There is a new policy emphasis on inclusive education which means that more students with special... more There is a new policy emphasis on inclusive education which means that more students with special educational needs (SEN) are being placed in mainstream education instead of special schools. Despite these changes little is known about the nature and characteristics of this group of children and there is little understanding of how they fare in mainstream schools. Using data available from the large scale and nationally representative Growing Up in Ireland study of nine year olds we can now provide much-needed insights into the experiences of children with SEN in mainstream primary schools. This paper provides an overview of recent research on children with SEN in mainstream schools. Findings show that 1 in 4 children in Irish primary schools have some form of SEN with strong gender differences and a clear social gradient in special needs prevalence. The research explores issues in the over-identification of SEN among some groups of students particularly boys from low-income families...
Despite dramatic changes in Irish special education policy during the last decade, there is littl... more Despite dramatic changes in Irish special education policy during the last decade, there is little understanding of the factors influencing how special educational needs (SEN) are identified and whether identification varies across different school contexts. International research has tended to focus on how individual child characteristics influence SEN identification. Less attention has been given to other factors such as teacher characteristics or school social mix. Using data from the nine-year-old cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland study, this article examines which children are most likely to be identified with different SEN types taking into account student social background characteristics, teacher characteristics and school social mix. Findings show that children attending highly disadvantaged school contexts are far more likely to be identified with behavioural problems and less likely to be identified with learning disabilities than children with similar characteristics attending other schools. It seems that 'behavioural' issues take precedence over learning difficulties in these schools pointing to a culture of care/containment rather than academic progress.
Within categories of special educational needs, emotional and behavioural difficulties have recei... more Within categories of special educational needs, emotional and behavioural difficulties have received much attention in recent years, particularly in relation to their definition and identification by parents and teachers. This paper stems from previous research which highlights how children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those attending schools designated as socio-economically disadvantaged are significantly more likely than their peers to be identified
International studies have raised concerns about the academic and social implications of inclusiv... more International studies have raised concerns about the academic and social implications of inclusive policies on school engagement and successful learning and, in particular, on the ways in which friendships are formed between students with SEN and other students. This article stems from research findings which show that Irish children with special educational needs like school less than their peers without SEN in mainstream settings. Using data from a large scale longitudinal study of 8578 9-year-olds, this paper uses a child centred research approach to investigate why this is the case particularly when they are in receipt of supports. To do this, we focus on processes underlying their dislike of school such as their academic engagement and social/peer relations. We measure academic engagement by looking at their interest in the subjects mathematics and reading and the extent to which they complete their homework. We examine the social/peer relations of students with special educational needs by assessing the extent to which they report liking their teacher. Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Scale and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale we also examine the nature of peer relations among children with special educational needs in mainstream settings. Both academic engagement and social engagement play a central role in understanding the broader school engagement of children with special educational needs. By simultaneously examining the role of academic and social relations in shaping the engagement of children with SEN, the analysis provides a unique opportunity to fundamentally assess the barriers to true inclusion for children with special needs.
There is a new policy emphasis on inclusive education which means that more students with special... more There is a new policy emphasis on inclusive education which means that more students with special educational needs (SEN) are being placed in mainstream education instead of special schools. Despite these changes little is known about the nature and characteristics of this group of children and there is little understanding of how they fare in mainstream schools. Using data available from the large scale and nationally representative Growing Up in Ireland study of nine year olds we can now provide much-needed insights into the experiences of children with SEN in mainstream primary schools. This paper provides an overview of recent research on children with SEN in mainstream schools. Findings show that 1 in 4 children in Irish primary schools have some form of SEN with strong gender differences and a clear social gradient in special needs prevalence. The research explores issues in the over-identification of SEN among some groups of students particularly boys from low-income families...
Despite dramatic changes in Irish special education policy during the last decade, there is littl... more Despite dramatic changes in Irish special education policy during the last decade, there is little understanding of the factors influencing how special educational needs (SEN) are identified and whether identification varies across different school contexts. International research has tended to focus on how individual child characteristics influence SEN identification. Less attention has been given to other factors such as teacher characteristics or school social mix. Using data from the nine-year-old cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland study, this article examines which children are most likely to be identified with different SEN types taking into account student social background characteristics, teacher characteristics and school social mix. Findings show that children attending highly disadvantaged school contexts are far more likely to be identified with behavioural problems and less likely to be identified with learning disabilities than children with similar characteristics attending other schools. It seems that 'behavioural' issues take precedence over learning difficulties in these schools pointing to a culture of care/containment rather than academic progress.
Within categories of special educational needs, emotional and behavioural difficulties have recei... more Within categories of special educational needs, emotional and behavioural difficulties have received much attention in recent years, particularly in relation to their definition and identification by parents and teachers. This paper stems from previous research which highlights how children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those attending schools designated as socio-economically disadvantaged are significantly more likely than their peers to be identified
International studies have raised concerns about the academic and social implications of inclusiv... more International studies have raised concerns about the academic and social implications of inclusive policies on school engagement and successful learning and, in particular, on the ways in which friendships are formed between students with SEN and other students. This article stems from research findings which show that Irish children with special educational needs like school less than their peers without SEN in mainstream settings. Using data from a large scale longitudinal study of 8578 9-year-olds, this paper uses a child centred research approach to investigate why this is the case particularly when they are in receipt of supports. To do this, we focus on processes underlying their dislike of school such as their academic engagement and social/peer relations. We measure academic engagement by looking at their interest in the subjects mathematics and reading and the extent to which they complete their homework. We examine the social/peer relations of students with special educational needs by assessing the extent to which they report liking their teacher. Using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Scale and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale we also examine the nature of peer relations among children with special educational needs in mainstream settings. Both academic engagement and social engagement play a central role in understanding the broader school engagement of children with special educational needs. By simultaneously examining the role of academic and social relations in shaping the engagement of children with SEN, the analysis provides a unique opportunity to fundamentally assess the barriers to true inclusion for children with special needs.
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Papers by Joanne Banks