This paper presents two educational actions developed in a Catalan prison (Spain). Specifically, it analyses the impact of the Dialogic Scientific Gatherings and Scientific Workshops in a prison. Previous research highlighted the consequences of educational inequalities leading to social exclusion in different forms, nevertheless, more anecdotal research has focused on showing actions to overcome the exclusion of the most vulnerable groups. One of the most crucial tasks of social sciences is to study the different levels and types of inequality and, especially, to define strategies that reduce them (Flecha, 2022; Soler, 2017).

The education gap between the incarcerated population and the general population is enormous. For example, studies in the United States show that less than 5% have a college degree, and only 15% of incarcerated adults obtain a postsecondary degree or certificate before or during incarceration. In comparison, almost half (45%) of the general population have completed some postsecondary education (PIAAC, 2014). At the same time, scientific literature highlights the existing gap between the most vulnerable students and their access to science (Arnold & Doctoroff, 2003). Several studies show that young people who feel more attracted to and are more proficient in scientific activities are precisely those who have participated in scientific activities besides scheduled school classes (Thiry, Laursen, & Hunter, 2011; VanMeter-Adams et al., 2014).  

Even though scientific literacy is essential for individuals to participate in democratic societies fully, inequalities in accessing scientific knowledge still exist worldwide (Diez-Palomar et al., 2022). Specifically, scientific literacy refers to “the ability to engage with science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen” (OECD, 2013, p. 7). Despite the growing interest in the democratization of science, little research has been done to involve specific groups in scientific advances. A particular case is the prison context (as example: (LeRoy et al., 2012, Nalini et al., 2013), where more research needs to be done in relation to successful actions that fosters awareness of and interest in science in these contexts.

This paper presents an educational action carried out in the context of a project funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT). The project's main objective is to implement actions to promote scientific vocations among children, adolescents and adults in highly vulnerable situations. Specifically, in this paper, we focus on the results obtained in the training of adults in a penitentiary centre through Dialogic Scientific Gatherings (DSG) and Scientific Workshops. These are evidence-based actions, an optimal ground for developing educational theory, actual practice and policy-making (Flecha, 2015; 2022). It is a case study in Catalonia (Spain), and the action was carried out in the men's module between January and April 2022. During these four months, the DSGs were carried out, which consisted of reading a scientific article selected by the researchers and sharing the arguments with the group. This reading was complemented by a training session in a workshop format conducted by expert researchers on each topic.

This paper addresses one of the different ways of understanding diversity in educational research with a focus on a Catalan prison. Therefore, in line with the conference this paper aims to highlight the successes (impact) and challenges resulting from the commitment of educational researchers and educational research to address and include diversity in all aspects of what we do. The results show that the participants perceived the activities as a useful resource for social reintegration, as the increased motivation to participate in dialogical learning environments brought meaning to their learning and transformed their educational expectations.

This work is framed within the Communicative Methodology (CM), which is based on the promotion of egalitarian dialogue between different social agents participating in the research (Gomez et al., 2011; Soler-Gallart and Flecha, 2022). The CM was validated and promoted by the international scientific community due to its social impact as a result of the egalitarian dialogue that researchers establish with research participants. One of the most relevant premises of this methodological framework is the construction of dialogic knowledge based on the contrast of scientific knowledge and the contributions of the research participants’ life experiences (Gomez, 2014). People are social agents with the capacity for transformation (Freire, 1997), and it is thus important to involve participants in creating knowledge regarding their own social reality so they can change it. The data reported here come from a case study in one Catalan prison (Spain) held for four months in 2022. Participants included men with an age range between 29 and 44 years old. The data presented in this article comes from eight in-depth interviews and 15 observations and dialogues with teachers. In the in-depth interviews researchers interacted with the prisoners during their experience in the six Scientific Workshops and in eighteen Dialogic Scientific Gatherings. These interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim by the same researcher in order to include all relevant details. They were informed that their participation in the research was voluntary.

Previous literature has extensively studied how learning within prisons facilitates the rehabilitation of prisoners, and contributes to increased prosocial behaviour (LeRoy et al., 2012, Nalini et al., 2013). Research also shows that inmates who participate in educational programmes do so when they perceive them to be successful programmes, with clear opportunities to improve their employability and skills upon release (Vacca, 2008; Álvarez et al., 2016). This paper adds new evidence to this topic; it provides evidence of how Successful Educational Actions, specifically the Dialogic Scientific Gatherings and the Scientific Workshops, produce this positive impact among the participating inmate population. Our study shows the impact of Dialogic Scientific Gatherings and Science Workshops in creating opportunities for dialogue and communication among participants based on dialogic interactions. This interaction supports the idea that actions developed in a framework of high expectations are a potential intervention to be set inside the prison and can positively influence the social reintegration process. Ultimately, the results show that these prisoners are motivated to participate in these scientific activities, which fosters their awareness of and interest in science, gives meaning to their learning and transforms their educational expectations through participation in dialogical learning environments.

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