Democracy in schools: qualitative analysis of pupils’ experiences of democracy in the context of the Norwegian school

A limited number of empirical studies have explored pupils’ democratic practice and the direct experiences of school children using a qualitative approach. The aim of the present study has been to analyse pupils’ experiences of the practice of democratic rights in the context of the Norwegian school. The study adopts a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews with pupils. Three prominent school arenas were focused on: the mandatory pupil-teacher dialogue, the pupil council and classroom discussions. Three main markers of democracy have been used in the data analysis: contextual openness, participation and the ability to engage in democratic discussions. The findings reveal …

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Researching teachers' and parents' perceptions of dialogue

While there has been a great deal of research done on parent involvement and the challenges of conducting effective dialogue in parent–teacher meetings, less attention has been paid to how teachers and parents themselves perceive dialogue. The purpose of the present article is to study whether deliberative principles are vital to teachers' and parents' perceptions of dialogue. The study seeks to answer this question by initiating qualitative interviews with teachers and parents. The findings show that deliberative principles are definitively vital to the participants' perceptions of dialogue. They include basic deliberation values and procedural aspects of deliberation. However, it must be …

Er generell pedagogisk kompetanse tilstrekkelig for å sikre en inkluderende skole?

Author's verision of an article published in the journal: Norsk pedagogisk tidsskrift. Also available from the publisher at: http://www.idunn.no/ts/npt/2011/02/art02 Vi redegjør for forholdet mellom spesialpedagogikk og spesialundervisning, og beskriver det “pedagogiske dilemmaet” som uttrykkes i motsetningen mellom å skulle tilpasse opplæringen til enkeltelevens evner og forutsetninger, samtidig som eleven skal være en del av et inkluderende fellesskap. Vi reiser spørsmålet om hva som må til for å sikre tilpasset undervisning innenfor rammene av den ordinære opplæringen og gjennomgår forskningsresultater som gir et uensartet bilde av effekten av spesialundervisning, og som peker på hvilke …

‘You know that collaboration works when … ’ identifying the features of successful collaboration on behalf of children with disabilities in early childhood education and care

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to identify features of successful collaboration among professionals and parents involved in supporting children with disabilities in early childhood education and care. The study employed a multiple-case study design comprising 6 cases and 30 adult participants, who were interviewed regarding their collaboration on behalf of 6 children with significant disabilities ranging in age from 3 to 5 years. Applying a system-theoretical approach, analysis led to the development of a framework based on the concepts of ‘internal’ and ‘external’ features of collaboration. Whereas internal aspects refer primarily to the interpersonal interactions of parents and pro…

A parental voice: parents as equal and dependent – rhetoric about parents, teachers, and their conversations

This study analyses texts from the National Parents’ Committee for Primary and Lower Secondary Education in Norway and addresses how parents describe their own role, the teachers’ role, and their conversations. The theoretical perspective employed is Koselleck’s conceptual theory. The findings show that, despite having formal legal rights, parents must constantly legitimize these rights in school. Parents are expected to assume a passive role, while the teachers’ role is held to be active. Furthermore, the diversity among parents is not discussed. Parents moreover resign their own involvement in their children’s education in spite of the fact that teachers and parents may have different per…

Conflict between truthfulness and tact in parent–teacher conferences

The purpose of this article is to explore how teachers’ and parents’ conversations are affected by their notions about truthfulness. The study is qualitative and draws on data from observations of parent–teacher conferences about pupils with special needs in a Norwegian lower secondary school and from interviews with participants. The findings show that teachers’ and parents’ conversations are constrained by positive talk, decency and silence and, especially when the pupil participates, they choose a careful point of view, gloss over it, and talk about what is OK and not unpleasant. Furthermore, teachers act communicatively in a strategic way. It is concluded that teachers and parents often…

“Two Schools under one Roof” in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Exploring the challenges of group identity and deliberative values among Bosniak and Croat students

