An Exploration of the Conceptualisation and Assessment of Attainment for Pupils with Moderate to Profound Intellectual Disability

Educational attainment can be considered one of the overarching goals of the education system. For pupils with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities (MPID), there is a dearth of research on the conceptualisation and assessment of attainment. This doctoral research aimed to address the limited research available in this area. The first paper of this thesis, a systematic literature review, provides an overview of the theoretical frameworks and measures used to assess attainment for pupils with MPID in the research literature. The second paper, a qualitative empirical study, explores how attainment is conceptualised and assessed by seven school staff and two parents, in a special school setting in Ireland. The facilitators and barriers to assessment were also explored. Inductive reflexive thematic analysis (TA) highlighted participants’ understanding of attainment as a holistic concept as well as the importance of time and relationship in the assessment process, and the systemic challenges in accessing therapeutic supports and creating a consistent whole-school approach to assessment. Implications for the role of educational psychologists in supporting pupils with MPID are outlined.