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NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING
Neuro-linguistic programming and altered states:
encouraging preparation for learning in the
classroom for students with special
educational needs
Voldis Kudliskis
In seeking to identify the processes associated with
the immediate engagement of learning for students
with mild special educational needs, this study
examined the responses of an extraction group (n =
7) of 11- to 13-year-old students who participated in
a number of lessons in which the opening episode
involved the use of visualisation techniques and
language associated with representational systems
as identified within neuro-linguistic programming
(NLP). Students endeavoured to alter their negative
state to a positive state via this intervention. The
study, by Voldis Kudliskis of South Dartmoor Com-
munity College, was of a naturalistic research
design, and the students’ experiences were
explored by means of formal interviews, semi-
structured interviews, questionnaires and observa-
tions. The implications for altering state through
techniques associated with NLP are described and
evaluated in terms of student comments. The case
is made for the process of altering state as a strat-
egy to empower students to engage with their learn-
ing from the outset of the lesson.
Key words: neuro-linguistic programming, visuali-
sation, altered states, engagement in learning,
special educational needs.
The quest to find the best methods to address students’
special educational needs has driven theory, research and
practice especially since the publication of the Warnock
Report in 1978. One focus has been consideration of the use
of child-centred learning activities. Proponents argue that
the child should be at the centre of the learning process; for
example, Holland (2010) indicates that child-centred inter-
ventions can improve challenging behaviour that may be
demonstrated, in the classroom, by some students with
special educational needs. Another focus has been related to
teacher engagement. Since the 1997 Green Paper Excellence
for all Children, successive governments have made a firm
commitment to the entitlement to high quality education for
all students with special educational needs. This is being
achieved by building upon the capacity of both teachers and
© 2013 The Author. British Journal of Special Education © 2013 NASEN
DOI: 10.1111/1467-8578.12020
schools to support children with a range of special educa-
tional needs and has raised the achievement of these students
(DfES, 2004). Indeed, it has been argued that engagement is
the best single predictor of successful learning for children
with learning disabilities (Carpenter, Rose, Rawson &
Egerton, 2011). It is the contention of this article that
specific aspects of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)
can be incorporated into and complement child-centred
learning activities and make a positive contribution to
teacher engagement by providing increased capacity. As
noted by Kudliskis and Burden (2009), evidence-based
techniques such as NLP can help teachers and students
overcome individual barriers to learning.
Introduction
The daily routine for secondary school students, and
indeed teachers, can frequently involve movement from
one classroom to another, on a number of occasions,
throughout the school day as schools and colleges endeav-
our to ‘room’ classes. This movement between lessons can
lead to ‘excitability’ and a situation where students can
find it difficult to settle as they prepare to engage with the
lesson in hand.
We noted, during informal observations of behaviour, that
students often took several minutes to settle down to work at
the start of a lesson, particularly after lunch. The reasons for
this are various and beyond the scope of this article;
however, we were keen to investigate a possible solution to
this initial lack of engagement as the settling down process
in all lessons, particularly after lunch, can be challenging for
teachers as they endeavour to ensure that students settle
quickly and are attentive in preparation for learning.
This study corresponds with a current interest in ‘learning to
learn’ and in the emotional readiness of learners to learn.
Such practice has developed and been recognised interna-
tionally through the work of advocates such as Carol Dweck
and Guy Claxton; and nationally through the previous
government’s introduction of Social and Emotional Aspects
of Learning (SEAL) in the UK. Moreover, in the context
of classroom learning, the purpose of this study was to
examine whether a specific strategy would bring ‘calmness’,
a purposeful readiness, to the learning environment, thus
enabling students to engage with their learning more quickly
and efficiently. The intent was to explore the value of a
strategy in which students would be encouraged to enter the
classroom and engage with the contents of the lesson in the
right ‘state’ of mind, and in a manner conducive to their
learning.
It was decided to focus on a specific form of intervention
associated with the ‘psychological’ concept of neuro-
linguistic programming (NLP). One of the key concepts
associated with NLP is that of ‘state’, or ‘altering states’. In
short, this involves the implementation of strategies, initially
on the part of the teacher, and later independently by the
student, to modify the students state of mind, so that they can
move very quickly from a negative state (not ready to learn)
to a positive state (ready to learn).
