The Importance of School Leadership Support when Working with Students with Smith-Magenis Syndrome – A Q Methodology Study

Figures & data

Table 1. Fishers balanced block design, N = 40.

	Behaviours	Academic	School Staff Emotions
Methods	6 statements	6 statements	5 statements
Cooperation	5 statements	4 statements
Guidance/Knowledge	7 statements	7 Statements

Figure 1. The grid used during Q sort.

Figure 2. The participants writing down the numbers of the statements in the correct place in the grid.

Table 2. Factor loadings with an X indicating a defining Q sort.

Staff Code*	Factor 1	Factor 2	Factor 3	Factor 4
1SET F	0.0603	0.2158	0.7750X	0.4302
2TA M	0.8490X	0.0420	0.1349	0.1485
4SET M	0.4880	0.3829	0.3033	0.1459
3 U F	0.3449	0.8222X	0.0944	0.0151
5SET F	0.3449	0.2000	−0.0779	0.8450X
6 T F	0.2975	0.1581	0.4541	0.6755X
7TA F	−0.0516	0.8474X	0.2095	0.1941
8TA M	0.7099X	0.2096	0.2357	0.3610
9SET M	0.5238	0.3532	0.6378X	0.0377
10SET M	0.6391X	0.4363	0.3668	0.2837
11 U M	0.7408X	0.2674	0.1892	0.3456
12O M	0.2565	0.5779X	0.2173	0.3914
13O M	0.8595X	0.0797	0.1919	0.1495
14SET F	0.3803	0.1510	0.8238X	−0.0950

* SET: Special Education Teacher, T: Teacher, TA: Teacher Assistant, O: Other school education, U: Unknown profession, F: Female student with SMS, M: Male student with SMS

Table 3. Correlation among factors.

	Factor 1	Factor 2	Factor 3	Factor 4
Factor 1	-	r = 0.43	r = 0.59	r = 0.61
Factor 2		-	r = 0.48	r = 0.43
Factor 3			-	r = 0.38

Table 4. Characteristic statements and scores for the four viewpoints.

	Factor 1 – in control	Factor 2 – strugglers	Factor 3 – strugglers relying on parents	Factor 4 – support dependent
hepositive side of the grid	30. I have been given guidance in how to handle this student’s challenges and feel safe (+5) 33. I am looking forward to every day because of this student’s charm, humour, and love (+5) 40. The most important knowledge on how to work with this student have I gotten through my own practise in the school (+4) 12. We may avoid many problems by being ahead of possible tricky situations (+4) 36. Knowledge about this disorder is important regarding the academic adaptation (+4) 31. Cooperation with the parents are important regarding the adaptation in the school (+3) 23. I get good support from the parents and like to talk with them (+3) 3. Regular pedagogical/special education tools work well with this student (+3)	12. We may avoid many problems by being ahead of possible tricky situations (+5) 14. It needs clear boundaries to be able to get any academically work done (+5) 20. I think it is hard to work with this student because if the behaviours (+4) 2. I often use individual support conversations before and after challenging behaviours (+4) 26. It is hard when the parents get upset regarding feedback about the student’s act (+4) 36. Knowledge about this disorder is important regarding the academic adaptation (+3) 23. I get good support from the parents and like to talk with them (+3) 31. Cooperation with the parents are important regarding the adaptation in the school (+3)	12. We may avoid many problems by being ahead of possible tricky situations (+5) 23. I get good support from the parents and like to talk with them (+5) 31. Cooperation with the parents are important regarding the adaptation in the school (+4) 2. I often use individual support conversations before and after challenging behaviour (+4) 40. The most important knowledge on how to work with this student have I gotten through my own practise in the school (+4) 36. Knowledge about this disorder is important regarding the academic adaptation (+3) 15. It is the challenging behaviours that makes it difficult to have focus on the academic (+3) 33. I am looking forward to every day because of this student’s charm, humour, and love (+3)	36. Knowledge about this disorder is important regarding the academic adaptation (+5) 30. I have been given guidance in how to handle this student’s challenges and feel safe (+5) 12. We may avoid many problems by being ahead of possible tricky situations (+4) 18. I get a good follow-up after difficult situations with this student (+4) 28. I receive good support from the school leadership, so I can focus on the academic work (+4) 2. I often use individual support conversations before and after challenging behaviours (+3) 14. It needs clear boundaries to be able to get any academically work done (+3) 21. I know what I should do if the student self-injures (+3)
Thenegative side of the grid	8. I lack training regarding this disorder (−3) 15. It is the challenging behaviours that makes it difficult to have focus on the academic (−3) 6. We are lacking a structure that could prevent challenging behaviours (−3) 22. The parents are difficult to cooperate with because the student behaves different at home and at the school (−4) 20. I think it is hard to work with this student because if the behaviours (−4) 1. This student does not need preparation before an activity to make it work (−4) 24. I think it is challenging to cooperate with the parents of this student (−5) 25. I am afraid when the student gets angry and is screaming, kicking, or hitting (−5)	6. We are lacking a structure that could prevent challenging behaviours (−3) 13. I can work academically with this student the same way I do with all other students (−3) 8. I lack training regarding this disorder (−3) 28. I receive good support from the school leadership, so I can focus on the academic work (−4) 24. I think it is challenging to cooperate with the parents of this student (−4) 29. It is not important to me that my colleagues and leadership at the school gives me praise and value my work (−4) 19. It is not important to have knowledge regarding this disorder in order make adaptation to this student (−5) 1.This student does not need preparation before an activity to make it work (−5)	1. This student does not need preparation before an activity to make it work (−3) 30. I have been given guidance in how to handle this student’s challenges and feel safe (−3) 37. It is easy to put academic demands on this student (−3) 25. I am afraid when the student gets angry and is screaming, kicking, or hitting (−4) 17. The parents have too high expectations regarding the academic work and that makes the cooperation with them difficult (−4) 19. It is not important to have knowledge regarding this disorder in order make adaptation to this student (−4) 24. I think it is challenging to cooperate with the parents of this student (−5) 22. The parents are difficult to cooperate with because the student behaves different at home and at the school (−5)	20. I think it is hard to work with this student because if the behaviours (−3) 39. There is a lot of knowledge regarding this disorder and academic functioning (−3) 6. We are lacking a structure that could prevent challenging behaviours (−3) 19. It is not important to have knowledge regarding this disorder in order make adaptation to this student (−4) 1. This student does not need preparation before an activity to make it work (−4) 13. I can work academically with this student the same way I do with all other students (−4) 10. It is difficult to follow the recommendations we have been given regarding the behaviours (−5) 34. It is the parents that have taught us how to handle the behaviours (−5)

