Listening to the unheard voices of children who present with SEBD through journal writing and drawing

This thesis presented the narratives of six children and two nurture group educators. It also discussed the challenges faced by children who present with SEBD (social, emotional and behaviour difficulties) and discussed the need for practices and educators that promote the inclusion of learners who exhibit SEBD. The study explored a support service, a nurture group, and a strategy, journaling, which were used to support children who exhibited SEBD. Through the use of case studies, this research shed light on the importance of listening to the child’s voice through journaling. It explored how children made sense of experiences through journal writing and drawing and how these activities were followed by conversations they had with a trusted educator during a nurture group programme in a primary state school in Malta. This study compared and discussed the journal entries and conversations between the child and educator through four theoretical frameworks (Bronfenbrenner’s Systems Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and Fonagy’s Mentalisation). Findings highlighted the different themes that emerged from the children’s drawings, writings and conversations. Outcomes also presented the work and approaches the educators used to support the children who were experiencing the nurture approach. Findings presented ways in which journal writing and drawing could be used as a tool to facilitate voice in children who present with SEBD. Implications support the importance of listening to the unheard voices of children to ensure a holistic manner of support. Suggestions for supporting children who exhibit SEBD were also advocated.