An overview of aspects of NLP
NLP is explained as an explicit and powerful model of
human experience and communication (Bandler & Grinder,
1975) and it has been defined as ‘the art of communication
excellence’ (Tosey & Mathieson, 2006), and the ‘study of
the structure of subjective experience’ (Dilts et al., 1990).
NLP is a motivational device which, among other things,
permits the rewiring of certain cognitive processes, thus
permitting the development of a positive sense of self
(Kudliskis & Burden, 2009). Bandler and Grinder (1975)
first introduced the concept of NLP and drew their inspira-
tion from identifying the factors associated with excellence
and successful behaviour rather than the production of
abstract psychological theories. Bandler and Grinder
believed that if these factors could be identified then such
factors could be modelled by other individuals to enable
them to be more successful in their lives.
Key to NLP is the appreciation and understanding that each
individual has available to them a number of different ways
of representing experiences of the world. In particular, indi-
viduals draw upon five recognised senses (sense modalities)
for making contact with the world and reality. We have
preferred modes for perceiving and understanding the social
and natural world; these modalities are visual, auditory,
kinaesthetic, olfactory and gustatory (VAKOG) (Bandler &
Grinder, 1975; Grinder & Bandler, 1976). It is suggested
that each individual tends to favour one or two of these
modalities and these can be identified within the language
selected and used by that individual. However, as Revell and
Norman (1999) note, this does not mean that we should label
individuals by their preferred sense. Individuals should
develop knowledge and understanding of the VAKOG clas-
sification, be aware of their specific strengths and concen-
trate on developing the senses they use less readily. Some,
such as Lucas (2005), denounce the concept of VAKOG,
suggesting instead that other explanations of learning pref-
erences or style may be more valid. Indeed, Coffield,
Moseley and Ecclestone (2004) have condemned the notion
of pigeon-holing individuals’ learning preferences grounded
in narrow categories. Nonetheless, the five sense modalities
identified by Bandler and Grinder (1975) do appear to have
© 2013 The Author. British Journal of Special Education © 2013 NASEN
an impact on our learning and in our contact with the world
and reality.
Our perceptions of the world and our reality are then
reflected in our ‘state’ of mind; in short, we may perceive our
world and our reality positively and have a positive state of
mind, or we may perceive our world and our reality nega-
tively and have a negative state of mind. However, in some
cases negative reality can be a product of faulty cognitions
(see Beck, 1991) – the notion that what we perceive to be
‘true’ is often a product of inaccurate perceptions or mis-
construed feedback, leading to the reinforcement of the
negative ‘state’ of mind. Proponents of NLP suggest that it is
possible to introduce strategies that enable the individual to
move from negative states to positive (desired) states.
While literature in the academic arena is still sparse, recent
publications such as that by Wake (2008) have provided a
comprehensive appraisal of NLP and have sought to reposi-
tion NLP as a field appropriate for serious academic study.
In the context of education the CfBT Education Trust pub-
lished a research paper that examined ways in which NLP
could provide teachers with practical ways to improve their
interpersonal skills and be used effectively with individual
children. Through the analysis of 24 case studies linked to a
professional development programme associated with the
Teacher Learning Academy (TLA), this research noted the
way in which applications of NLP had been positively
received by teachers. The researchers do not claim that NLP
works per se, but they do believe there is sufficient evidence
for further study (Carey, Churches, Hutchinson, Jones &
Tosey, 2009).
However, it should be noted that NLP has been criticised in
reviews of research by scientists such as Diamantopoulus,
Wooley and Spann (2008), Heap (1998) and Singer and
Lalich (1996). These various reviews argue that key ele-
ments associated with NLP, such as eye-movements,
primary representational systems and predicates, are scien-
tifically questionable, demonstrate poor validity and reli-
ability, and are ineffective. More general criticisms are
proposed by commentators such as Beyerstein (2001) and
Rosen (1997), who refer, respectively, to NLP as ‘pseudo-
science’ or ‘psychobabble’; and they also question the
validity and scientific rigour of the claims made by the
proponents of this concept. Such criticisms are refuted by
NLP proponents such as Carey et al. (2009) and Churches
and West-Burnham (2008), who argue, among other things,
that methodological problems and a lack of understand-
ing of NLP by some researchers have led to misinformed
outcomes.
