How do primary school teachers and LSA's understand the problematic and non-problematic behaviour of children who are 'looked after'?

• Main Author: Whitney, Sue
• Published: University of Essex 2013
• Subjects: 371.93
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.605581

Based within the professional practice of an Educational Psychology Service, this study considers the way that teachers and LSAs working in primary schools understand and make sense of the behaviour of children who are 'looked after' , Positioned within an ontol99icaJ framework of Critical Realism, this study uses a mixed methods design to consider both problematic and non-problematic behaviour. Firstly, a questionnaire was administered to identify teachers and LSAs who gave high and low scores relating to the behaviour of children who were 'looked after, These participants then took part in follow up interviews based within a Grounded Theory approach, which was also used to analyse the data, A Grounded Theory emerged from the data, which indicated that teachers and LSAs were understanding, making sense of, and responding to the childrens' emotional needs in a way that referenced the psychodynamic process of "Container and Contained", It is also argued that the teachers and LSAs were able to respond in this manner because the school also functioned as "Container and Contained" for them. A theoretical discussion of "Container and Contained" with in this context is further considered including discussion regarding the validity of the Grounded Theory. Finally, recommendations are made for teachers, support staff and Educational Psychologists with regard to developing the good practice which has been identified here, in order to support children who are 'looked after'