Organizational Transitions In Schools – Reorganizing Relationships Between Educational Psychological Services And Schools In A Municipality Towards More Inclusive Education

Author(s):

Paul Sundar(presenting / submitting)Rolf Fasting

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

32. Organizational Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

32 SES 08 A, Transition between Organizations (Schools, Psychological Services and Teacher Organizations)

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-10

09:00-10:30

Room:

3004. [Main]

Chair:

Andreas Schröer

Contribution

Research aim

The aim is to present and discuss data from interviews with counsellors from the educational and psychological services in a municipality regarding their experiences with organizational changes in schools aiming at increased inclusive education.

Theoretical framework

There is a growing concern to develop measures to curb the trend towards increasing special education in recent years. In this respect, one area of focus has been pupils needing limited, but immediate measures in schools.

The right to special education in Norway is a matter of substantial attention, both among politicians and academic researchers. According to the law, the right includes pupils who “either do not or are unable to benefit satisfactorily from ordinary teaching” (Education Act, §5-1). However, before considering such an action, schools are obliged to try out possibilities for providing help within ordinary educational provisions.

There is a lack of studies exploring organizational changes in inclusive schools promoting early intervention and flexible, action-oriented support for pupils needing minor educational measures. This presentation is a study of the experiences of counsellors from the educational and psychological services at the municipality level in their collaboration with municipality schools in their efforts to develop and implement school-based measures. The study focusses on the recent implementation of "resource teams" at the school level and the altered work and roles of the counsellors in relation to the individual schools. Issues regarding the aims and ambitions of the resource team as organizational structure is presented and discussed, including the roles and functions of the counsellors. The main focus of analysis, however, will be on changes in organizational culture as responses to structural changes. The interpretational framework draws extensively from a community of practice perspective.

Method

The present study is based upon extensive semi-structured group interviews with 4-5 participants in a focus-group format, but involving ALL counsellors from a municipality close to Oslo. The interview data is from the following sources: A preliminary interview with a group of 4 informants conducted in January 2014, and interviews with 2 groups in September of 2014, each of approximately 1,5-2 hours). The interviews were recorded, transcribed, analyzed and organized thematically in themes emerging from the data This research is part of a larger research framework conducted by Dr. Rolf Fasting and myself, involving both quantitative surveys and group interviews with representatives from the schools at different levels. The presentation will to some extent draw on complementary research findings from the larger quantitative study.

Expected Outcomes

The aim of the presentation is to analyze and discuss findings from the interviews regarding the involvement and experiences of the counsellors with individual schools in organizational changes, including successes, challenges, concerns and barriers. As regards relevance to educational research, current educational policy is strongly influenced by new public management, including systems for assessment and quality control. The trend towards increased use of special education in Norway underpins a need for research exploring how to face the seemingly contradictory ambitions of developing inclusive schools and increasing pupils’ learning outcomes. This study contributes towards such research.

References

Very tentative list of references: Annand, N. & Daft, Richard (1996): What is the Right Organizational Design? In Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 329–344, 2007 Bele, Irene Velsvik (2010): Læreres egenvurdering av spesialpedagogisk kompetanse – og viktige kilder for kompetanseutvikling. Norsk pedagogisk tidsskrift, nr. 6, 2010. Årgang 94 Bolman, Lee G. og Terrence E. Deal (2014): Nytt perspektiv på organisasjon og ledelse: strukturer, sosiale relasjoner, politikk og symboler. 4. utg. Oslo : Gyldendal akademisk. Busch, Tor, Erik Johnsen, Stein Jonny Valstad, Jan Ole Vanebo (2007): Endringsledelse i et strategisk perspektiv]. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. Daft, Richard L. (1992): Organization Theory and design. West Publishing Company, St. Paul. Engeström, Yrjo and Sannino, Annalisa (2010): Studies of expansive learning: Foundations, findings and future challenges.Educational Research Review 5 (2010) 1–24 Fasting, R. & Hausstätter, R. S. (2011). Inkludering og tilpasset opplæring for de utvalgte? Norsk Pedagogisk tidsskrift, 95(2), 85-89. Hargreaves, Andy (1994): Changing , Changing Times. Cassell, London. Nielsen, Jørn (2013). Utredning i kontekst. Utredninger - i vor tid. Psykologi i kommunen, 13; 1, s. 39-48. Norwich, Brahm (2008): Dilemmas of difference, Inclusion and disability – International Perspectives and Future directions. Routledge, London. Paulsen, J. M. (2008). Profesjonelle nettverk- motor for effektiv samhandling. Yrke. Des. 08, 22-24. Paulsen, J. M. (2011). Å lede asymmetriske kunnskapsorganisasjoner «mission impossible»? I: J. P. Madsbu, M. Pedersen & K. Gabrielsen (red.), I verdens rikeste land: samfunnsvitenskapelige innganger til norsk samtid, (s. 107-123). Vallset: Oplandske bokforlag. Skogen, K. (2004). Innovasjon i skolen. Kvalitetsutvikling og kompetanseheving. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget Sandve, Tore Gunnar (2013). PPT i spenningsfeltet mellom intensjon og praksis. Spesialpedagogikk(13), s. 30-38. Thygesen, Ragnar, Briseid, Lars Gunnar, Tveit, Anne Dorthe, Cameron, Davis Lansing & Bobo, Velibor Kovac (2011). Er generell pedagogisk kompetanse tilstrekkelig for å sikre en inkluderende skole? Inkludering og tilpasset opplæring for de utvalgte? Norsk Pedagogisk tidsskrift, 95(2). Wenger, Etienne (1998): Communities of Practice. Learning, Meaning and Identity. Cambridge University Press, New York

Author Information

Paul Sundar (presenting / submitting)

Oslo University College of Applied Sciences

Oslo and Akershus College of Applied Sciences

Bjornemyr

Rolf Fasting

Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied sciences

Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education

Oslo

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