This ongoing debate does not mean that the underlying
principles do not work for those who utilise NLP as an aid to
enhance educational performance (see Jacobson, 1986;
Grinder, 1991; Kudliskis, 2011); simply because something
cannot be scientifically supported does not mean that it does
not exist, nor does it mean that it does not work. However,
the academic community has shown limited interest in NLP
and there appears to be little evidence of this concept
British Journal of Special Education · Volume 40 · Number 2 · 2013 87
becoming a formal theory; nonetheless, Tosey and
Mathieson (2003) express their ‘hope of understanding of
NLP and its potential for education through scholarly
enquiry’. It is clear that the use of NLP in educational
contexts is still relatively new, and currently there is still
only limited formal evidence of the ways in which tech-
niques associated with how NLP can have an impact on
learners in the classroom (Millrood, 2004). However,
Churches and Terry (2007) explain that NLP is ‘constantly
evolving and has done over the past 30 years’, and that
university-accredited programmes and formalised Masters
level qualifications are available at several universities in the
UK.
Altered states
Whenever we do anything, particularly if we want to do it
well, we need to be in the right ‘state’ of mind. Being in the
right state of mind is important in achieving anything. The
right state of mind is not about being in a ‘happy’, ‘bad’ or
‘sad’ state of mind (each of these states may be appropriate
at a given time for achieving a particular outcome); however,
it is important to be in the right state of mind to achieve the
best results (Jennings & Philips, 2000). Effective individuals
are good at choosing states, mastering those states, moving
between them, and exploiting their potential (Pliskin, 2001).
The state of mind of an individual is affected, in general, by
three factors; the neurological state, the physical state and
the emotional state. These sub-states can have a positive or
negative influence on the state of mind more generally,
depending on how the individual feels at a given point.
While we attribute feelings, more typically, to our emotional
state, our neurological state and physical state also influence
our feelings (Wake, 2008). If the state of mind is in a nega-
tive mode it can be modified by changing the physiology of
experience and changing the focus of attention of the expe-
rience. An individual has basic physiological needs that must
be met, such as the need for sleep or light. If these needs are
met, the individual will perform well; if not, the individual is
likely to underperform. Therefore, in a learning context, an
open, airy and stimulating environment is conducive to good
learning; whereas a cramped, darkened and uninspiring
environment (classroom) will inhibit learning. Also, the
emotional state, or focus of attention needs, of the individual
must be met and this is achieved by ensuring positivity.
Again, drawing upon a learning context, individuals are
more likely to perform well when they are vibrant, happy
and full of energy, compared to when they are tired, apa-
thetic and feeling a little ‘down’. The former engenders a
feel-good factor, whereas the latter is associated with a sense
of disempowerment (Jennings & Philips, 2000). The key to
successful learning and positive performance for students
with special educational needs is the channelling of vibrant,
happy energy into their work in a constructive manner over
the whole of the lesson.
Proponents of NLP affirm that it is possible to manage these
states once individuals are aware of them, a concept referred
to as ‘state control’. State control is the act of choosing
deliberately to construct and inhabit a particular state in a
88 British Journal of Special Education · Volume 40 · Number 2 · 2013
given context with the intention of achieving a chosen
outcome in that context. It should be noted that movement
from one state to another is not through resolution via con-
flict, but through simple changing from one state to another
(Andreas & Andreas, 2000). States can be managed by uti-
lising four steps:
(i) understanding (what components help to construct
particular states within the individual);
(ii) awareness (the individual possesses the ability to
understand the state that they are in at any given
time);
(iii) alteration (the individual possesses the ability to alter
a state at will);
(iv) utilisation (the individual applies an appropriate use
of timing – being in the right state of mind at the
right time).
(Jennings & Philips, 2000)
Implicit in the above steps is the notion of moving from a
present state to a desired (positive) state. The thoughts and
the feelings in the desired state will be different from those
in the present state; therefore, an individual must be moti-
vated to change to the desired state. They must seek some-
thing that is really wanted; the individual must be committed
to the outcome and believe the goal is achievable and worth-
while (O’Connor & Lages, 2004). Moreover, it is beneficial
when setting outcomes to ensure that a ‘bridge’ is put in
place to enable the individual to traverse from present state
to desired state and achieve the desired outcome (Timpany,
2006). An outcome does not occur as a one-stage transition;
it is often the product of a number of transition stages.
