institutional habitus and educational outcomes of looked after children: complexities and paradoxes...
TRANSCRIPT
Institutional Habitus and Educational Outcomes of Looked After Children: Complexities and Paradoxes
Gary Walker
Principal Lecturer, Childhood & Early Years
This work is supported from the Carnegie Staff Development Fund
Aims of the research
• To reach a more sophisticated understanding of the reasons for the lower educational outcomes of Looked After Children
• To reflect on the concept of a uniform ‘institutional habitus’
Context for the research
• Looked After Children (LAC) achieve lower outcomes compared to non-LAC e.g. 5 GCSEs A*-C = 31% LAC 75% Peers
• Dominant policy discourse: ‘care system’ failing to support Looked After Children e.g. Lack of space or resources for homework Poor communication between services Low expectations Low priority given to education
Research approach
• Use of Bourdieu’s theory of ‘habitus’ / institutional habitus as lens to explore role of adults supporting LAC
• Habitus: internalised, acquired schemes of thought, perception and action → disposition towards the world
• Institutions acquire elements of the social world as individuals do
Research Approach
• Two local authorities (Municipal and Provincial)• Group interviews with:
– Social Workers – Care Leavers – Carers
• Individual interviews with– Teachers – Central Education workers– Virtual School Headteachers– Deputy Director Children’s Services
• Total: 30 participants
Research findings
• Staff develop deep relationships with LAC• Address ‘whole’ child• Socio-emotional needs as important as educational
She's in Year Six at the moment, and I just thought 'Oh, she's so lovely'...and she was in the library just laying on a cushion reading with her glasses on, and I thought 'Yeah, we had to take you out of your home and we were the ones that saw the bruising', and so we went through the whole thing...and I knew her mum, you know, who'd...it was her boyfriend who'd caused the marks, but when you're involved in the whole process like that and then you see that at the end in Year Six...and all you would ever want is that that carries on. (Dawn, Designated Teacher, Primary School)
Research findings
• Staff made judgements about which needs to prioritise …if there’s that emotional baggage and that trauma then that has to be dealt with (Chris, Virtual School Headteacher)
… the driver is about just ensuring that we do the best for
each child (Dawn, Designated Teacher, Primary School)
• Geography of local authority significant…the kids are tired after an hour and half taxi journey (Bob, Designated Teacher, High School)
• ‘Minor’ achievements celebrated
• Teachers focused on ‘progress made’ by LAC …the distance travelled for the individual (Pauline, Education Worker)
Conclusions
More subtle understanding of educational outcomes of LAC
Staff highly committed and child-centred Paradoxes: doing ‘right’ thing and ‘wrong’ thing
Socio-emotional support ≠ educational support? Celebrating minor achievements = low
expectations?
Multi-agency tensions Different priorities Different views on Pupil Premium Status
Conclusions
Institutional habitus not uniform Mix of consensus
‘Whole child’ approach Focus on emotional stability
and contrast Individual interpretations of ‘success’ Use and enactment of policies / guidelines Professional identities
Better to think of institutional ‘nexus’?
Conclusions
Teachers can promote good practice Awareness of wider impact of
Focus on socio-emotional support Long journeys to / from school Celebrating ‘minor’ achievements Focus on progress
Can lead to...individualised support for LAC
Support ‘whole’ child but keep eye on educational targets too
Thank you for listening
Gary Walker
Principal Lecturer, Childhood & Early Years
School of Education and Childhood
Carnegie Faculty
Leeds Beckett University, Room 212, Carnegie Hall,
Headingley Campus, Leeds, LS6 3QS
Tel: +44 (0)113 812 6511
Email: [email protected]