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Article for BCU Educational Journal Stephen Butterfield

I am a retired maths teacher who started teaching in 1978 and retired in 2016. I mainly taught in 11-16 state schools and was Head of Maths from 1990 to 2013. I have maintained my interest in the teaching and learning mathematics by being a member of the maths association and marking GCSE and other exams. I’m currently in my first year of an EdD (Doctor of Education) at Birmingham City University (BCU).

My Area of Research is: “An exploration of maths curriculum access for learners with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in KS3 and KS4. A bounded case study of one local authority.”

The research aims to explore, interpret and understand the lived experiences of 11-16-year-old pupils with FASD along with their parents, and teachers regarding their teaching and learning of mathematics. The intended outcome is to inform current practice and influence the Initial and In-Service training of mathematics teachers in the UK.

FASD is an umbrella term to describe the range of effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol (PAE) (Trathan, 2021) on children and adolescents. It has developmental and learning effects and is, therefore, one aspect of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Research Questions:

1 What conditions in teaching and learning, along with the classroom environment, are most suitable for children with FASD and complex learning difficulties?

2 Which teaching and learning strategies are currently regarded as effective by practitioners?

3 What is the level of knowledge among mathematics teachers, and what are the implications for training?

The purpose of writing this article is to raise awareness and publicise my research. Also, I have set up a research blog on my website. (Butterfield, 2025b). I have written two articles for the maths association magazine, EQUALS, aimed at Maths SEND professionals and maths teachers (Butterfield, 2025a). I have sent an email to the DFE with details of the research, aiming to identify someone in the DFE to communicate with so that the Government can recognise FASD in their policy and decision-making on SEND.

Also, FASD affects part of a pupil’s brain and their ability to understand and retain abstract concepts. Traditional teaching approaches may need to be rethought and redesigned. It is possible that pupils will not be in mainstream schools or achieve the same level as their peers.

FASD is a spectrum of disorders that impacts the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of the child to varying degrees. Research has shown that children with FASD encounter learning difficulties in mathematics (Lebel et al., 2010). FASD hinders mathematical development, meaning many children will be functioning at a different developmental age than their chronological age. Malbin (2017) refers to this as “Developmental dysmaturity” (Malbin, 2017: 36)

This study aims to contribute to the existing work in the UK, particularly that of Dr. Carolyn Blackburn and Professor Barry Carpenter. (Blackburn, Carpenter and Egerton, 2009),(Blackburn, 2021)and (Blackburn, 2017). “The neuroscience around this tells us that the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the brain in utero significantly affects the parietal lobe, which is the brain's centre for numeracy and mathematical computation. Whilst there has been some level of progress in the education of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, we still have a long way to go on appropriate adaptations and accommodations within the curriculum. This is particularly so in the area of mathematics.” (Professor Barry Carpenter).

Studies in the USA and Canada have shown through longitudinal studies that maths achievement is lower than would be expected, even taking into account general learning difficulties (Crocker, Riley and Mattson, 2015) The MILE program in the USA (Kable et al., 2015) produced positive results (Kennedy et al., 2022).

Ting Wai Chu found in their survey of mathematics teachers in New Zealand the need for more training and an improved understanding of how to work with children with FASD, particularly in teaching mathematics to children up to the age of 18. (Chu et al., 2023).

There is a National Organisation for FASD (National Organisation for FASD, 2025) that provides resources for parents, teachers, and others. Additionally, there is the FASD Network UK that provides support for Parent Groups. (FASD Network UK, 2025)

The golden thread running through this research is that each pupil has unique complex needs, including FASD, which will influence their learning. Therefore, it is not feasible to follow a positivistic or a post-positivist approach, where the emphasis is on prediction and control. The critical paradigm situates its research in social justice, which again does not align with the nature of this research. Cresswell and Plano Clark call for “pragmatism as the best philosophical foundation for mixed methods research” (Creswell and Plano Clark, 2007).