While the meeting of physiological needs can contribute to
movement to the desired state, other emotional and psycho-
logical needs must also be met. NLP practitioners suggest
that there are a number of resources, or techniques of
change, such as affirmations and visualisation that can be
used to enable individuals to achieve well-formed outcomes,
modify internal maps and beliefs (see Kudliskis, 2008) and
in turn lead to achieving a desired state.
In relation to learning it can be seen that the notion of
moving from a present state to a desired state is beneficial. If
a student believes that they ‘cannot learn’ in whatever
subject or in whatever context, over time it will become
harder for both the student and the teacher to challenge the
current state and enable movement to the desired state.
With this in mind it was decided that, for this study, a
visualisation technique would be utilised to examine change
of state. Visualisation can be likened to harnessing the
imagination and creating visible representations of objects.
In NLP images are considered to be one of the primary
building blocks of an individual’s model of the world. Visu-
alisations are often used to define desired dreams, visions
and outcomes (see Dilts, 1990). The basis for this decision
was grounded in the researcher’s professional perceptions
that students with general special educational needs are fre-
quently creative and have substantial imagination that is not
© 2013 The Author. British Journal of Special Education © 2013 NASEN
always accessed by some conventional teaching methods. A
visualisation activity may, it was anticipated, provide a
movement from a present negative state to a desired positive
state while also stimulating a creative engagement with
learning. The use of a NLP visualisation technique coupled
with ‘sleight of mouth’ communication strategies (see Dilts,
2006) is different from a typical ‘ice-breaker’ or initial
focusing activity. Visualisation, in this context, seeks to calm
students and effectively prepare them for their learning;
sleight of mouth is a persuasion skill, a vehicle for the
reframing of beliefs.
The study
Proponents of NLP such as O’Connor and Lages (2004) and
O’Connor and Seymour (2003) see NLP as a highly effec-
tive motivational tool, and we felt there could be a place for
the application of aspects of this concept in education,
especially given that some of the early work relating to
NLP in specific educational contexts appeared fruitful (see
Jacobson, 1986; Grinder, 1991). We speculated that the
teaching and learning of NLP strategies associated with
moving from a present negative state and to a desired
positive state may enable learners, both young and old, to
engage with their learning more efficiently, effectively and
promptly.
With this in mind, Kate, a higher level teaching assistant
(HLTA) with an interest in educational action research, con-
ducted an action research study over a period of six months
at the college where we teach. We initially explored the
principles and presuppositions of NLP and then the value of
specific strategies and techniques when applied in an edu-
cational context. The aim of this exploratory, interpretivist
action research study was to explore systematically, with
participants, the notion of state and the possible benefits of
applying specific NLP strategies to engender a positive state
at the beginning of lessons that occur specifically after
lunch. In short, this study endeavoured to discover whether
the underlying principles associated with creating a positive
state through the implementation of aspects of NLP could
benefit learning for students in a specific Key Stage 3
context (the first age-specific stage in the British secondary
education system), and to provide in-depth detail and
understanding of students’ perceptions in a very particular
learning environment (see Burton & Barlett, 2005).
Research method
This was a reflective action research study set within a rural
community college. Action research involves practitioners,
such as teachers and teaching assistants, in systematic
enquiries in order to improve practice (Koshy, Koshy &
Waterman, 2011). Such research is conducted ‘on the job’
and provides practitioners with opportunities systematically
to explore issues that are important to them in their specific
work context. Whitehead (1985) argues that ‘educational
action research is an educational way of understanding edu-
cation’. The purpose of such enquiry is to initiate change in
specific contexts (Parkin, 2009). The strength of action
research lies in its ability to help generate solutions to prac-
tical problems in specific work-based situations (Meyer,
© 2013 The Author. British Journal of Special Education © 2013 NASEN
2000). A full explanation of action research methodology is
beyond the remit of this article; however, the seminal work
of Carr and Kemmis (1986) provides a valuable starting
point. It should be noted that action research does have its
detractors; for example, Berg and Eikeland (2008) note that
those involved in action research can be influenced by the
state of themselves and their institutions; that all observa-
tions are ‘filtered’, ‘framed’ and ‘coloured’ in the context of
the researcher; and that the ‘same cause’ may produce dif-
ferent reactions in different individuals. The more recent
work of Cohen, Mannion and Morrison (2011) provides
readers with an opportunity to assess action research against
a range of research methods that can be used in educational
contexts.
