to answer them

• To analyse the present and past activities and to project new ones

• To look for ideas by foreseeing what has to be done in order to change and improve one’s own activities and interactions

• To engage in new activities, to assess them, to reflect upon expected and unexpected changes and to raise new questions.


On this stage a certain level of the efficiency of activities has been

reached: • From the analysis of the activities and

achievements of other participants – towards planning one’s own activities.

• From the concept “a student as a problem” towards description of problem situations and identification of problems encountered by the student.

• From activities geared towards changing the student to initiating changes in personal activities.

• From disciplinary measures towards maintaining elements of positive behaviour.


Stage 4 – educational activities while construing

the support of positive behaviour

The activities of the participants of the educational process were based on the three criteria: changes inchanges in the understandings of the situation of a student with EBD and interactions with various educational environments, construing activities to support positive behaviour on the individual and institutional levels and the efficiency of evidence based teaching in the process of learning in action.


Conclusions and discussion


The concept of the situation of a student

with EBD • On Stages 1 and 2, while analyzing

Kęstas’ situation, teachers mostly emphasised personal problems of the student.

• On Stage 3, a slow transition towards description of problem situations is noticed by analyzing difficulties in connection with the situation.

• On Stage 4, a major emphasis is put on revealing the student’s abilities.


During the cyclic process of positive behaviour support activities there was a constant balancing between the system of incentives and penalties on the one hand and manifestations of positive behaviour support in the individual activities of teachers.


Efficacy of evidence-based teacher’s activity, actualizing

the teacher’s learning-in-action• Versatile analysis of the situation of the student

with emotional and behavioural difficulties expanded the conceptions of “evidence” and “awareness”.

• Activity planning, activities, their evaluation and

reflections encompassed not only personal changes but also the conceptions of the whole context.

• The teacher’s reflective practice turned into a continuous and qualitatively changing process.

• Development of debatable environments, the

manifestation of formation of evidence-based culture and policy and development of the system of positive behaviour supports.


Teachers’ activity, orientated to positive behaviour supports

• Teachers gradually transferred from the emphasis on disciplining, controlling or particular supervision to positive behavior supports, encouragement and enforcement.

• Orientation of the teachers’ activity to the students’ needs, while developing success situations during the educational process.

• Emphasizing personal uniqueness encouraged the disclosure of the student’s individual potential and activated the student’s participation.

• Empowerment processes are being developed, activating equal participation, enhancing individual potential, improving interpersonal communication and learning-in-action abilities.

• Developed preconditions for the development of the student’s self-control and self-management abilities.


The implementation of the evidence based teaching on the individual, class and school level created a learning support system, ensuring the prevention of social seclusion, stimulating positive behaviour support and recognizing the individuality of a student with EBD as a value guaranteeing learning progress.


A few problem questions arise:

• How should teachers be encouraged to initiate personal and students’ learning in action in everyday educational process?

• How should the ideas of evidence based teaching and positive behaviour support be disseminated and implemented not only in the context of students with EBD but in the contexts of special education, mainstream education and even large?


Evidence-based teacher activity - teaching students

with emotional and behavioural disorders: a

practical approach

dr. Renata Geležinienė

Faculty of Social Welfare and Disability studies Šiauliai University, Lithuania

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dr . Renata Geležinienė Faculty of Social Welfare and Disability studies

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