The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research
The WellComm toolkit is used across many areas of the UK to identify and support early years children with their speech, language and communication. There is some evidence for positive outcomes for children who are assessed and supported using the toolkit. However, wider implications of implementing...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/3/263 |
| _version_ | 1797241358282391552 |
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| author | Erin Dysart Aimee Code |
| author_facet | Erin Dysart Aimee Code |
| author_sort | Erin Dysart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The WellComm toolkit is used across many areas of the UK to identify and support early years children with their speech, language and communication. There is some evidence for positive outcomes for children who are assessed and supported using the toolkit. However, wider implications of implementing the toolkit have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore the impact of implementing the WellComm toolkit on practitioners, practically and for their knowledge and skills. An additional aim was to reflect on the impact this may have on evaluation research. Early years practitioners (EYPs) in the UK completed an online survey asking about their experiences of using the WellComm toolkit, and a sub-sample participated in interviews. Survey and interview respondents spanned different early years settings. Practitioners described positive ways in which using the WellComm toolkit had impacted their knowledge of speech, language and communication, supported improvements in practice, and the quality and specificity of speech and language referrals. Negative implications, such as time costs and staffing burdens, were also discussed but were found not to outweigh the benefits of use. The positive implications of using the WellComm toolkit on practitioners’ own development and knowledge are likely to support the outcomes of children, though the usefulness of the WellComm toolkit for children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) and children with special educational needs (SEND) is questioned. Such findings have implications for the work of evaluation researchers, who need to be sensitive to the use of such toolkits in settings where interventions are being evaluated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:22:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1bc60bac0d0f48cbaa5d3b70b1b0aa71 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:22:03Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-1bc60bac0d0f48cbaa5d3b70b1b0aa712024-03-27T13:34:21ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022024-03-0114326310.3390/educsci14030263The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation ResearchErin Dysart0Aimee Code1Department of Education, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UKDepartment of Education, University of York, Heslington YO10 5DD, UKThe WellComm toolkit is used across many areas of the UK to identify and support early years children with their speech, language and communication. There is some evidence for positive outcomes for children who are assessed and supported using the toolkit. However, wider implications of implementing the toolkit have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore the impact of implementing the WellComm toolkit on practitioners, practically and for their knowledge and skills. An additional aim was to reflect on the impact this may have on evaluation research. Early years practitioners (EYPs) in the UK completed an online survey asking about their experiences of using the WellComm toolkit, and a sub-sample participated in interviews. Survey and interview respondents spanned different early years settings. Practitioners described positive ways in which using the WellComm toolkit had impacted their knowledge of speech, language and communication, supported improvements in practice, and the quality and specificity of speech and language referrals. Negative implications, such as time costs and staffing burdens, were also discussed but were found not to outweigh the benefits of use. The positive implications of using the WellComm toolkit on practitioners’ own development and knowledge are likely to support the outcomes of children, though the usefulness of the WellComm toolkit for children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) and children with special educational needs (SEND) is questioned. Such findings have implications for the work of evaluation researchers, who need to be sensitive to the use of such toolkits in settings where interventions are being evaluated.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/3/263practitioner knowledgeevaluationresearch implications |
| spellingShingle | Erin Dysart Aimee Code The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research Education Sciences practitioner knowledge evaluation research implications |
| title | The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research |
| title_full | The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research |
| title_fullStr | The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research |
| title_short | The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research |
| title_sort | wellcomm toolkit impact on practitioner skills and knowledge and implications for evaluation research |
| topic | practitioner knowledge evaluation research implications |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/3/263 |
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