Title: A narrative exploration of teacher’s experiences and beliefs pertaining to independent learning in pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Whilst there is considerable research that focuses on independent learning in children and young people in general; there is a limited amount of research that focuses specifically on independent learning in pupils with SEND from a teacher's perspective and this indicates a gap in the research area. In this research, I attempted to explore teacher beliefs and experiences supporting independent learning in pupils with SEND and how these experiences influenced their classroom practice using individual interviews. In addition, I attempted to gain an understanding of what shaped these beliefs and to create a shared definition of independent learning pertaining to pupils with SEND using a focus group. Individual interviews and a focus group were undertaken using a narrative approach and the Listening Guide was used to analyse the data generated. The analysis identified potential factors that help or hinder independent learning in pupils with SEND. The teachers perceived barriers including pressures, lack of support from the management team, lack of autonomy over curriculum delivery, lack of resources, and lack of access to appropriate training and strategies to support independent learning. The perceived supporting factors were a supportive management team, access to appropriate training, knowledge and experience, working with a range of pupils with SEND, autonomy over curriculum delivery and advice from other professionals to develop a bank of strategies. The analysis also identified a range of influences that may shape teacher’s beliefs, for instance their knowledge of educational policy and guidance, understanding of psychological and learning theories, popular topics in educational discourse, beliefs based on personal experiences and their beliefs about learning in general. The findings suggested that independent learning pertaining to pupils with SEND was difficult to define and it may look different depending on the specific child or young person and their needs.