Conceptualisations of neurodiversity and barriers to inclusive pedagogy for early career teachers

教师思考神经多样性的方式可能是他们在教学中采用包容性方法的能力和意愿的一个促成因素。随着越来越多的学生神经分化（即神经发育差异，如自闭症、多动症和阅读障碍），我们越来越需要提高对教育差异的理解和接受程度。在教师职业生涯的开始阶段，满足所有学生需求的信心可能是一项挑战，但将差异概念化为缺陷会导致教师不愿意调整教学实践以满足所有学生的需求。这可能对学生的心理健康造成破坏性后果，并导致永久和定期被排斥的比例更高。研究尚未确定影响教师神经多样性概念的因素。越来越多的研究表明，与教学实践有关的反思性思维可以促进复杂学习环境的变化，但关于神经多样性，这在教师教育计划中往往得不到充分发展。我的目标是探索神经多样性概念、反思性思维和早期职业教师（ECTs）在神经多样性课堂中制定包容性原则的能力之间的联系。此外，我还将探讨教师教育者的观点，以及他们在教师教育计划中涵盖神经多样性的方法。我将跟踪300名ECTs学生，从他们的教师培训开始到第二年教学结束，使用在线调查来探索神经多样性的概念、对他们的专业角色的信念和态度，以及他们的反思性思维水平。此外，在不同的学校环境和不同的培训途径中进行的4个ECTs的案例研究将更深入地探索他们的经验，并在复杂和动态的学校系统中吸取有关神经多样性教学的多种资源。使用定性方法，还将收集教师教育工作者关于在神经多样性教室中教学的学生教师的准备的观点，并与方案设计文件的分析有关。在这些分析的基础上，与由ECTs和神经分化年轻人组成的联合制作小组合作，将制作一个在线资源，为ECTs和希望更多地了解神经多样性教学的更广泛的学校社区提供策略。这将通过项目合作伙伴，如自闭症教育信托基金、项目网页提供，并纳入IOE早期职业框架培训计划。项目的发展和影响将通过与一个咨询委员会的合作来实现，该委员会由在特殊教育、包容和神经多样性方面发挥关键利益攸关方作用的主要国家机构组成。这些顾问将提供广泛的知识和经验，并与学校、地方当局、保单持有人和更广泛的研究受益者社区建立网络。将通过公众参与活动、学术出版物、国际成果展示、研究简报和博客来确保影响。该项目有可能对研究做出重大贡献，因为目前对ECTs关于神经多样性的意识形态假设与对其专业角色的信念之间的关系知之甚少，或者教师教育者观点对教师教育计划设计的影响。我还将在教师教育和培训方面做出更广泛的贡献。如果能帮助ECTs克服包容性实践的障碍，增强他们的信心和能动性，这可能会对年轻人、他们的家庭和学校产生长期的积极影响，例如，减少学校排斥，改善教育成果，增加年轻人及其家庭的福祉，特别是那些有神经发育疾病的年轻人。

The way teachers think about neurodiversity may be a contributing factor to their capacity and willingness to adopt an inclusive approach in their teaching. With increasing numbers of pupils who are neurodivergent (i.e., with neurodevelopmental differences such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia), there is a growing need to improve understanding and acceptance of difference within education. Confidence to meet the needs of all pupils can be a challenge at the start of a teacher's career, but conceptualising difference as impairment results in less willingness to adapt teaching practices to cater for all. This can have damaging consequences for pupils' mental health and lead to higher rates of permanent and fixed-term exclusions. Research has yet to identify factors that shape teachers' conceptualisations of neurodiversity. A growing body of research suggests that reflective thinking in relation to teaching practice can promote change in complex learning environments, but regarding neurodiversity, this is often under-developed in teacher education programmes. I aim to explore connections between conceptualisations of neurodiversity, reflective thinking, and early career teachers' (ECTs') capacity to enact inclusive principles in neurodiverse classrooms. Further, I will also explore the perspectives of teacher educators in relation to their approach to covering neurodiversity in teacher education programmes.I will track 300 ECTs from the start of their teacher training to the end of their second year of teaching, using online surveys to explore conceptualisations of neurodiversity, beliefs and attitudes about their professional role and their level of reflective thinking. In addition, case studies of 4 ECTs in contrasting school settings and from contrasting training pathways will explore their experiences in more depth and draw on multiple sources regarding teaching for neurodiversity within complex and dynamic school systems. Using qualitative methods, the perspectives of teacher educators will also be gathered regarding the preparation of student teachers for teaching in neurodiverse classrooms, in relation to analysis of programme design documentation.Drawing on these analyses, in collaboration with co-production groups comprising ECTs and neurodivergent young adults, an online resource will be produced providing strategies for ECTs and the wider school community wishing to learn more about teaching for neurodiversity. This will be made available through project partners, such as the Autism Education Trust, the project webpage, and incorporated within the IOE Early Career Framework training programme.Project development and impact will be achieved through partnership with an advisory committee comprising major national bodies with key stakeholder roles in special education, inclusion, and neurodiversity. These advisors will contribute extensive knowledge and experience and established networks with schools, local authorities, policy holders and the wider community of research beneficiaries. Impact will be ensured through a public engagement event, academic publications, international presentation of findings, research briefings and a blog. The project has the potential to make a significant contribution to research since little is currently known about relationships between ECTs' ideological assumptions about neurodiversity and beliefs about their professional role, or the impact of teacher educator perspectives on teacher education programme design. I will also make a broader contribution through informing teacher education and training. If ECTs can be helped to overcome barriers to inclusive practice and increase their confidence and sense of agency this could lead to long-term positive impact on young people, their families, and schools, e.g., a reduction in school exclusions, improved educational outcomes and increased wellbeing of young people and their families, particularly those with neurodevelopmental conditions.