Investigating the use of Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) alongside the Engagement Profile and Scale in a school for children with complex needs

Abstract

AimsVideo Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP) aims to enhance the practitioner’s awareness of the impact of their communication by reflecting on a film of their own practice. Whilst, the VERP procedure has only recently been developed, there is initial evidence of the success of video based reflection on practice. The aims of this research were to investigate how students and staff benefit from the VERP intervention and what adaptations would need to be made to staff training to use the VERP procedure to complement the Engagement Profile and Scale and vice versa.Method/RationaleTeachers and teaching assistants at a school for children with complex needs took part in a VERP intervention. Prior to the VERP intervention staff had been implementing the Engagement Profile and Scale in their school and were then trained by an educational psychologist to use VERP. Following the 16 week period of training and implementation, participants were interviewed using hierarchical focusing and their transcriptions were thematically analysed.FindingsOverall, the majority of the interview data suggest that the implementation of VERP alongside the Engagement Profile and Scale in a school for children with complex needs led to positive outcomes for staff and students. The barriers to successfully implementing VERP in the school related to a lack of time to take the film and microanalyse it.LimitationsLimitations to the research included participant bias and reliance on self-report.ConclusionsVERP is a useful tool for staff to use alongside the Engagement Profile and Scale in a school for children with complex difficulties in order to better understand and meet their needs. Educational psychologists are well placed to provide VERP training to these schools. In order to improve the training, staff may benefit from: attendance at all training and supervision; more focus on the psychological theory; and time available to embed the intervention into their practice.