Conference Agenda

To choose or not to choose consultation-conversational methodologies, that is the question!

In terms of the structure, the session will start with a gathering moment by means of the 'my place' exercise. A Focus Group Discussion will follow on 'the conditions surrounding my research'; leading to dialogical exploration of the theoretical and procedural foundations of FGD and conversational learning, expressed ”in our own voice(s)”.

The session departs from the assumption of the essential role of communication/ consultation/ conversation as a research method that allows for deepening personal and joint production of data which goes beyond ’common-sense’. Deriving from the first assumption, we argue that the recourse to a communicational paradigm makes sense only and if only it stands on both the recognition of the value of human relations and of the asymmetries of power among researchers and the participant ”researchees” (and in between participant ”researchees”) and there is a conscious intent to find ways to reduce such verticality. This implies authentic and humanized communication(s) in which all the voices feel they have space to express, be heard and make a difference. Moreover, consultation-conversational methodologies may be of great use if you want to make the best of the interrelations between participants and focus on the cultures produced by means of their unique interaction within a unique research situation. The place attributed/recognized to participants as coauthors of the data produced and of the research as a whole has implications in the way(s) in which you lead your research with the due respect to your research agenda. Last but not least, we argue that the recognition of voices(s) has implications not only on the way(s) in which you collect and produce data but also in the way(s) we build your analysis so that all voices are accounted for and the currently silenced voices emerge and assert their place in the world. ”Conflict of interpretation”, dissense and the exploration of disagreement are at the core and in the horizon of consultation-conversational methodologies, such as focus group discussion, which will be explored.

Some points to be discussed are: How to resist the prejudice of the divisive dichotomy quantitative vs qualitative? What is the role of the researcher? What is the role of the participants? What is the place given to different voices? How to register and manage subjectivities and the intersubjective vision and cultures constructed through multiple dialogue? How to make sense of different levels of research and methodological options? What decisions need to be made in terms of the potential methodological complementarities and clashes? How to move from the theory as a thought trough method to the method as theory in action respecting the principles and values of a ’good’ and multiple expressive marriage?

This conference paper will offer a literature review on the most recent findings of the current Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion research in the context of higher education students with disability, especially with a focus on students with neurodiversity in Hungary. This presentation will summarize the basic principles of neurodiversity, explaining why diversity and equity indeed contribute to the academic excellence of all universities. Despite the affirmative action received by those whose special education diagnosis was documented, due to the stigma on IEPs in our orthodox education system (Gallagher Et Al., 2003), our hypothesis is that many of our students with learning differences come without diagnosis and attend university without accommodation and support services, which may result in tangible disadvantages that could be tracked with the help of our database. Neurodiversity as an approach challenges ableism (Armstrong, 2011) by boldly asserting, that in a learning community, individuals are not solely limited by their own physical, sensory, or speech disabilities nor by their mental or cognitive developmental states, but they are in fact primarily disabled by their environment, and the lack of university-wide inclusion policies which do not accept and/or not able to adapt to unique learning needs (NTOMBELA-MAHMANGU, 2019). The social model of disability has allowed a structural analysis of the social exclusion of people with disabilities and demand for accessibility and reasonable accommodations from all HE institutions (HASLER, 1993; SHAKESPEARE & WATSON, 2001). The results of academic research support the paradigm shift: instead of pathologizing our university citizens who think differently, learn differently, and access learning differently we should focus on the acceptance of biodiversity, the benefits and relative strength of brain variation, and outstanding sub-skills and the creation of opportunities for inclusive learning development in communities of inquiry and practice (SKIDMORE, 2004; RANKIN, 2021). To what extent has this academic shift in approach become translated into practice in Hungarian HE? Has the inclusive environment been able to 'break out of the bubble of individual problem solving' (FAZEKAS ET AL., 2020) towards starting to build institutional strategies that follow European standards? What are the next steps according to Support Service staff and program participants? What are the experiences of students with disabilities arriving at universities? Is “preferential treatment” enough to retain neurodivergent individuals and help them successfully graduate, and transition to meaningful jobs after experiencing inclusion in HE (Bjarnason, 2004)? We sought answers to these questions in a mixed methods research.

In an exploratory & descriptive research our Inclusive Excellence Reseaarch Group at University of Pécs analyzed data over a period of 10 years and described the state of inclusion in status reports (Varga et al., 2021). Looking for correlations between data figures led me to take interest in a group of disabled students with very high latency, called students with specific learning differences (Elmer at al., 2021) or in other word, neurodivergent individuals (Singer, 1999; Armstrong, 2011).

Theme/topic:
This paper addresses the critical theme of implementing universal design in digital learning resources within higher education in Norway. It explores how lecturers perceive and enact accessibility in their teaching materials and the extent to which their methods are inclusive for all students, particularly those with disabilities.

Research Questions:

1. How do lecturers in higher education implement accessibility in their learning resources?
2. Are their teaching methods inclusive, and if not, what measures need to be implemented to achieve inclusivity?

