Philosophy with children, self-regulation and engaged participation for children with emotional-behavioural and social communication needs

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effectiveness of Community of Philosophical Inquiry (CoPI) as an inclusive pedagogical approach by which to support the communicative interaction and opportunities for collaborative dialogue for children with social, emotional and behavioural needs in two mainstream classes. There is currently no empirical work that considers children with these particular needs participating in practical philosophy, particularly in CoPI. Two groups of children, aged between nine and twelve, engaged in CoPI over a period of 10 weeks. The philosophy sessions were conducted as part of the regular class work. The results show that the children were able to engage in collaborative, philosophical dialogue with their peers without being any more disruptive than their classmates. The findings of this study lead to the assertion that it is the structure of CoPI that supported the children’s engaged participation and self-regulation and that this might usefully be considered in creating classroom activities for all children.

KEYWORDS:

• Autism
• SEBN
• Philosophy with Children
• self-regulation
• social engagement

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the General Teaching Council for Scotland under the Teacher Researcher Programme.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the General Teaching Council for Scotland; [Teacher Researcher Programme].

Notes on contributors

Claire Cassidy

Dr. Claire Cassidy is a Senior Lecturer and the course leader for the Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy with Children at Strathclyde and also convenes the Philosophy with Children and Communities Network. The primary focus of her research is Philosophy with Children, more recently working on developing practical philosophy as a rights-based research method. She regularly facilitates philosophical dialogue with children and adults in a range of settings.

Helen Marwick

Dr. Helen Marwick is a developmental psychologist, and Senior Lecturer, who lectures on child development and on autism, and has researched extensively on social interactions, communicative development and interpersonal understanding. She has developed the Joint-Play Intersubjectivity Assessment Method (JPIAM), also known as ‘Playboxes’, which promotes and assesses active interpersonal engagement and communication, and which is being used widely in school settings. Helen is a member of international research groups investigating neurodevelopmental disorders and social communication.

Lynn Deeney

Lynn Deeney is a primary school teacher who, following her Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy with Children, is trained in facilitating Community of Philosophical Inquiry.

Gillian McLean

Gillian McLean is a primary school teacher who is trained to facilitate Community of Philosophical Inquiry, having studied the PG in Philosophy with Children.