A co-operative enquiry into training approaches for practitioners working with children with speech, language and communication needs in the early years
- Resource Type
- Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
- Authors
- Palmer, Janet
- Source
- Subject
- 618.92
- Language
- English
This action-research study compares and evaluates three separate training initiatives for education practitioners in the area of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) for identified children in a small unitary authority. One training initiative involved collaboration with a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) and the modelling of working practices within a nursery; the second was an evaluation of a two-day taught course devised by SLTs and education staff and based on the Foundation stage of the I CAN Joint Professional Development Framework (JPDF); and the third was an evaluation of a learning set for both education staff and SLTs, using the JPDF as a reference point for individual learning plans. By means of a grounded theory analysis, evidence from the three evaluations was analysed following the tradition of a co-operative enquiry. Recommendations for future training initiatives highlight the need to consider emotional aspects of training and the importance of planning for training transfer at the same time as the training itself is devised. The cognitive apprenticeship model is suggested as a suitable mechanism for promoting partnerships between different educational settings.