Martin, Georgia Harriet Ann; (2014) Managing behaviour in private, voluntary and independent nursery settings: the experiences of practitioners. Doctoral thesis , UCL Institute of Education.

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Abstract

A review of the literature suggests there is a gap in the research on the experiences of staff working in private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years settings in relation to their experiences of children demonstrating difficult and concerning behaviour. Previous research has predominantly focused on practitioner experiences of behaviour in mainstream settings (Merrett and Taylor, 1994; Stephenson, Linfoot and Martin, 2010). Consideration of practitioner experiences of training and support in relation to behaviour were also important given the potential impact of the staff group on a child’s socio-emotional development (Sylva, Melhuish, Sammons, Siraj-Blatchford and Taggart, 2004). A two stage mixed methods design was adopted to address three research questions: 1. What are the behaviours that early years practitioners in private, voluntary and independent nursery settings find difficult to manage and how concerning do they perceive these behaviours to be? 2. What do early years practitioners think are the factors influencing children’s behaviour and what do they find helpful when managing behaviour in their setting? 3. What training and support are available to early years practitioners in these settings to help them manage difficult behaviour? Questionnaire data was gathered from 63 practitioners working in PVI settings in one local authority. Semi-structured interviews, analysed using thematic analysis were conducted with a sample of the practitioners (n=11). The findings from the two stages of the data collection were combined during the data analysis under thematic headings. The findings from the questionnaires and interviews were then discussed in relation to the previously introduced literature and relevant psychological frameworks, e.g. Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological systems model (Bronfrenbrenner, 1974;1994) and Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969). Limitations of the study were critiqued and future research areas and implications for the role of Educational Psychologists discussed.

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