Peruskoulun erityisopetuksen laatu oppilaiden, huoltajien, koulunkäyntiavustajien, opettajien ja rehtorien arvioimana

Erityisopetuksen laatu opettajien ja vanhempien arvioimana

Identities of special needs education in the discourse of Finnish professors of the field

This article examines both the discourses upon which Finnish special needs education professors draw when speaking about their field, and the consequent identities for it. The research material consists of theme interviews with 10 professors of special needs education and is analysed from a socio-constructionist, discourse analytical perspective. The results show that the professors defined special needs education from two separate viewpoints: on the basis of their own personal views, or on the basis of the classical definitions of special needs education. The professors spoke about the field through five different discourses: professional, emancipatory, relativistic, autonomous and critica…