This specific study is a multi-voiced, single-site, interpretiv-
ist study, and was created to capture the experiences and
perceptions of the intervention for those taking part. The
sample used was an opportunity sample of students with
‘mild’ special educational needs who were extracted from
English lessons on a regular basis to provide them with
additional support with these lessons. Children with mild
special educational needs (learning difficulties) are those
who ‘develop at a slower rate than other children . . . they
may have difficulty in forming concepts . . . and in putting
their thoughts or ideas into words’ (see NCSE, 2011). The
sample consisted of seven Year 7 students aged either 11 or
12 who, with the agreement of their parents, participated as
unpaid volunteers over a period of six weeks (one half of a
term). Pseudonyms have been used to ensure the anonymity
of students.
The chosen sampling method does, indirectly, introduce a
degree of bias in that the students who participated were
those who were extracted from their English lessons. This
could lead to both students and Kate displaying demand
characteristics; however, all those engaged with and partici-
pating in the study were asked to be honest in the way they
conducted themselves. It was anticipated that the relation-
ship between the students and Kate would serve to reduce
any issues regarding poor communication or miscommuni-
cation of ideas during the study. Finally, it was necessary to
be aware of the ‘Halo Effect’; a phenomenon originally
identified by Thorndike (1920) in which estimates of traits in
the same person can be very highly and evenly correlated.
Kate could be inclined to make her judgements and evalua-
tions about student responses to the intervention grounded
in the Halo Effect. Such behaviour by teachers has been
noted in educational research by Foster and Ysseldyke
(1976). Kate was asked to be honest, open and transparent in
the way she reported her findings. This study received
ethical approval from the ethics committee of the college;
the committee comprises the headteacher, the SENCo and
the Research Coordinator.
This exploratory study was conducted through the use of
both quantitative and qualitative research tools using a natu-
ralistic research design, due to the nature of the enquiry. This
permitted the use of informal, semi-structured interviews,
questionnaires and observation. This specific research
British Journal of Special Education · Volume 40 · Number 2 · 2013 89
process enabled the production of descriptions and collec-
tion of student perceptions relating to their experiences of
the intervention. The intervention and subsequent data col-
lection took place at the same time and at the same place
each week; in an English extraction lesson, on a Thursday
afternoon, directly after lunch.
Observations were conducted and written up soon after-
wards; anecdotal evidence was also recorded as this is a
useful method for recording unanticipated behaviour (see
McKernan, 1996, 2008). Semi-structured interviews were
conducted; however, these were kept informal so as to
ensure, as best we could, that the students felt relaxed and
thereby provided more open and honest responses.
Questionnaires were also used as part of this research
process. Questions were semi-structured and constructed
using simple language, providing tick-box options for
responses with an option to expand upon the questions if
required. The questionnaire was limited to three questions,
pertinent to the research. This was necessary due to the
nature of the students’ literacy difficulties; they needed to be
able to access the questions without asking for help. While
the questions from the questionnaire could have been added
to the semi-structured interviews, we felt it was important to
empower the students and provide them with an opportunity
to reflect and report their views at a personal level and thus
reduce possible interviewer bias or demand characteristics.
We endeavoured to ensure impartiality and adopted a regime
of systematic data analysis; this involved utilising a work
colleague, with a research background in sociology, as a
‘critical friend’ to review our analysis of data. This pluralist
research methodology sought to provide the necessary
‘checks and balances’ essential in rigorous research (see
Cohen et al., 2011). It should be noted that the statistical
representation of data was only conducted with the use of
descriptive statistics. No statistical tests of difference or
association were used.
At the beginning of the research process, the first phase,
each student’s behaviour was observed at the beginning of
the lesson and each student was timed to ascertain exactly
how long each took to settle down and be ready to learn. The
students were observed over a two-week period and obser-
vational data focusing on behaviour particularly at the start
of the lesson, and how this impacted upon learning during
the lesson, were collected and recorded. These observations
were conducted during the lessons on Thursdays as this
was traditionally a problematic lesson, especially when
compared to behaviour in the lessons on Mondays and
Wednesdays.
