Vygotsky And Special Needs Education

Description:
This is an international guide to using Vygotsky's theories to support children and schools in special needs education. After Piaget, Vygotsky is perhaps the most important educational theorist of the twentieth century. Support for schools and pupils with additional needs has been theorised in a number of ways over the last 100 years and much interest has been shown in the development and relevance of Vygotsky's ideas. It is ironic, therefore, that so little has been written about the practical application of such a perspective to the field. This book brings together researchers working in the UK and Denmark to reflect on the benefits to be had from taking such a stance on support for children and schools. All the contributors are connected with work that has been done at PPUK and CSAT research centres at the universities of Copenhagen and Bath. Both centres enjoy strong reputations for their contributions to cultural historical theory. The authors pursue issues raised by a post-Vygotskian approach and which make important contributions to the development of the fields of policy and practice.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; Part I: Children with Special Needs; 1. Cognitive Impairments and Cultural-Historical Practices for Learning. Children with Cerebral Palsy in School Louise Bottcher; 2. The Challenge of Using Multiple Methods to Gather the Views of Children Jill Porter; 3. Failing to learn or learning to fail?: The case of young writers Ros Fisher; Part II: Educational Psychological Pedagogical Practice; 4. Cooperation Between Professionals in Educational Psychology: Children's specific problems are connected to general dilemmas in relation to taking part Charlotte Hojholt; 5. Supporting Children and Schools: A development and practice centred approach for professional practice and research Marianne Hedegaard and Seth Chaiklin; 6. Developing Educational Psychological Consultative Practice in Schools Framed within Cultural Historical Theory of Child Development Christine Vassing; 7. Change and Development in the Professional Practice of Educational Psychologists in the UK Jane Leadbetter; Part III: Support that Transcends Borders; 8. Support for Children and Schools through Cultural Intervention Harry Daniels; 9. Relational Agency in Collaborations for the Wellbeing of Children and Young People Anne Edwards; 10. Tables and Figures Out of Manuscript and Into the End Jan Georgeson; 11. X Young people Not in Education, Employment or Training Geoff Hayward; Index.

Author Biography:
Mariane Hedegaard is Professor of Developmental Psychology and the Head of the Person, Practice, Development, and Culture Research Centre at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She is also Associate of the Department of Education, University of Oxford, UK. Harry Daniels is Professor of Education: Culture and Pedagogy and Director of Centre for Sociocultural and Activity Research Theory at the University of Bath, UK.