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the challenge of engaging Bosniak and Croat students in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in deliberative democracy within the context “two schools under one roof,” students receiving education in the same school building, yet attending separate classes and following distinct curricula. Findings suggest that group identity for Bosniak students was strongly tied to “being Bosnian” while Croat students expressed ambivalence and unease about their identity, balancing feelings between having their home in BiH and maintaining their Croat roots. The students’ relationships were complicated by an imbalance in perceptions of power, discriminatory attitud…

“Bridging Old Relations”: The (De)Construction of Ethnic Identity in the Educational Context of Bosnia and Herzegovina From the Teachers' Point of View

ABSTRACTThe present study focuses on an educational arrangement in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) known as “two schools under one roof.” The term refers to two different ethnic groups (Bosniaks and Croats) physically sharing the same school building, but maintaining separate administrations, teaching staff, and curricula. The purpose of the study is to explore the manner in which teachers (seven Bosniak and four Croat) from the two ethnic groups perceive and construct their group identities within this context. Findings indicate that the teachers’ sense of belonging to different ethnic groups is strong and that the use of language functions as a vital marker for expressing group identity. In …

Quality assurance of decision-making in conversations between professionals and non-professionals: identifying the presence of deliberative principles

The ideal of dialogue is at stake in professional conversations. The aim of this study is to develop an instrument that makes it possible to compare principles of deliberation with what actually takes place in professional conversations. The developed instrument is tested on one patient's conversation with his doctor about lifestyle changes, and meetings where pupils with learning disabilities and their parents discuss further schooling with school representatives. Although in need of refinement, the conclusion is that the instrument provides meaningful insight into how much each participant 'contributes' to the decision-making process and 'behaves' during the conversation.

Exploring the Ideal of Dialogue by Taking into Account Both an Observed Interaction Session and the Participants’ Views on the Interaction

Published version of an article in the journal: Interchange. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10780-014-9221-7 The focus of the article is on the ideal of using dialogue to promote contact between school and home. The aim was to explore this ideal by taking into account both an observed interaction session and how the participants perceive this interaction. The study draws on data from observation of a meeting about a pupil with special needs and his transition from lower to upper secondary school. The participants were the pupil, the mother and father, the special needs teacher, the school counsellor, the school psychology counsellor and the special needs co…

An Examination of the Role and Responsibilities of Kindergarten in Multidisciplinary Collaboration on Behalf of Children With Severe Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the role and responsibilities of Norwegian kindergarten (i.e., preschool for ages 0–6 years) from the perspective of participants involved in multidisciplinary collaboration on behalf of children with severe disabilities and their families. The authors employed a multiple-case study approach comprising 26 interviews across six cases. Findings suggest that kindergarten is considered an important partner for families and a major contributor to the provision of services. Kindergartens were valued for their (1) close relationships and intimate knowledge of children as individuals, (2) the sense of security and relief of stress that they provided to paren…

Organisational Challenges for School Development and Improvement : The Obstructing Role of Sub-Groups and an Overly Positive School Culture

The purpose of this study has been to identify and analyse obstacles embedded in the school organisation that impede organisational development and improvement. The general findings show that the school structure comprised sub-groups and had characteristics of a diversified organisation. This led to dysfunctional discussions that challenged school development and improvement. Second, the findings revealed that the nature of the school culture may challenge school development processes. Positive features of the school culture, such as engagement, good relationships and high self-esteem might deter the effectiveness of the schools, e.g. the schools’ ability to prioritise and improve the pupil…

Directional motion: An empirically based model of development in educational institutions

Although the quantity of literature on organizational sustainability in the realm of education represents a well-developed research area, the literature in this field does not sufficiently emphasize the notion of directional motion as important to institutional change. The aim of this work is the attempt to propose an empirically based model of ‘directional motion’ that is based on the intrinsically motivating process of experiencing movement. The study draws upon empirical material from six different educational institutions. The model systematically maps representations of the various stakeholders in terms of experienced motion in the participating institutions. The main elements in the …

A comparative study of Norwegian and Swedish special educators’ beliefs and practices

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare Norwegian (n = 320) and Swedish (n = 425) special educators’ reported practices and beliefs about key aspects of their profession. Data was coll...