The Challenges of Comparative Educational Research into Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

Year 2009, Volume: 26 Issue: 1, 27 - 34, 02.09.2015

Kathryn Evans

Abstract

European research demonstrates substantial differences in child well-being between countries and suggests that levels of child well-being are not inevitable but “policy-susceptible”. There would seem to be a need for studies that look in more detail at the differences in educational and social provision between developed nations, particularly for those children and young people who are most at risk and who represent the greatest challenges, such as those presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, (SEBD). The United Kingdom provides an example of how even within national boundaries terms such as SEBD are difficult to define and inconsistently applied. The complexities of descriptive terms such as SEBD impact both on the research task and on educational practice. Comparative social research presents a complex task, particularly where there are linguistic and conceptual differences to overcome, but offers advantages to the research task through examining alternatives to provision ‘at home’, and questioning the ‘taken for granted’ assumptions under which educational systems operate.Vignettes could provide one methodological solution to the difficulties of comparative research.

Keywords

Social emotional and behavioural difficulties, labelling, comparative research

The Challenges of Comparative Educational Research into Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

Abstract

European research demonstrates substantial differences in child well-being between countries and suggests
that levels of child well-being are not inevitable but “policy-susceptible”. There would seem to be a need for
studies that look in more detail at the differences in educational and social provision between developed
nations, particularly for those children and young people who are most at risk and who represent the greatest
challenges, such as those presenting with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, (SEBD). The United
Kingdom provides an example of how even within national boundaries terms such as SEBD are difficult to
define and inconsistently applied. The complexities of descriptive terms such as SEBD impact both on the
research task and on educational practice. Comparative social research presents a complex task, particularly
where there are linguistic and conceptual differences to overcome, but offers advantages to the research task
through examining alternatives to provision ‘at home’, and questioning the ‘taken for granted’ assumptions
under which educational systems operate.Vignettes could provide one methodological solution to the
difficulties of comparative research. 

Keywords

Social emotional and behavioural difficulties, labelling, comparative research

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