Abstract/Summary

This thesis explores the perceptions and experiences of emotional labour of a group of senior leaders in autism specific special schools in the south of England. Whilst there has been research on the impacts of emotional labour for teachers working in general Special Educational Needs (SEN) settings, previous studies have not dealt with the emotional labour of senior leaders in autism specialist schools. There is a recognised need, therefore, for this original research study which aims to examine emotional labour through the lens of senior leaders in a specialist provision. Three schools participated in the study, with three senior leaders from each school being interviewed. An interpretivist approach was followed, which allowed for a more open and flexible approach exploring the diverse perceptions and experiences of participants. with individual interviews allowing for participant voices to be heard in this under researched area. Data analysis was inductive and iterative, following a thematic analysis method, with key themes identified from the data. This is the first time that such a study has taken place, with the main findings indicating senior leaders in participant schools experienced ongoing daily emotional labour as a result of their interactions with a range of stakeholders, including students, staff, parents, governors and members of the local community. It appears that it is the ongoing nature of these relationships which has the greatest impact on participant senior leaders, with many reporting both physical and well-being effects from their interactions with stakeholders. The size of the schools, with their limited management structure is also a contributing factor, as the senior leaders reported being the first point of contact for stakeholders, with resultant impacts on their emotional labour. The distinct lack of continuing professional development and support was a further factor contributing to the high levels of emotional labour reported. However, participants had discovered a range of strategies to facilitate their day-to-day management of emotional labour, including physical exercise, surface and deep acting, and adopting a persona. An uplifting element reported by participants were a range of restorative factors which they posited compensated for the emotional labour engaged in, and these were mainly centred on student progression. It is evidently clear from the findings that as a starting point, teacher professional development programmes incorporate the concept of emotional labour. These findings also provide a solid evidence base for those engaging in senior leadership roles in autism specific special schools or units attached to a mainstream school with a similar student cohort to the schools in this study, to undertake a robust continuing professional development and support programme. Finally, the provision of safe spaces or a forum where these senior leaders can talk openly using emotional labour concepts is recommended. The findings presented in this thesis add a unique element to our understanding of emotional labour in autism specialist provisions.