In pursuit of an esteemed identity : teachers' use of labelling with students experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties

Abstract

This dissertation explores the viewpoints of ten secondary school teachers on students with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties (SEBD), particularly how useful and helpful they find the SEBD label in addressing the needs of such students. A qualitative research approach was adopted to provide an in-depth understanding of teachers' perspectives on whether the label SEBD directs thinking towards pedagogy or more towards psycho pathology. Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were used as a means of gathering data. The interviewees chosen were ten Form One subject teachers in a boys' state secondary school. The data was analysed through a thematic analysis method, seeking to identify the main themes emerging from the teachers' accounts in relation to the objectives of the study. The teachers did not have a clear perception as to what the term SEBO meant and hence about its usefulness. Most of the respondents were found to be against the SEBO label as it does not lead to pedagogy and it was found not to be useful in their practice. Moreover, the respondents concluded that this form of labelling was going too far as it was a generic term which includes many other descriptors. They underlined that labels are useful as long as they directed them to their pedagogy, providing them with useful information on how they may adapt their pedagogy to address the student's needs.