This paper presents the findings of a comparative study using data from questionnaire surveys carried out in England (n 5 57) and Ireland (n 5 72). The researchers examine how teachers and teaching assistants who are currently teaching pupils with dyslexia in primary schools describe dyslexia and what may have influenced their conceptualisation. The paper examines teachers' responses both in terms of how they view their pupils presenting difficulties in the classroom, and how far they link these to underlying differences in cognitive processing. The researchers suggest ways in which this might influence their teaching in terms of methodology. Findings have been mapped to the Morton and Frith causal modelling framework. The implications of these findings for the training and support of teachers are discussed in the light of recent national initiatives to improve the teaching of dyslexic pupils in both countries.In recent years there has been a growing international body of research and information on the identification and education of children with dyslexia, or specific learning difficulty (Miles, 2006;Reid & Fawcett, 2004). In the light of this, in both England and Ireland there has been concern over how to conceptualise this barrier to learning and what may be the most important and useful model to understand dyslexia. This debate sits within the wider context of inclusion for pupils with a wide variety of special educational needs.This paper describes a comparative study of identification and intervention for primary pupils with dyslexia in Ireland and England, linking teachers' responses to theoretical frameworks and discussing how this might influence their teaching in practice. The focus of this article is on teachers' understanding of dyslexia in both countries. Two separate surveys are described, reporting findings from samples of teachers in England and in Ireland. This is followed by a discussion of the overall findings relating to both countries.

Various models of providing for the inclusion of children with disabilities and special needs exist in different European countries. Central to all these models is the notion that support for children and teachers is pivotal in ensuring effective inclusion. This article draws from three qualitative studies on the role, employment and deployment of support teachers in Italy and teaching assistants in England to examine similarities and differences between the two models of provision. The analysis of questionnaires and interviews show that, despite differences in relation to professional qualifications and responsibilities, both support teachers and TAs carry out similar supportive roles, but also share similar feelings of marginalisation, isolation and professional dissatisfaction. The paper raises questions about the effectiveness of providing support from additional adults when such adults are not fully included in the life of the school.

In this article, Mary Doveston and Marian Keenaghan discuss their work with teachers and students in developing more effective and satisfying interpersonal relationships in the classroom. Their approach focuses on increasing the capacity of a classroom community to address and measure its progress in the social and emotional competencies which that community has identified as being important. The principles of Appreciative Inquiry and Solution Focused Thinking underpin their approach to working with students and teachers, with the researchers supporting teachers to facilitate student participation in a process which they have described as ‘Growing Talent for Inclusion’ (GTi).

This article reports an action research project in which children, their teacher and the author, and an advisory teacher from a Local Authority collaborated as co-researchers in a project to improve working relationships in the classroom. Both appreciative enquiry and emancipatory research informed the project. This article focuses on one aspect of the project: the development of active listening skills. In an initial consultation, the teacher described her difficulty in teaching a mixedyear class of 7-9-year-old children who had difficulties in functioning as a group. During the initial whole class consultation, the themes that emerged as pertinent for making the class more fun to be in were: listening, caring and co-operating. Three strands: greetings, active listening and co-operative activities were explored during eight multisensory sessions and applied during class time over a period of three months.The results produced evidence of improvement in promoting listening and social skills. It was, however, the inductive aspects of the Action Research process that were the most illuminating, leading to a better understanding of the complex interplay of factors that contribute to improved working relationships within a class. The knowledge and insights discovered through action research and collaborative working are at least as important as specific skill training and were seen as integral to the emotional and social development of teachers and children.

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