Research projects
Introduction
All Educational Psychologists (EPs) have post-graduate research qualifications and these skills are utilised in a variety of ways, from small-scale to large scale pieces of work. For example, Educational Psychologists can support schools, groups of schools and learning communities with the following:
- Analysis and advice regarding how to robustly evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and/or additional support given.
- The Educational Psychology Service can work with schools to design a framework for evaluating an intervention or project and can take the lead on methodology, data gathering, data analysis and the interpretation and reporting of the data.
- The development of Action Research projects where the the EP works collaboratively with school staff to initiate a reflective process of intervention that includes regular reviewing, adaptation and aims to develop a greater understanding of effectiveness in the target area.
If you would like to discuss how the Educational Psychology Service can support you with carrying out research, please speak to your linked Educational Psychologist or contact us educationlearnersupport@devon.gov.uk.
Devon County Council have also previously commissioned the Educational Psychology Service to carry out research on their behalf. Currently, the following areas are being explored:
- Identification of provision and intervention for Children in Care (CiC). Read more about the findings of the ‘Children in Care Organisational Change research.
- Promoting positive outcomes for children and young people receiving Home Education
- How mainstream schools can work successfully with special schools to support children and young people through a dual placement
- Identification of effective strategies and features of Devon secondary schools that effectively narrow the gap.
Challenges for professionals supporting UASC
The challenges for professionals with supporting UASC and the opportunities which assist them:
This research project was commissioned by Devon County Council. It intends to obtain a deeper understanding of some of the challenges that educational and other professionals are faced with when supporting UASC in educational settings and to examine the factors that aid professionals in supporting UASC and their teachers in schools and colleges. Read the research on the challenges for professionals with supporting UASC.
What supports the successful reintegration of students
What supports the successful reintegration of students from alternative provision to permanent educational settings:
This research project was commissioned by Devon County Council. It intends to identify strategies and forms of support which promote successful reintegration of students within Alternative Provision (AP) back into permanent educational settings. Read the successful reintegration research.
The Group Overcoming Programme
The Group Overcoming Programme is a guided parent-delivered group programme to teach parents cognitive behavioural strategies that they can use with their child or young person to overcome anxiety. This is partly done by supporting them to work through an accompanying book (Overcoming your child’s fears and worries – a self-help guide using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques, Creswell and Willetts, 2007). Two evaluations of this intervention for young people who experience high levels of anxiety and/or autism were conducted.
Read the first ‘Evaluating the Impact of the Group Overcoming Programme’ research paper
Read the second ‘Evaluating the Impact of the Group Overcoming Programme’ research paper
Identifying and meeting the speech language and communication needs (SLCN) of children in social emotional and mental health (SEMH) specialist settings
How have SLCN needs been considered and met for children presenting with SEMH needs?
In this report, we describe a local research project which was commissioned by Speech and Language commissioners within Devon County Council and conducted by trainee educational psychologists. We undertook this research as part of a wider project across Devon to explore provision for children and young people with speech language and communication needs (SLCN).
The primary aim of this research was to explore – at a local level – whether there has been consideration of SLCN for children presenting with social, emotional mental health needs (SEMH), and how SLCN have been identified and met for a group of children who went on to attend a specialist SEMH setting in the county. The results shared in this report reflect the views of staff and senior leaders at one SEMH setting in Devon regarding the identification and meeting of needs for their students. This part of the research project was organised around three themes: Identification of SLCN; The impact of SLCN; and Meeting SLCN. Results pertaining to these themes are shared in the following report.
In this report, we describe a local research project which was commissioned by Speech and Language commissioners within Devon County Council and conducted by trainee educational psychologists. We undertook this research as part of a wider project across Devon to explore provision for children and young people with speech language and communication needs (SLCN).
The primary aim of this research was to explore – at a local level – whether there has been consideration of SLCN for children presenting with social, emotional mental health needs (SEMH), and how SLCN have been identified and met for a group of children who went on to attend a specialist SEMH setting in the county. The results shared in this report reflect the views of staff and senior leaders at one SEMH setting in Devon regarding the identification and meeting of needs for their students. This part of the research project was organised around three themes: Identification of SLCN; The impact of SLCN; and Meeting SLCN. Results pertaining to these themes are shared in the following report.