Schools as Learning Communities: a success story for the future of educational research in Europe
Rocío García-Carrión (University of Cambridge)
Javier Díez-Palomar (University of Barcelona)
Schools working alone cannot meet the needs of all children to enhance learning and development. Achieving better educational, emotional and social development for all children will be accomplished if schools, families, and communities work together. The only research in social sciences selected by the European Commission among the 10 most successful researches in Europe, INCLUD-ED, have provided evidence that Schools as Learning Communities are improving academic achievement, reducing school dropout and promoting better living together and cohesion. These schools inspire and increase the commitment of pupils, teachers, parents and other members of the community to support school quality and development. Evidences of the impact that this research has achieved at scientific, political and social level will be discussed in the workshop. The aim of this workshop is to provide a forum for discussion about how educational research can achieve scientific, social and political impact to obtain socially useful results and serve the public good.
The workshop will draw on the international and interdisciplinary researchers’ expertise and on their commitment with the schools and communities, including vulnerable populations like the Roma people. We will bring into the voices of the children, families and community members for whom the research made a real difference. We will discuss evidence emerging from the implementation of “Successful Educational Actions” that involves family and community participation such as Interactive Groups or Dialogic Literary Gatherings, among others. Participants will be encouraged to bring and reflect on their own research journeys.
