Illuminating young children's perceived notions of inclusion in pedagogical activities

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a research study, which sought to illuminate the perceived notions of inclusion of four to five year old children in pedagogical activities, in the early years classes of two schools in the North of England. It employed a qualitative methodology to gather extensive data with forty children over a six-week period in each school. This included collecting fieldnotes; undertaking observations of children in pedagogical activities; and conducting group and individual interviews. Central to the research aim was the use of participative tools to engage with children's voices; these included photographs and drawings. Children's perceived notions of inclusion resonated with two dimensions: belonging and relationships (with practitioner and/or child) and democratic pedagogies. The findings advance the conceptualisation of the notion of inclusion and bring to the fore the voices of a young group of children that has not been studied before. Engaging with children in meaningful ways can enable practitioners to better understand young children's perceived, multi-faceted notions of inclusion as they experience it within pedagogical activities.

Migrant Students’ Sense of Belonging and the Covid‐19 Pandemic: Implications for Educational Inclusion

“…This study investigated the impact of Covid-19 school closures on changes in migrant students' sense of school belonging in secondary schools in six European countries. School belonging was understood as part of educational inclusion (Kovač & Vaala, 2021;Shaw et al, 2021), and in & Ellis, 2007;Souto-Manning, 2021;Van Caudenberg et al, 2020). We approached school belonging as a multilayered concept (Allen & Kern, 2017;Allen et al, 2018;Halse, 2018;Puroila et al, 2021), and investigated the impact of some demographic (i.e., gender, age), individual (i.e., post-traumatic stress symptoms), social (i.e., perceived social support from friends and family), and environmental (Covid-19 school closures) factors in the changing feeling of school belonging (Allen & Kern, 2017).…”

“…Inclusion is understood as an overarching principle and a process whereby all students are provided with equal opportunities to participation and educational achievement (Ainscow et al, 2006;Booth & Ainscow, 2002;UNESCO, 2005). In schools, a crucial component of fostering inclusion is building a community to which students feel they belong (Booth & Ainscow, 2002;Kovač & Vaala, 2021;Shaw et al, 2021). However, several issues still exist that may jeopardise migrant students' inclusion and school belonging (e.g., Abu El-Haj & Skilton, 2017;Souto-Manning, 2021;Van Caudenberg et al, 2020).…”

Developing inclusive classroom communities: what matters to children?

“…Research has, understandably, concentrated on examining the views of teachers. However, more recently, there has been an increased focus on examining the contributions that children's perspectives can make (MacArthur 2013;Georgeson, Porter, Daniels and Feiler 2014;Vandenbussche and De Schauwer 2018;Ainscow and Messiou 2018;Shaw, Messiou and Voutsina 2019;Messiou 2019). Our study adds to this growing body of work by asking, 'What matters to children in their experiences of inclusive classroom learning?'…”

“…(Osterman 2000, 324) Osterman's definition of community, in her review of Students' Need for Belonging, resonates strongly with our understanding of inclusive classroom communities. Our focus on exploring children's views on 'belonging' was based on the premise that, if children feel valued members of their class they are more likely to participate with and care about others, in ways that enable their own and everyone's learning (Nutbrown and Clough 2009;OECD 2017;Greenwood and Kelly 2019;Shaw et al 2019). Furthermore, since children do not simply become compliant and assimilated into an existing, unchanging classroom environment, we sought their views on 'being similar and being different', and how these matter to their learning.…”

Photo-elicitation and photo-voice: using visual methodological tools to engage with younger children’s voices about inclusion in education

“…This paper focuses on one element of a larger research project that employed a range of tools to understand children's perceptions of inclusion (Shaw, Messiou and Voutsina 2019). Acknowledging that inclusion is a difficult concept, it was explained in terms of places or activities where the children felt happy (included) or unhappy (not included).…”