After the two-week period of observation, Kate moved to the
second phase in which lessons were then started with a short
period of relaxation. Students were asked to put their heads
on the desk, close their eyes, and breathe deeply. Students
were encouraged to breathe in through their nose, and out
through their mouth. Once students were complying with
this instruction they were taken on a ‘guided walk’ using
visualisation. A guided walk involves the leader of the activ-
90 British Journal of Special Education · Volume 40 · Number 2 · 2013
Table 1: A ‘biographical’ description of students
Student Description of educational background and needs
Matt An 11-year-old male with Asperger
syndrome. He has a Statement of special
educational needs. He is academically
weak.
Ellis An 11-year-old male with severe dyslexia and
behavioural problems.
Lewis A 12-year-old male with epilepsy and
dyslexia. He is academically weak.
Robert A 12-year-old male with dyslexia and
learning difficulties.
Peter An 11-year-old male with severe dyslexia and
specific learning difficulties.
Holly A 12-year-old female with non-specific
learning and behavioural difficulties.
James A 12-year-old male on the autistic spectrum
and with learning difficulties.
ity, in this case the teacher, describing a walk in a specific
location – for example, walking through a grassy meadow –
while the students visualise the location using their imagi-
nation. Great care was taken to ensure that the (scripted)
description would provide cues that would appeal to each of
the representational systems; this process is referred to, in
NLP terms, as sleight of mouth (see Dilts, 2006). Each walk
was to and through a different location and environment on
each occasion. This technique was used in an attempt to alter
the state of mind, in preparation for learning.
The time taken to settle and observed behaviours were
noted. After a third week of experiencing guided walks
students were asked to complete the questionnaire designed
to ascertain whether they felt this specific strategy helped
them to be better prepared to start learning. The students
were also interviewed to explore their views and experience
of this new format for opening a lesson and these data were
used for comparison with responses provided in the ques-
tionnaires. Table 1 provides a brief ‘biographical’ descrip-
tion of each student that participated in this research. It
should be noted that this was not conceived as a positivist
experimental study, so no attempt was made to construct a
control group.
Outcomes
The mean time taken to settle before the intervention began
was calculated during the initial two-week observational
phase of the research. It can be seen that Ellis and Holly
were taking, on average, eight minutes to settle; Robert
seven minutes to settle; James and Matt were also taking a
significant amount of time to settle, some six minutes on
average; Lewis and Peter settled almost immediately, typi-
cally within one or two minutes (see Figure 1). The behav-
iour of each child was also recorded on an observation
schedule and it was noted that a range of varied behaviours
were exhibited. For example, Peter always went straight to
his table to settle down and work; whereas Matt was very
excitable and this was demonstrated through Matt making
howling noises and acting as a distraction to other members
of the group.
© 2013 The Author. British Journal of Special Education © 2013 NASEN
 Figure 1: Average time taken to settle before and after the intervention
9
8
7
Time in minutes
6
5
4
3
2 After intervention
1
0
Matt Ellis
After the intervention the mean time taken to settle was
calculated and it was noticed that this time had reduced
substantially in the majority of cases (see Figure 1). Notably,
Holly, Ellis and Robert had settled, on average, five minutes
more quickly than prior to the intervention; James and Matt
had also settled more quickly, reducing their average ‘set-
tling’ time by four minutes. Peter’s behaviour remained con-
stant throughout; he usually settled down straight away upon
entering the classroom. Lewis, however, did not show signs
of settling any quicker; in fact, his behaviour, on occasions,
appeared to deteriorate throughout the period of the
research. However, it is worth noting that during the very last
session of the intervention a dramatic change occurred;
Lewis only took two minutes to settle down which was
significantly quicker than the five-minute average that had
been his typical response rate.
The students were then interviewed and asked to complete
the questionnaire that explored their perceptions of the
guided walk as an intervention designed to help them settle
and concentrate on their learning. During the interview
Holly stated:
‘After the guided walk I felt ready to work because I
had had some time to calm down. I could see where we
were going on our walk. When you said we were going
down a path, I could see the trees above me. It gave me
time to relax.’
Peter supported this view, stating:
‘I like the guided walks because it makes you feel
relaxed. I can see where we’re going because I had a
good mind. I had a calm time.’
Ellis noted how the guided walks helped him to:
‘Calm down a bit. [Altering my state] helps me to do
my work because some days I am more “hyper” than
others. Other teachers should do it.’
