| Summary: | Teachers can feel children with attention difficulties present a particular challenge to teach (Kos et al. 2006). Children with these difficulties can struggle to maintain engagement in academic classroom activities, rather than sensory or imaginative (e.g. Imeraj et al. 2013) but may be effectively engaged using interaction and communication principles (e.g. Stevens et al. 2000). A comprehensive intervention approach refining interaction and communication, enhancing academic learning engagement of children showing attention difficulties could be low cost and high impact, and contribute to early intervention.
This research aims to establish effective interaction and communication principles and approaches for engaging children with attention difficulties in academic classroom learning, using supporting background theory. An ‘Interaction and Communication’ (‘ICE’) Framework and intervention approach is developed and applied in single case experimental designs (SCEDs) aiming to measure its effectiveness on improving children’s engagement.
This study involved 7 pupil participants in 5 schools in a rural area of the UK, who were reported to show attention difficulties and their 7 link teachers. Engagement was measured using teacher and child self-ratings, adapted from the Carpenter et al. (2015) engagement indicators.
Following SCED data visual analysis and descriptive statistics, results were largely inconclusive but showed possible indications the intervention might help mitigate low engagement in some cases, especially if refined further and applied for longer. Teachers’ comments at review were thematically analysed following intervention, to qualitatively understand possible effectiveness, utility and practicability. Thematic analysis results indicated teachers valued the intervention principles, with need for more systematic application.
Applying ICE Framework principles in Educational Psychologists’ work with and for children showing attention difficulties, is concluded to be useful and worth further investigation. Future observational research with more focus on engagement in specific tasks, is concluded to be beneficial.
|
|---|