| 1. |
- Göransson, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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Ideas about occupational roles and inclusive practices among special needs educators and support teachers in Sweden
- 2017
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Ingår i: Educational review (Birmingham). - : Informa UK Limited. - 0013-1911 .- 1465-3397. ; 69:4, s. 490-505
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Special needs educators and their counterparts are expected to play a significant role in schools' work towards inclusive practices. Studies do, however, indicate a rather diversified picture regarding the occupational groups assigned to work with special support and their workroles, within and between different countries. In Sweden, one can differentiate between two such occupational groups, special needs educators (SNEs) with qualifications in special educational needs at advanced level and support teachers (SuTs) with varying teacher education and education in special educational needs. The aims of this paper are to investigate the occurrence of SNEs and SuTs within the compulsory school system in ten municipalities in Sweden and the occupational roles of those SNEs and SuTs in relation to the inclusion agenda. A questionnaire was sent out in 2012 to all SNEs and SuTs in ten municipalities (n=511, response rate 61.6%). Main results indicate that: a) there is wide variation between municipalities regarding the extent to which SNEs or SuTs are assigned to work with special support; b) the characteristics of the occupational role of SNEs are more in line with inclusive practices than those of the role of SuTs; c) there is consensus between the two occupational groups regarding what they think should characterize the occupational role of SNEs; and d) SNEs consider, more than do the SuTs themselves, that the role of SuTs should be more in line with that of a ‘traditional special-education teacher’. Results are discussed in relation to Skrtic’s (1991, 1995) theoretical accounts of inclusive education and Abbott’s (1988) notion of jurisdictional control.
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| 2. |
- Göransson, Kerstin, 1955-, et al.
(författare)
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Professionalism, governance and inclusive education – A total population study of Swedish special needs educators
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Inclusive Education. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1360-3116 .- 1464-5173. ; 23:9, s. 559-574
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Prior research shows that special needs educators (SNEs) have had problems defining their occupational roles and jurisdiction, particularly regarding inclusive education. There are two occupational groups of SNEs in Sweden, namely special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and special education teachers. In this paper, we use the collective name SNEs to refer to both groups. Here, results from a total population study of Swedish SNEs are presented (N = 3367, response rate 75%). The aim is to explore differences in SNEs’ interpretation of school difficulties and if these differences are influenced by SNEs’ employment in different parts of the school organisation. Statistical cluster-analysis was used to categorise SNEs into five distinct groups based on how they view the problems of pupils in school difficulties. Key concepts employed in the analysis are, primarily organisational vs occupational governance in relation to professional jurisdiction. Findings suggest that SNEs are less unanimous in their views of school problems, than prior research indicates. The variance is partly due to where they work in the school organisation, but we also find indications that different groups of SNEs experience different forms of governance with regard to their professionalism. The results are important due to the scope of the data and method of analysis as well as the illustrated variance of professional values and situations of SNEs and the potential consequences for the development of inclusive education.
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| 3. |
- Kullberg, Kerstin, et al.
(författare)
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'I start my day by thinking about what we're going to have for dinner' : A qualitative study on approaches to food-related activities among elderly men with somatic diseases
- 2011
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 25:2, s. 227-234
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the present study was to address the question of how older men with somatic diseases living in ordinary housing approach the question of food-related activities. Further, any food-related activity adaptations consequent to effects of diseases and of alterred life circumstances were explored. Interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 18 co-living and singel-living men, 64-84 years old. They were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, rhematoid arthritis, or stroke. In the analysis a thematic framework was used. The findings revealed three food-related approaches, namely 'Cooking as a pleasure', describing joy in cooking; 'Cooking as a need', indicating no habit or skills in cooking; and ' Food is served', that is being served meals by a partner. It was found that gender-related roles in particular, but also changed life circumstances, activity limitations, personal interests, and a wish to maintain continuity and independence, affected the men's approaches to these activities. This knowledge may be useful in attempts to facilitate and support food-related activities among elderly men with diseases. Health-care efforts in promoting food-related activities should preferably be individualised in respect to older men's approach to these activities.
