Inclusive Educational Spaces and Social Pedagogical Recognition: Interaction- and Social-Pedagogy-Inspired Analysis of Space Dynamics in Compulsory, Upper-Secondary and Post-Secondary Education

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a new understanding of the essence of inclusive educational spaces as a pedagogical phenomenon that presents different scientific approaches to the concept of educational space, and the importance of interpersonal interactions in educational spaces, and also presents the authors’ interpretations of their essence. The analytical basis is a literature review of various studies from the domains of symbolic interactionism, social constructivism, ethnomethodology, the sociology of knowledge, education, pedagogy and social pedagogy. Empirical sequences in the reviewed literature that exemplify inclusive educational spaces are derived from the organisational and practical work of compulsory and upper-secondary schools related to newly arrived students and students who use alcohol and narcotics, and from the context of the organisational and practical work of universities related to the education of future actors. The importance of recognizing the role of creative educational spaces as a leading requirement for the preparation of students for future communicative interactions in professional communication is revealed, and the structural characteristics of these spaces’ content and functional load are provided. Inclusive educational spaces and professionals’ inclusive approach demand that schools practically and collaboratively organise work with students in the educational space, show support for them and give them room to manoeuvre to ensure that professional actors in the school and university thrive in their practical work with students, both in relation to the expected normative right and deviant acting in the educational space and in relation to laws and governing documents that, to a certain extent, govern practical work in these educational spaces. The study contributes to the development of knowledge regarding (1) dealing with social interaction and inclusive educational spaces combining (a) the experiences of students in educational space, (b) the experiences of professional actors in educational space, and (c) the development of integration and social pedagogical recognition in educational space; (2) the significance of these social interactions and inclusive educational spaces in the creation and recreation of students’ and professionals’ identities; and (3) alternative social pedagogical approaches to analysing inclusive educational spaces in compulsory, upper-secondary and post-secondary education.

Successes and obstacles in the work of upper-secondary schools with newly arrived students: A constructivist-inspired analysis of teachers’ verbal accounts regarding their schools’ organizational and practical work

“…j o u r n a l o f p e d a g o g y 1 / 2 0 2 2 successes and obstacles in the work of upper-secondary schools with newly arrived students... As an environment, the school can contribute to stability in the life of a newly arrived young person, whose education is a central resource for independence. Several studies stress that education is fundamental for the future establishment of young people and young adults in the labor market and for their participation in society as a whole (Foster, 2012;Ekstrand, 2015;Popov, Sturesson, 2015;Torbjørnsen Hilt, 2016;Fuller, 2018;Roos, Gadler, 2018;Björk, Danielsson, Basic, 2019;Warne, Svensson, Tirén, Wall, 2020;Basic, Matsuda 2020;Eek-Karlsson, Lundin, Torpsten 2020;Berggren, Torpsten, Järkestig Berggren, 2020;Johnsson, Blivik, Basic, 2021;Basic, Lokareva, Stadnichenko, 2021;Greve, Andersson, Basic 2021). Björk et al (2019) draw attention to the importance of interpersonal collaboration for successful schooling and practical schoolwork.…”

“…Furthermore, exclusion from the school context risks destroying the actors' self-esteem. This risk applies in particular to exclusion of newly arrived students who have a lower status in the school context than, e.g., teachers (Berger, Luckmann, 1966;Burr, 2015;Fuller, 2018;Björk et al, 2019;Basic, Matsuda, 2020;Eek-Karlsson et al, 2020;Basic et al, 2021;Greve et al, 2021). Teachers are among the most important actors in the school context: they can contribute to achieving social pedagogical recognition, school success, and the successful integration of newly arrived students into society.…”

“…Common explanations for absence in the school context include stomach aches, restlessness, anxiety, and depression, and competing explanations seem relatively de-emphasized. These may include (1) established inequalities in society and at school, (2) material and institutional difficulties in societal and school contexts, (3) bureaucratic hurdles in school and in the rest of society, (4) ethnic monitoring and social control in society and at school, (5) the humiliated identities of the actors in a societal and school context, (6) victimization in relation to the majority in the context; (7) demeaning ethnic categorizations in society and at school, and (8) discrimination in the school context and an overall societal context (Bhopal, Preston 2012;Basic, 2015;Fuller, 2018;Björk et al, 2019, p. 18;Johnsson et al, 2021;Basic et al, 2021;Greve et al, 2021). Additional competing explanations that seem to be relatively less emphasized in relation to a r t i c l e s j o u r n a l o f p e d a g o g y 1 / 2 0 2 2 1 0 the diagnosis aspect are the interpretations of students themselves of the war and social conflict experienced in their homeland: "I have unique experience that I can benefit from in the new country"; "I have learned to cope with difficult things"; and "I am strong now."…”

“…Additional competing explanations that seem to be relatively less emphasized in relation to a r t i c l e s j o u r n a l o f p e d a g o g y 1 / 2 0 2 2 1 0 the diagnosis aspect are the interpretations of students themselves of the war and social conflict experienced in their homeland: "I have unique experience that I can benefit from in the new country"; "I have learned to cope with difficult things"; and "I am strong now." There are many interactive points of entry to the social pedagogical recognition of both students and teachers in the school context (Foster, 2012;Fuller, 2018;Björk et al, 2019, p. 18;Basic, Matsuda 2020;Eek-Karlsson et al, 2020;Basic et al, 2021;Greve et al, 2021), and no one single recipe always or most commonly applies. The actors' mutual recognition is produced and reproduced through a series of interactions in which actors first cite and are involved in identifications founded on ethnicity, class, and gender in different ways and secondly make use of/or suffer from their own identification streams or those of others in such interactions at school, at home, and in society at large (Johnsson et al, 2021;Basic et al, 2021;Greve et al, 2021;Basic, 2022).…”

“…There are many interactive points of entry to the social pedagogical recognition of both students and teachers in the school context (Foster, 2012;Fuller, 2018;Björk et al, 2019, p. 18;Basic, Matsuda 2020;Eek-Karlsson et al, 2020;Basic et al, 2021;Greve et al, 2021), and no one single recipe always or most commonly applies. The actors' mutual recognition is produced and reproduced through a series of interactions in which actors first cite and are involved in identifications founded on ethnicity, class, and gender in different ways and secondly make use of/or suffer from their own identification streams or those of others in such interactions at school, at home, and in society at large (Johnsson et al, 2021;Basic et al, 2021;Greve et al, 2021;Basic, 2022).…”