Children adopted from care: teacher constructions of need and support

Stewart, Rebecca 2017. Children adopted from care: teacher constructions of need and support. DEdPsy Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Evidence of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969) suggest that children who have been adopted from care are at higher risk of difficulties that may impact their ability to access education. In the UK, despite recent improvements, much of the support available to Looked After Children (LAC) is no longer available once children have been adopted. This research therefore sought to investigate teachers' perceptions on whether adopted children have difficulty accessing education, their understanding of the possible impact of ACEs and whether comparisons are made between adopted and LAC. Support systems for adopted children were also explored. Data was gathered in England and Wales through nine interviews with primary school teachers of adopted children and a questionnaire completed by 84 teachers. Descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis of the data revealed that many of the adopted children experienced some difficulties that impacted on their ability to access education to varying extents. Some received in-school support, however, few teachers accessed support from outside agencies. Training for teachers was limited and barriers to training are outlined. Teachers' perceptions on the need for support systems varied, as did their constructions of their role in support.

Item Type:	Thesis (DEdPsy)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Funders:	Welsh Government
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 September 2017
Date of Acceptance:	21 September 2017
Last Modified:	15 Sep 2021 15:42
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/105025

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