It was noted that by the third week of the intervention stu-
dents were anticipating that the start of the lesson would
have a guided walk. Ellis asked at the beginning of the
© 2013 The Author. British Journal of Special Education © 2013 NASEN
Before intervention
Lewis Robert Peter Holly James
Child
lesson at the point of the third week of the intervention: ‘Are
we going to that thing today Miss?’ Similarly, in an unsolic-
ited comment, Peter entered the classroom and asked if they
were: ‘going to do that thing again’; he continued that he
‘hoped so as it helps me do my work.’
It was clear that this question related to the desire to conduct
the activity rather than withdraw from it. Holly also stopped
Kate one day at lunchtime to ask if the lesson was going to
start with a guided walk; again the indication was that this
activity was perceived positively and was being embraced as
a learning strategy. However, at one point Matt indicated that
he found the guided walk intervention ‘boring’ as did Lewis;
both appeared to find it very hard to co-operate and partici-
pate in this form of intervention. Nonetheless, by the last
intervention-led lesson all of the students, except Lewis,
settled at their desk, complied with instructions, completed
learning tasks more efficiently and were more engaged with
their learning.
The data indicated that all of the students, except Lewis and
Peter, took a lot less time to settle after the research inter-
vention began. This would suggest that the particular tech-
niques associated with NLP, such as visualisation (guided
walks) and the specific use of language directed to resonate
with the various representational systems, were shown to be
helpful in this small-scale study. The aim of changing stu-
dents’ state of mind from a negative state to a positive state,
in which they are better prepared for learning, was achieved
in a majority of cases in this study.
The observational notes indicated that in the opening phase
of the research many of the students exhibited excitable
behaviour before the lesson began. However, after the use of
visualisation as an intervention, the majority of students
who had been excitable in the Thursday lessons beforehand
settled after the visualisation activity, complied with instruc-
tions and worked well for the rest of these lessons.
The observed behaviour before the second session of the
opening phase of the study indicated that the students
settled a little quicker than normal; with the exception of
Lewis, who was very agitated after witnessing a fight. He
was unable to comply with any instructions and distracted
British Journal of Special Education · Volume 40 · Number 2 · 2013 91
the other students; he was very restless throughout the
lesson.
At the start of the second phase of the research, the Thursday
of the third week, the students were excitable on entering the
classroom but settled a short time after the intervention. All
of them, except Lewis, then worked well for the remainder
of the lesson.
By the end of the second phase, the last Thursday of the
study, all of the students entered the classroom and calmly
engaged with the visualisation intervention and thereafter
entered into a calm state of readiness to work immediately. It
should be noted that Lewis still took two minutes to settle;
however, compared to his behaviour in previous lessons, this
was an improvement.
Discussion
This is an interpretivist, action research study conducted
with a small opportunity sample and with no reference to a
control group. The findings are interesting in that they
suggest that visualisation interventions to change a state of
mind from a negative state to a positive state can help with
learning, particularly when working with students with mild
special educational needs and in relatively small groups
reflecting a similarity to those in this study. The outcome
suggests that where a strategy such as a guided walk is
utilised in the classroom, a desired state can be achieved. In
this study, achieving a desired state quickly led to students
complying with instructions and completing class-based
tasks and activities quickly and effectively. It could be that
the desired state was achieved due to tonality, in that visu-
alisation interventions such as guided walks require a
change in voice tone to initiate the process and it could be
this that leads to state change. However, Holly stated that,
‘After the guided walk I felt ready to work because I had had
some time to calm down’; similarly Peter spoke of the guided
walk as making him ‘feel relaxed’. This suggests it is the
visualisation of the guided walk that is responsible for state
change rather than voice tonality.
The intervention did produce a reduction in the time taken to
settle by the majority of students in the lesson. The guided
walks enabled students to exclude distractions. In the
context of the study this permitted levels of concentration to
increase and it appeared, in the majority of cases, to reduce
possible experiences of anxiety and the development of
increased self-esteem leading to enhanced performance in
the classroom. This suggests the rewiring of certain cogni-
tive processes that leads to a positive sense of self (see
Kudliskis & Burden, 2009), which, in turn, leads to more
positive engagement with learning. While it is not possible
to state categorically that this is the case, these observations
provide a basis for further research into possible correlations
between visualisation, increased concentration and
enhanced self-esteem in educational contexts.
