Taking a cooperative inquiry approach to developing person-centred practice in one English secondary school

Abstract

Recent legislation within the English special educational needs arena details coordinated child and family centred provision whereby person-centred approaches are advocated for as a central way of working. Pupil voice and participation in planning, however, have not been found to be well embedded in mainstream school practice and are likely to require a high level of understanding and openness, for successful implementation. This paper explores the experiences of a group of educational practitioners aspiring to develop person-centred informed practice by engaging in cycles of inquiry and action. A cooperative inquiry group engaged in dialogue around practice, exploring both personal and professional values and their resonance with values embedded within person-centred practice. A significant claim of the paper is that cooperative inquiry, in its alignment of values with person-centred practice, is a powerful tool to facilitate the learning necessary to embody collaborative person-centred practice, strengthen the voice of both those engaged and in turn the children and young people on the receiving end of practice and make discussable the performative contradiction inherent in developing person-centred practice systemically.