An evidence-based curriculum model for girls with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties: transforming evidence

Abstract

This paper reports on the process and findings of a two year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (part-funded by the ESRC). The goal of the partnership between the university and an independent school for secondary-aged girls with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties was to develop a holistic, transferable curriculum model that was evidence-based. Independent schools seeking to develop partnerships with local authorities under the umbrella of government Regional Inclusion Partnerships are expected to demonstrate best practice as a minimum and Centres of Excellence are preferred. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership was therefore central to the school’s plan to establish itself as the partner of choice for local authorities in the South of England, by developing a research-informed model of education within the Every Child Matters Framework. Development of the model based on the best knowledge available was beyond the capacity of the school on its own and the partnership brought with it a full-time researcher and input from senior academics in the fields of gender and inclusion. The challenge was to collate and interpret relevant research and theoretical knowledge and to identify, synthesise, and apply appropriate approaches to developing the model.

Girls with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties are a minority in a field dominated by boys; they receive less attention from policy-makers, teachers and researchers, and less resources (Osler & Vincent, 2003). Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties itself is a field where particular pedagogies are under-developed and under-researched (Lewis & Norwich, 2004). Therefore, looking for ‘what works’ with girls with these difficulties was not a straightforward option; we had to create this knowledge. The evidence used in the project transpired to be a mix of that collected from the stakeholders themselves (particularly the girls whose voices were central in the project) and that generated from action research within the school, all of which was informed by theoretical perspectives and educational and social values. Thus, experiential, presentational, propositional and practical knowledge (Heron & Reason, 1997) had an important role in this evidence based work, illustrating alternative views of how we might understand the role and types of evidence that can, does and should inform curricula for marginalised groups.

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ORCID for Melanie Nind: orcid.org/0000-0003-4070-7513

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