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| 4. |
- Lindqvist, Gunilla, et al.
(författare)
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Different agendas? The views of different occupational groups on special needs education
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Special Needs Education. - London : Informa UK Limited. - 0885-6257 .- 1469-591X. ; 26:2, s. 143-157
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of the present paper is to investigate how different occupational groups explain why children have problems in school, how they believe schools should help these children and the role they believe that special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) should have in such work. A questionnaire was distributed to all teaching and support staff in a Swedish municipality (N=1297). As a result, 938 persons (72.5%) answered the questionnaire. The answers given by (a) preschool teachers (b) teacher assistants (c) SENCOs (d) special teachers (e) class teachers and (f) subject teachers were compared. Several interesting patterns emerged from the data indicating that the occupational groups to a large extent have different ideas concerning how the school should work with children in need of special support. The SENCOs were, for example, the only group that believed that they should be involved in school development. The outcome of the study is discussed in relation to the notion of inclusive education.
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| 5. |
- Lindqvist, Gunilla, et al.
(författare)
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Making schools inclusive? Educational leaders' views on how to work with children in need of special support
- 2013
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Ingår i: International Journal of Inclusive Education. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1360-3116 .- 1464-5173. ; 17:1, s. 95-110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Educational leaders have a comprehensive responsibility for how preschools and schools work with children in need of special educational support. The aim of this research is to study how educational leaders (a) explain why children have problems in schools, (b) consider how preschools/schools should help children in need of special support and (c) the role they believe that Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) should have in such work. Educational leaders (N = 45) working in preschools and regular compulsory schools in a Swedish municipality responded (100%) to a questionnaire. According to the results of this study, this group seems to view difficulties in schools as being caused primarily by individual shortcomings. Educational leaders often advocate solutions that are closely linked to the work of special educators. The educational leaders believe SENCOs should work with supervising staff and focus on documentation and evaluations. Preschool leaders attribute children's need of special support to teachers more often than their colleagues in compulsory schools.
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| 6. |
- Lindqvist, Gunilla, et al.
(författare)
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Promoting inclusion? : "Inclusive" and effective head teachers´descriptions of their work
- 2014
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Ingår i: European Journal of Special Needs Education. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0885-6257 .- 1469-591X. ; 29:1, s. 74-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of the reported interview study from Sweden is to contribute to our understanding of how head teachers can promote inclusive practices. Five head teachers were selected from a larger sample of head teachers working in compulsory schools (6–16) according to specific criteria in order to obtain head teachers who work effectively and express inclusive values relative to a relational perspective. The interviews were semi-structured, and a thematic analysis was performed. Head teachers’ strategies were in focus. The theoretical point of departure is critical pragmatism. Overall the five head teachers reported similar strategies. The head teachers describe the importance of educational leadership through observation and participation in activities in the classrooms. They advocate flexibility in the solutions provided for students in need of special support preferring solutions carried out in the regular classroom by the class/subject teacher. Head teachers see special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) as important partners in their work towards more inclusive practices. Head teachers express the importance of consensus among their staff. They seem to welcome government’s increasing demands and steering concerning how head teachers should manage their schools. Finally, it is discussed whether the head teachers can be said to work ‘inclusively’ and, more generally, the methodological challenges researchers must confront in studies concerning ‘inclusive’ education.
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| 7. |
- Lindqvist, Gunilla
(författare)
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SENCOs: Vanguards or in vain?
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1471-3802. ; 13:3, s. 198-207
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In Sweden today, special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) are educated at universities to help resolve educational problems related to children in need of special support at three levels, i.e. the organizational level, the classroom level and the individual level. Before the education of SENCOs was created, in the early 1990´s, special teachers were the occupational group that worked primarily on an individual level. Children’s school problems were then seen as individual deficits. SENCOs can be seen as vanguards in changing an educational system from primarily focusing on an individual perspective to a broader focus on the entire learning environment. How has the occupational role of SENCOs affected schools? The overall aim of this study is to investigate possible changes within a school system when the introduction of a new occupational group, SENCOs, challenges established structures. More specifically, this paper studies how different occupational groups view where, and in what ways, SENCOs work and should work. Three different questionnaires are the basis of this analysis of SENCOs´ present situation within the Swedish educational system. A number of interesting findings were detected in this study. For example, several occupational groups respond that SENCOs should work with individually taught special education. Meanwhile, a pattern emerges in which SENCOs seem to have partly established a new work role. However, little is known about how these changes affect children in need of special support.