When determining the ontological view of reality best suited to this research, we must consider how the individuals perceive their world. “Heidegger (Heidegger, 1962) argues that our understanding of Being- of how humans reveal themselves to themselves and thus understand themselves – is necessarily informed by temporality (non-chronological time) and historicity (past history and experience” (Dibley et al., 2020: 43).

Considering the axiological aspect of this research, care and relational pedagogy align with my understanding of community and the importance of addressing others' needs. Additionally, as highlighted in the MILE programme in the USA, learners benefit from individual guidance and support. (Coles, Kable and Taddeo, 2009). So there needs to be an emphasis on fostering a nurturing and supportive environment where individuals can learn and grow whilst recognising the importance of relationships in teaching and learning. (a relational pedagogy). Noddings (2013) summarised it as: “working together, which produces both joy in the relation and increasing competence in the cared-for” (Noddings, 2013: 194).

Relational pedagogy is an educational approach that emphasises the significance of relationships in teaching and learning. It concentrates on establishing positive connections among students, teachers, and the learning environment, nurturing trust, empathy, and mutual respect. McNamee (2025) talks about the ‘how’ of teaching rather than the ‘what’ of teaching. (McNamee, 2025), she is referring to a more “relational and processual perspective to learning”.

The research questions imply several types of knowledge production for this study. Research question 1 involves observing pupils and their learning environment alongside narrative enquiry involving parents and teachers. Research question 2 requires recognising effective practices and communicating these to parents and others. Research question 3 focuses on determining the knowledge and experience of sufficient serving teachers.

Given that each pupil has their own unique set of complex needs, including FASD, which will influence their learning, it follows that each pupil will be different and need a detailed and thorough analysis of their lived experiences and access to learning mathematics. Considering that the participants in this research are the researcher (me!), the pupils, their parents, their teachers, and other maths teachers, it is acknowledged that knowledge is likely to be a dynamic process of understanding, influenced by both the researcher's and participants' perspectives and contexts. And that knowledge will be gained through subjective interpretation and understanding, rather than objective observation. This is referred to as the “double hermeneutic”, which means the understanding of each partner in the research. Gadamer refers to this as a ‘fusion of horizons’. (Gadamer,1975)

Discussions about ontology, axiology, and epistemology are intertwined and lead to the direction of the methodology of an interpretative phenomenological philosophical stance, with a view to working towards a “fusion of horizons” between the researcher and the researched.

In moving towards interpretative (hermeneutic) phenomenology and ethnography, I am moving away from descriptive phenomenology as it is purely descriptive, grounded theory based on the construction of theories based on (grounded in) data. Critical social theory critiques societies and social structures. Feminist theory is not relevant to this research focus, nor is post-structuralism, which focuses on language. (Dibley et al., 2020: 46)

Noon (2018) provides a comprehensive and detailed description of the purpose of Phenomenology, which is to uncover meaning. By focusing on participants’ streams of consciousness – their thoughts, feelings, and memories – this approach seeks to access their inner life worlds. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) aims to understand lived experiences and explore how individuals make sense of their personal and social worlds. Hermeneutics is the “practice or art of interpretation,” IPA acknowledges that analysis always involves interpretation. It is closely linked to hermeneutics through its recognition of the investigator’s central role in analysis and research. Central to this is the researcher’s role in interpreting the outcomes from the interviews, discussions and observations. Another aspect to recognise is Idiography, which emphasises individuality. IPA is idiographic in that it aims to learn from each participant’s individual story through a deep, individualised analysis. Each individual case is central to IPA research; the investigator seeks to understand each respective case as much as possible (Noon, 2018). Each individual in this research will likely have a different lived experience, and what has been outlined above aligns well with our research focus. Horrigan-Kelly et al (2016) provide a link between Heidegger and IPA.