Table 5. Statements and factor scores, including consensus and distinguishing statements.

Statement #		Factor 1	Factor 2	Factor 3	Factor 4
1*	This student does not need preparation before an activity to make it work.	−4	−5	−3	−4
2	I often use individual support conversations before and after challenging behaviours.	1**	4	4	3
3	Regular pedagogical/special education tools work well with this student.	3	0	−2*	2
4**	The school staff can give guidance and help parents regarding behaviours.	0	1	1	−1
5**	It is easy to make choices regarding the academic work.	0	−1	0	−1
6**	We are lacking a structure that could prevent challenging behaviours.	−3	−3	−2	−3
7*	The parents are more preoccupied with the social rather than the academic.	0	−1	2*	−1
8	I lack training regarding this disorder.	−3	−3	2**	−2
9	It is the parents that have given us information regarding this disorder.	1	−2	2	−2
10	It is difficult to follow the recommendations we have been given regarding the behaviours.	−1	1	0	−5**
11**	I know how to work academically with this student	1	2	0	2
12**	We may avoid many problems by being ahead of possible tricky situations.	4	5	5	4
13*	I can work academically with this student the same way I do with all other students.	−2	−3	−1	−4
14	It needs clear boundaries to be able to get any academically work done.	2	5	1	3
15	It is the challenging behaviours that makes it difficult to have focus on the academic	−3*	2	3	1
16**	I have good tools to prohibit the challenging behaviours.	1	−1	0	0
17	The parents have too high expectations regarding the academic work and that makes the cooperation with them difficult.	−2	1	−4	−1
18	I get a good follow-up after difficult situations with this student.	2	−2*	1	4*
19	It is not important to have knowledge regarding this disorder in order make adaptation to this student.	−1**	−5	−4	−4
20	I think it is hard to work with this student because if the behaviours.	−4	4*	0*	−3
21	I know what I should do if the student self-injures.	2	0	−1	3
22	The parents are difficult to cooperate with because the student behaves different at home and at the school.	−4	−1	−5	−2
23	I get good support from the parents and like to talk with them.	3	3	5**	1
24	I think it is challenging to cooperate with the parents of this student.	−5	−4	−5	−1
25	I am afraid when the student gets angry and is screaming, kicking, or hitting.	−5**	1	−4*	0
26	It is hard when the parents get upset regarding feedback about the student’s act.	−1	4*	−2	0
27*	It is hard to get a function cooperation around homework.	0	2	−1	0
28	I receive good support from the school leadership, so I can focus on the academic work.	1	−4*	1	3
29	It is not important to me that my colleagues and leadership at the school gives me praise and value my work.	0	−4*	0	1
30	I have been given guidance in how to handle this student’s challenges and feel safe.	5	0*	−3**	5
31	Cooperation with the parents are important regarding the adaptation in the school.	3	3	4	0*
32**	I think it is hard to work with parents in despair and full of worry.	−1	0	−2	0
33	I am looking forward to every day because of this student’s charm, humour, and love	5**	2	3	1
34	It is the parents that have taught us how to handle the behaviours.	2	0	2	−5**
35*	Visual tools do not work at all in the learning situations.	−2	−1	−1	−2
36*	Knowledge about this disorder is important regarding the academic adaptation.	4	3	3	5
37	It is easy to put academic demands on this student.	0	−1	−3	0
38	It is hard to follow the academic demands from the reports and IEP.	−2	−2	1	2
39*	There is a lot of knowledge regarding this disorder and academic functioning.	−1	−2	−1	−3
40	The most important knowledge on how to work with this student have I gotten through my own practise in the school.	4	1	4	2

The first number in front of the statements is the statement number, the other column numbers are the ranking numbers; that is, how the cards are sorted into the grid. Factor scores marked with * are distinguishing statements with significance at p < 0.05 and factor scores flagged with a ** are distinguishing statements significant at p < 0.01. Statements in italics are consensus statements, and those marked with * at the statement number are non-significant at p < 0.01, and those marked with * at the statement number are non-significant at p < 0.05.

Figure 3. Factors divided on parent support and leadership support.