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| 8. |
- Lindqvist, Gunilla
(författare)
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Who Should do What to Whom? : Occupational Groups´Views on Special Needs
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of different occupational groups´ views on work with children in need of special support. This is explored in four separate studies.The first study investigates the views of occupational groups in preschools and schools in one municipality. A questionnaire was handed out to all personnel (N=1297) in the municipality in 2008 (72.5 % response rate). The second study explores the views of educational leaders (N=45) in the same municipality. Questionnaire # 2 was distributed in 2009. All the educational leaders responded to the questionnaire. The third study describes the views of different occupational groups concerning special educational needs coordinators´ (SENCOs) role and work. This was highlighted by comparing responses from questionnaire #1 and # 2. Responses concerning SENCOs´ work were also added using a third questionnaire. This questionnaire was handed out in 2006 to chief education officers (N=290) in all municipalities in Sweden. The response rate was 90.3%. Finally, the fourth study presents five head teachers´ descriptions of their work with special needs issues. Study four was a follow-up study of questionnaire # 2. These head teachers were selected because of their inclusive values and because they seemed to be effective according to certain criteria. They were interviewed in January 2012.The results reveal a number of interesting findings. For example, there are both similar and different views among the occupational groups concerning work with children in need of special support. A majority of the respondents in all groups state that children´s individual deficiencies is one common reason why children need special support in preschools/schools. Differences between the occupational groups become especially visible regarding their views of SENCOs‟ work.Critical pragmatism (Cherryholmes, 1988) is applied as a theoretical point of departure. Skrtic´s (1991) critical reading and analysis of special education relative to general education is specifically used to interpret and discuss the outcome of the studies. Additionally, Abbott´s (1988) reasoning concerning the “division of expert labor” is used to discuss the occupational groups´ replies concerning “who should do what to whom”.The findings in the studies are contextualized and theoretically interpreted in the separate articles. However in the first part of this thesis (in Swedish: Kappa), the theoretical interpretations of the empirical outcome are discussed in more detail and the results are further contextualized and synthesised. Inclusion and premises for inclusive education are also discussed in more depth in the first part of the present thesis.
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| 9. |
- Taljedal, Torun, et al.
(författare)
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Patterns of mental health problems and well-being in children with disabilities in Sweden : A cross-sectional survey and cluster analysis
- 2023
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : NLM (Medline). - 1932-6203. ; 18:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Children with disabilities have an increased risk of mental health problems. Patterns of mental health problems and well-being may vary. AIMS: To identify patterns of mental health problems and well-being in children with disabilities in Sweden, and investigate the influence of parental background (migration, education), and child cognitive level. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, cluster analysis was used to analyse parents' ratings of conduct problems, emotional symptoms, and prosocial behaviour on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in children with disabilities (n = 136). The influence of parental background (migration, education) and child cognitive level on cluster membership was explored through multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: Five clusters of mental health patterns emerged. Three clusters had mean ratings near or past clinical cut-off for one each of the SDQ-subscales. One cluster had difficulties on all three subscales. Greater child cognitive difficulties increased the likelihood of low prosocial behaviour (OR 2.501, p < .001) and of difficulties on all three subscales (OR 2.155, p = .006). Parental background did not influence cluster membership. CONCLUSION: Children with disabilities display varying mental health patterns. Awareness of the complexity of mental health patterns among children with disabilities is important. Screening and support for emotional symptoms and prosocial behaviour deficits should be considered for children with conduct problems.
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| 10. |
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