“Martin Heidegger’s phenomenology provides methodological guidance for qualitative researchers seeking to explicate the livedexperience of study participants”. (Horrigan-Kelly, Millar and Dowling, 2016) Heidegger uses the term “dasein” to represent the lived experience of “being in the world with temporality and to expose the meaning of everyday existence”. (Horrigan-Kelly, Millar and Dowling, 2016: 1). Temporality in this sense refers to the ongoing situation in which pupils in our case find themselves. Reflexivity on the researcher's part is an important aspect and links to the insider-outsider nature of that role. Lefebvre summarises it as follows: “the rhythmanalyst will not be obliged to jump from the inside to the outside of the observed bodies; he should come to listen to them as a whole and unify them by taking his own rhythm as a reference by integrating the outside with the inside and vice versa” (Lefebvre, 2004: 30) . The double hermeneutic acknowledges the dual role of the researcher and the researched. (Dibley et al., 2020) Discuss this as an ethical consideration, stating that being ‘inside’ and connected to the phenomena of interest can help to uncover meaning. This is how I recognised the relevance of my past experience. Conversely, being an outsider can help marginalised pupils, in our case, SEND pupils, to speak freely. Reflexivity can also mean the Hermeneutic circle, where in the interpretation phase, there is a dynamic relationship between the part and the whole. To understand the whole, you look at the parts, and this cycle continues as the research and the findings unfold. “The hermeneutic cycle provides a useful way of thinking about method for IPA researchers” (Smith, Flowers and Larkin, 2022: 23

The research will be a bounded case study of Stoke-on-Trent, selected for its proximity to my home and the presence of an active parent support group and a teacher group. This case study is bounded to ensure it remains manageable in size and scope. I will invite the FASD parent support group via email to identify seven pupils: four at KS3 (11-14) and three at KS4 (14-16). This will enable me to find the pupils and the schools where they learn. They may not be in mainstream schools. Should I not get seven volunteers from this area I will widen my search to other parent groups using the FASD network. (FASD Network UK, 2025)

I will invite the local Maths association's teachers’ group by email to identify 30 KS3 and KS4 maths teachers.

To address Research Question 1, I intend to employ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and a Hermeneutics approach to engage with the seven identified pupils, observing and questioning (with parents present) and examining the classroom or learning environment to assess the materials and strategies being utilised. I will conduct semi-structured interviews with the parents and the teachers of the FASD pupils to explore and understand their experiences.

To address Research Question 2: Identify by observation the pupils successfully learning age-appropriate topics. This can be observed in both the classroom and their written work and involves analysing data such as attendance and test outcomes.

To address Research Question 3, I will utilise professional networks to survey practising teachers and establish their level of knowledge, training, and experience in recognising, working with, and using effective teaching materials and approaches. I will employ convenience sampling to identify the teachers. I will email the secretary of the Maths Association group to request that they contact heads of maths at local schools, who will, in turn, reach out to their colleagues to find 30 maths teachers willing to assist.

The survey comprises numerous distinct questions that can be easily counted, recorded, and analysed statistically. There are some open-ended questions where general themes will need to be identified. These will be summarised in a narrative conclusion.

Data Analysis will be interpreted using the IPA framework to analyse the outcomes with each pupil (Smith, Flowers and Larkin, 2022). Quantitative analysis of survey questions, reflexive thematic analysis of interviews, and other narrative forms of data collection are employed. All observations, semi-structured interviews, and discussions will be recorded as narratives. These will then be analysed, and any emerging themes will be identified. Based on these, further follow-up observations, interviews, and discussions will be conducted to verify and explore further. The timing during the school year will need to be negotiated with each school. Additionally, the thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke’s framework will seek to identify emerging common themes(Braun and Clarke, 2014). Its reflexive nature permits these themes to change and evolve.

I welcome any comments either to my blog or by email to Stephen.butterfield@mail.bcu.ac.uk

Bibliography

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Blackburn, C. (2021) ‘Supporting the Child with FASD in the classroom’, in R.A.S. Mukherjee and N. Alton (eds) Prevention, Recogntition and Management of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Springer, pp. 395–406.

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