Gendering the discourse of inclusion: the performance of a SENCO identity?

Gendering the discourse of inclusion: the performance of a SENCO identity?

Dr Clare WoolhouseEdge Hill University

[email protected]

DPR Conference, 11.04.13

Researching teacher identity

• Gendering of various educational roles i.e. Dunne et al, 2008; Ponte, 2012; Riddell and Tett, 2010; Wolfram 2009.

• Understanding SENCO roles i.e. Burton and Goodman, 2011; Hallett and Hallett, 2010; Kearns, 2005.

• Professional identity is constructed individually and locally via engagement with particular forms of language and practice, termed ‘identity work’.

i.e. Griffiths, 2011; Graham & Phelps, 2002; Jones, 2004; Søreide, 2006, Woods & Jeffrey, 2002.

Butler and performativity

Performativity is not a singular act, for it is always a reiteration of a norm or set of norms … it is a discursive practice that enacts or produces that which it names (1993:12-13).

Individuals ‘cannot be without doing, the conditions of doing are, in part, the conditions of existence’ and the terms of this being and doing are ‘constituted by the social world’ through individuals’ practice (2004:3).

Methodology

• Feminist & interpretivist • Mixed methods

Survey response (27.7%): 267/962 (248 women and 19 men)

6 Focus Groups: 39 teachers (7 men)

Narrative Life Histories Interviews: 12 teachers (1 man)i.e. Clandinin and Connelly, 2000; Webster and Mertova, 2007.

All undertaking MA level SEN focused professional development.

Thematic qualitative coding

• Teacher’s Identity – views on teaching role, professional identity, teachers as learners, confidence.

• Pressures and Issues – demands on teachers, professionalism, school hierarchy, education policy.

• Teaching and Learning Strategies – knowledge and skills, links to curriculum, pupil engagement, and child centred paradigm.

• Professional development – work-based mentoring, virtual learning environments (VLE) versus face to face contact, the higher education environment.

What attributes do you need to bring to the SEN role to be effective?

People skills, caring about all children, calm, have energy, creative, can take criticism, fair, understanding, cut through waffle, responsive, hard-working, not easily offended, flexible, patient, approachable, good ICT skills, tolerant, knowledge of SEN changes, organised, critical, good time management, dedication, persistent, excellent communication skills, resilience, determination to find creative solutions.

I think you’ve got to have a certain personality, you’ve got to be tolerant, you’ve got to empathise with children and families and want to support them.

I don’t know how to describe the personality of specialists, we are very warm personalities, very communicative and genuinely have a desire to have change within the schools we work in.

I think my personality is that I am pushy. If I feel that there is an injustice, or a child is not getting entitlement, I will push.

It’s about who do these children have? Who is their champion?

Gendering a discourse of inclusionAnna, an experienced SENCO in her fifties: Whenever you go to special needs conferences it is full of women, mature women, and always has been. I don’t know whether there is some sort of motherly type of figure that is thought of … I don’t know … And I think it probably is the men who have more problems within school accepting special needs as something that needs dealing with.

But, there is a SENCO I know, who is male, who did special needs as a particular qualification, so he’s made that decision from very early on. Although he’s a rugby player so it doesn’t quite fit with my picture of a SENCO’. But he’s got a mother with a long term illness and he has been caring for her and I think that had an influence.

Lucy: It’s the same across the school isn’t it, nearly all women and the only man we have in the department, he’s on the behaviour side, and well that’s not right, I hate that. I wonder whether there are so many female SENCOs and not many males, maybe because they see females as more approachable, I’m not saying they are, but see men as more about discipline.

Mark: I think it’s similar with primary teaching and it’s that motherly way.

Jo: Nurturing way.

Lucy: Yes, but its reinforcing these stereotypes to kids, it’s the case that some of them are just living with mum or dad and not both, but they see ‘the men are the disciplinarians and the women are the carers, and you can treat men in this way and treat women it that way’ the roles in school do this all the time.

Lee - Deputy Head in Secondary, has a child with Dyslexia I’m very motherly (laughter). No, actually I think it was quite political, diplomatic thing for me to do that (Become a SENCO), to step up to that role, because there are 18 teaching assistants, all women, and they all know me, I knew the processes so rather than massive change it was easily managed change.

It makes me wonder if we have that balance right or if we over nurture a child, and does that really help them? … It’s about making things happen, getting people together and trying to push things through. I put the bullish comment down (indicates attributes map), because you are ruffling feathers some time. People think, ‘oh why are we changing things’, but it is doing it in a way that doesn’t upset people.

Belonging as a SENCO: the convention of nurturing children

Gill, an experienced Primary SENCO: I don’t know … for me it was that these children actually need loving more. Hard to love children but need it more.

Anna: You’ve got to have priorities and when you are working with children you are the only chance they’ve got, so they’ve got to be your priority.

Jo: You’ve got to want to understand where children are coming from.

David: It’s sort of knowing the children well and spotting things you feel maybe you could help them with or find something they are struggling with. Or maybe there is a child who is really shy, I quite often want to know that child better because I feel it is very difficult to know where their difficulty lies until you get to know them.

Mark:Well just look around the room on the dyslexia course I’m doing and I’m the only chap in a room of 30 people. There aren’t many men, but maybe we need more men. I’m sure you can argue that being the only man in groups like this or in a SENCO role can be a positive thing, you know, working with the lads in school who are dyslexic.

Conclusion

The production of gendered identity as form of resistance

• The SENCO role

• Multiple, plural identities

• Neo-liberal discourse

Thank you for listening.Any questions?

Dr Clare Woolhouse, [email protected]

DPR Conference, 11 April 2013