It is unclear why Lewis was the only student unable to
participate fully with the intervention. When he was inter-
viewed he referred to the intervention as ‘boring’; however,
92 British Journal of Special Education · Volume 40 · Number 2 · 2013
the results for the other students indicate the intervention
improved their ability to settle down in readiness for learn-
ing. It would have been helpful to explore Lewis’s percep-
tions further and identify exactly what he felt was ‘boring’;
or indeed to explore whether the term ‘boring’ was semantic
code for a deeper-seated issue that could not be unearthed
within the time-frame of the study. However, this specific
response may reflect a more generally accepted notion that
some young people with special educational needs struggle
with the ability to concentrate when required in lessons,
even when creative interventions are utilised, and this may
explain why Lewis failed to respond to the intervention like
the others did.
Evidence from this study indicates that aspects of NLP
associated with altered states can offer a strategy to learners
to enable them to better prepare for learning upon entry to
the classroom. NLP when applied effectively by the teacher
(and indirectly by the student) can be seen as a vehicle that
can aid learning. NLP, as a ‘psychological’ approach, can
merge into both external interaction processes and internal
psychological processes. In this respect, NLP has a great
deal in common with psychological approaches currently
in favour, such as self-regulated learning (Dinsmore,
Alexander & Longhlin, 2008) and growth mindset (Dweck,
2006).
This action research study has permitted the professional to
engage with research-in-practice and research-on-practice.
The impact of this research was profound for us both. In
particular, elements of Kate’s professional practice have
been influenced by the outcomes of this research. Kate tends
to use guided walks and visualisation techniques when
working with all her classes. She has become far more aware
of her state and endeavours to ‘calibrate’ her state so that she
is better prepared, psychologically, when working with stu-
dents. Private conversations with students during those
‘spare moments’ in a lesson are frequently used to help
students examine and better understand their state. Such
conversations generate a positive, empathic work ethic in the
classroom, even with those students who may find the situ-
ation and the constraint of a formalised education structure
and environment challenging.
This study has uncovered the experiences and perceptions of
a specific group of participants in a study of learning and
preparation for classroom-based learning tasks and activi-
ties. The findings of this small-scale study do not profess to
be irrefutable; however, what this study does, as Golby
(1994) suggests for this type of research, is make it possible
to understand the particular; that is, in this case, the particu-
lar experiences of the students (and teacher-researcher)
when implementing visualisation techniques such as guided
walks. Moreover, this study reflects Elliot’s (1978) vision of
educational research as ‘reflection related to diagnosis’ by
providing the participants and the researcher with an under-
standing of the specific internal beliefs and social interac-
tions in which aspects of NLP were utilised in a Key Stage
3 learning context. Finally, this research reflects a funda-
mental point proposed by Yin (1989) that interpretivist
© 2013 The Author. British Journal of Special Education © 2013 NASEN
research processes focus on analytical generalisation rather
than statistical generalisation that is often associated with
positivism. This interpretivist study utilises analytical gen-
eralisation (the exploration and understanding of individual
experience through the use of words) as a way of interpret-
ing and understanding the perceptions and experiences of
participants (the students) in relation to the issue under
investigation, in this case the implementation of an NLP
strategy, visualisation through guided walks, in education.
The participants were students and they may have been more
receptive to this concept in that they were working with their
teacher as researcher. Furthermore, the findings may reflect
unintentional demand characteristics of the researcher or,
indeed, subject effects on behalf of the students. Although in
the case of demand characteristics the researcher endeav-
oured to be systematic in the research process, in the case of
the participants, all were asked to be honest and truthful
about their personal experiences.
Conclusion and reflections
Currently there is a limited theoretical underpinning frame-
work in relation to NLP; that which does exist is predomi-
nantly grounded in ‘soft’ research evidence. Specific
research into the NLP concepts of visualisation and repre-
sentation systems is also limited, although the concept of
changing state is a central tenet in NLP philosophy. We
elected to examine and research these aspects of NLP, not as
proponents, nor as opponents, but more as critical observers
endeavouring to understand whether specific aspects of NLP
do positively contribute to educational success. This article
reflects our desire critically to examine the value of NLP in
a specific special educational needs context.
While our research took the form of a small-scale explora-
tory interpretivist action research study, the evidence con-
tained herein leads to some brief, tentative conclusions
about the usefulness of understanding states in an educa-
tional context. Considering state and engaging with activi-
ties associated with NLP and visualisation, such as a guided
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