Teachers and Child Care Workers- Professional identity, Knowledge and Practice

Author(s):

Kari Berg

Conference:

ECER 2010

Network:

4. Inclusive Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

04 SES 01 B, Collaboration Between Professionals

Paper Session

Time:

2010-08-25

09:15-10:45

Room:

Sh406, Kielikeskus / Language Centre

Chair:

Inger Assarson

Contribution

I will present a project in its very beginning, on the basis of my recently finished doctoral project (2009). In my thesis I focused on vulnerable students' own narratives about educational experiences. In this research project I will provide special emphasis on how the professionals' approach to care and education is saturated with, and embedded in, ongoing discourses in the society, in the respective university training programmes and in the professional organisations. I want to explore furhter some of the findings of the professionals' reflections and decisions at the bases of cooperation in cross-sectorial settings. The surrounding structures represent important limits for professional encountering. We need to know more specifically what those limits are.My intention is also to illuminate the research delivery of actual and appreciated knowledge to the field of educational care of students at the school's border area. The research questions are: What educational discourses seem to be active and in focus among teachers and child care workers respectively, when it comes to vulnerable students, and how do the professions construct their reality of educational challenges and practices? At the time of conference I will present some preliminary results. According to formulation in the Salamanca Statement (1994) school and education are considered to be of wide importance for every child's personal opportunity to manage life and achieve a proper carrier in life. Education for All is now the policy in many countries. Research shows however, that school as well as child welfare service seem to have difficulties in establishing convenient educational provisions to meet individual needs of different students (Berg, 2008, 2009; Egelund & Hestbæk, 2004; Jackson, 1994; Vinnerljung, 1998), and Norwegian school authorities have recently revealed thoroughly lack of relevant educational offer adjusted to the needs of students in child care institutions (2008). Education, upbringing and care in school and at home are actions linked together by specific reflection and meaning (Wertsch,1991). According to a sociocultural perspective my qualitative approach focus on how a discursive practice construct and constitutes meaning as complex processes of different interests and values (Arnesen & Lundahl,2006). This paper will give a preliminary presentation of the project.It may be regarded as a supplement to the evidence based trend in research and practice in the modern welfare state. My contribution at ECER 2009 was connected to Nordic Research Network (NORDCRIT)'s symposium: Policy Studies and Politics of Education. I was encouraged to follow up my findings.

Method

I will use qualitative analyses of the data material based on interviews with child care workers, teachers and central agents in their respective university training, supplied with observations from daily practice in the fields of caring and education. With a social constructivist approach I will reveal and analyze connections between occupational reflection, understanding of roles and professional actions ( Gergen, 2005; Gubrium & Holstein, 2002)

Expected Outcomes

The data collection is not done yet. I hope to present som preliminary results at the time of conference.

References

Arnesen, A.L.& Lundahl, L. (2006). Still Social and Democratic? Inclusive Education Policies in the Nordic Welfare States. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. 50(3), 285-300 Berg, K. (2008). Hjelp i asymmetriske relasjoner: Profesjonell relasjonsbygging og opplæring. Nordisk pedagogikk 1/2008, 39-51 Berg, K. (2009). I skolens randsone- opplæring for ungdom under offentlig omsorg ( In the school's border area- educating young adults who are in public care. Dissertation Phd, University of Tromsø Egelund, T. & Hestbæk, A.-D. (2004). Anbringelse af børn og unge uden for hjemmet. En forskningsoversikt. Sosialforskningsinstituttet 03/04, København Gergen, K.J. (2005/1999). An Invitation to Social Construction. London: Sage Publications Gubrium, J.F. & Holstein, J.A. (2002). From the individual interview to the interview society. I J. F. Gubrium & J.A. Holstein (ed). Handbook of interview research: Context and method (3-32). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Jackson,S. (1994). Educating children in residential and foster care. Oxford Review of Education,20,569-583 The Salamanca Statement and Framework for action on Special Needs Education. Adopted by the World Conference on Special Needs Education Access and Quality. Salamanca, Spain 7-10 june 1994, Paris: UNESCO Vinnerljung, B. (1998). Fosterbarns skolegång och utbilding. Socialvetenskaplig Tidsskrift,1,58-80 Wertsch, J.V. (1991). Voices of the Mind, A Sociocultural Approach to Mediated Action. Cambridge: Harvard University Press

Author Information

Kari Berg

Sør-Trøndelag University College

Faculty of Teacher and Interpreter Education

Trondheim

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