An investigation into the pedagogy in a maintained nursery with provision for children with severe and complex additional needs using sociocultural approaches to explore the mediation of cognitive development and inclusion

Brown, Alison Fiona (2014). An investigation into the pedagogy in a maintained nursery with provision for children with severe and complex additional needs using sociocultural approaches to explore the mediation of cognitive development and inclusion. University of Birmingham. Ed.Psych.D.

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Abstract

The research was a case study into the pedagogy in a maintained nursery with a specialist provision for children with severe and complex additional needs (AN). It used conceptual frameworks developed within a sociocultural approach from Vygotsky’s (1978) theory to investigate the mediation of children’s cognitive development and inclusion, regarded as participation, by the pedagogy and practitioners. Rogoff’s (1995) Three Planes of Analysis was adopted as a unifying conceptual framework to represent the pedagogy. Data was collected from: semi-structured interviews with 13 practitioners working with children with and without AN in the mainstream and specialist provision; observations of Mediated Learning Experiences (MLEs) between practitioners and children with and without AN, and observations of two children, one with and one without AN during a session in the nursery. A thematic analysis of the data (Braun and Clarke, 2006) suggested themes relating to practice, learning and cognitive development and participation within the community plane; mediation of learning and cognitive development within the interpersonal plane and mediation of participation within the personal plane. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) (Engeström, 1999) was used to show the interconnected activity systems that constituted the pedagogy within and between these three planes. Implications for EP practice were suggested.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ed.Psych.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ed.Psych.D.

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