Session Information
Contribution
This paper is based on research in process. It takes its starting point in my doctoral research which takes it departure in the systems of distribution of financial resources for the schools, and especially how financial resources for pupils with rights to special support are allocated.
“A school for all” is a political and democratic goal; which can be seen in documents on the national level; such as the school act and the national curriculum.
Since we have a decentralized school system, the municipalities can themselves decide how much money they want spend on the schools and how they want to allocate them. As long as the national goals are fulfilled now one will disturb them.
The paper will focus on the methodology and the theoretical framework for my study.
The social constructionism is an epistemological stance. I hereby say that knowledge is socially constructed. History, culture and language are important features which characterizes the social constructionist approach (Berger & Luckmann, 1966). The theory is most useful when you are to examine how pupils in need of special support are defined and handled.
Theories about communication in organizations and theories about the school as an organization or institution are also used in the analysis of the results. Here I will draw upon Ball’s (1987) writings about micro-politics of the schools.
The dilemma perspective is a theoretical perspective which can be seen as a complement to the traditional and the alternative perspective within research on special needs education. Briefly, the dilemma perspective (Dyson & Millward, 2003; Nilholm, 2003), focuses on the fundamental dilemma with an educational system which has to handle the fact that pupils are different. From this a numerous dilemmas appear as consequences of the original. The dilemmas that appear are placed in a social context where they have to be negotiated. The Swedish educational system is steered by nationally determined goals and results. The comprehensive school for all children is a political policy and the foundation on which the Swedish compulsory school system is built. A number of dilemmas could arise when this political policy which is grounded in a political fundament which is tolerant, plural and democratic and which on its way to realization has to meet other policies, whose effects sometimes are contradictory. These policies could be connected to key issues in educational policies in the Western Europe such as; decentralization, goal steering, accountability, choice and privatization.
Issues of interest from which the research questions are built upon are:
- financial resources- systems of distribution
- evaluation and follow-up of the use of resources
- identification and definition of pupils in need of support
- pupils rights to support
- participation, communication and democracy
Method
The empirical study is conducted in a Swedish municipality which is named as a medium-sized municipality. This means that it has somewhere between 50 000 and 200 000 inhabitants. There are 26 municipalities like this in Sweden. Interviews has been carried out with professionals at different levels in the school-system; politicians at the municipality level, school administrators at the municipality level, school area leaders, school leaders and special needs educators.
Expected Outcomes
Expected outcomes of this research is to find answers to how professionals at different levels of the school-system describe the allocation, the use and the negotiating process of money in relation to pupils’ rights to support in school. In accordance with this the doctoral project wishes to make a contribution of knowledge concerning democracy processes, school steering and consequences for pedagogy.
References
Ball, S. (1987). The micro-politics of the school: Towards a theory of school organization. London: Methuen. Berger, P. & Luckmann, T. (1966). The Social Construction of Reality: A treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. New York: Doubleday and Co. Dyson, A. & Millward, A. (2000). Schools and special needs – issues of innovation and inclusion. London: Sage. Nilholm, C. (2003). Perspektiv på specialpedagogik. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
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