Theoretical Framework:
Previous studies (Sanderson, Kessel & Chen, 2018; Svendby, 2020) have shown that lecturers in higher education have a positive attitude towards universal design of ICT, but that they lack the necessary competence and workings conditions.
The study is anchored in Lipsky's concept of street-level bureaucracy (1980, 2010), which serves as a foundational framework. This theory is central in examining the challenges that lecturers in higher education face when they function as front-line implementers of policies related to universal design. It provides insight into how educators, as street-level bureaucrats, navigate and interpret educational policy, and how this policy is translated into practical application in the context of universal design
A hermeneutic phenomenological approach, deeply rooted in Gadamer's philosophy, is employed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the lecturers' experiences and perspectives, focusing on the theme of accessibility.
Method: (see next field)

Intended Purpose: The paper aims to:

• Highlight the discrepancies between the positive attitudes towards universal design and its practical implementation in higher education.
• Emphasize the need for comprehensive training and development programs for lecturers in universal design principles.
• Advocate for institutional policy and practice reassessment to support the effective implementation of universal design.
• Provide actionable recommendations for enhancing the accessibility of digital learning materials in higher education.

In 2022 a complex research project was organized to investigate the inclusiveness of a student society where mostly Roma low SES students are the participants. Their aim was to gain a new perspective on the role of this organization through the experiences of former members of the student society. A fundamental characteristic of the topic is that the situation of the Roma population in higher education is rarely discussed, with few international publications dealing with it. There are, of course, historical, social, economic reasons for this, which are not discussed in detail in this paper, but which can serve as an important contribution to the discussion of the situation of the target groups of inclusion.

Theoretical background related to the need for higher education for marginalized groups, such as Roma children and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, is often questioned. However, the socio-economic advantages of obtaining higher education are widely acknowledged. The expansion of higher education has resulted in a more diverse student population in Hungarian universities, which has been a focus of research both internationally and in Hungary.

Inclusive Excellence movements, such as the one in the U.S., have emphasized the importance of creating a diverse learning environment in higher education institutions. Research has shown that diverse student environments contribute to academic excellence. The concept of inclusiveness in higher education is defined as a process-based approach that encompasses the conditions supporting entry into an inclusive organization, the components of the time spent in the community, and indicators of achievement.

Research around the world has identified new groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education and is exploring ways to make institutions more inclusive. In Hungary, social groups such as people with disabilities, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, parents of young children, Hungarians living outside the borders, and foreign students are recognized in legislation as groups to be supported. Although Roma individuals are not specifically mentioned in legislation, research is focusing on their inclusion in higher education. Intersectionality, which examines the intersection of multiple categories of inequality, is also an important aspect of research in this field.

Studies have highlighted the underrepresentation of Roma individuals in higher education across European countries. The proportion of Roma individuals with tertiary education ranges from 1% to 4%, making them one of the most underrepresented groups. Research has shown that Roma individuals with successful educational outcomes often have a supportive family background and strong community capital. The presence of ties to the majority society also plays a significant role in their education.

Hidden costs and the capital accumulation and conversion processes of socially mobile individuals are factors that impact the educational outcomes of underrepresented individuals. Support programs and community networks can significantly reduce or compensate for these costs. While schooling is increasingly valued in Roma communities, inequalities in education continue to persist. Involvement, recognition, and a network of contacts can help open pathways to mobility for Roma families and students.

Support systems for Roma children and students throughout their entire school careers are limited in Europe. In Hungary, support for Roma youth in higher education has been initiated in recent years, from early childhood interventions to primary and secondary schooling. The Roma Student Society Network, established in 2011 with EU funding and now state-funded, provides support for Roma students across the country.

In summary, the theoretical background related to higher education for marginalized groups emphasizes the need for inclusiveness and support mechanisms to ensure equal opportunities for all individuals, irrespective of their socio-economic background or ethnic identity.

This ongoing research project aims to generate knowledge that facilitates effective and inclusive open university teaching, contributing to the development of a well-being community and successful learning pathway. The study focuses on investigating the perspectives and experiences of open university students and part-time teachers regarding engagement, assessment, and inclusion within the university community.

Universities employ many part-time teachers who are experts in their field but often lack the pedagogical training considered crucial for teaching and assessment. Assessment feedback quality is intrinsically linked to student learning (e.g., Carless & Boud 2018). However, providing quality feedback to students is currently challenging in a context in which universities are increasingly relying on casualized and inexperienced academic staff to assess undergraduate work (Richards et al., 2017). A key factor that affects teachers' assessment conceptions is the prevailing assessment culture (Segers & Tillema, 2011), meaning the beliefs and values that underlie assessment practices and tasks and that guide assessment practices across a community (Deneen & Bound, 2014; Fuller & Skidmore, 2014.) This project seeks to explore and improve open university teaching by examining engagement, assessment, and inclusion within the open university community.

The data was gathered in two separate sub-studies.

1. Part-time teachers’ (N=50) assessment conceptions & and organizational sense of belonging​
2. Students’ course completion risk factors (N = 295)

Engagement in community-based activities, such as pedagogical design as a team, strengthens teachers' assessment skills (Xu & Brown, 2016).​ Moreover, it is widely recognized that experiences of participation / sense of belonging is linked with job satisfaction & well-being at work (Lindberg & Vingård, 2017).​ Furthermore, university teachers' well-being at work is known to be related to their job performance, teaching quality, and student satisfaction (Gulati et al., 2018)​. Given this, we're studying the link between part-time teachers' experiences of organizational belonging and their assessment views. Despite their growing role in higher education (e.g., Ott & Dippold, 2018), research on part-time teachers is lacking.​

Research questions and focus areas:

Question 1: Is teachers' sense of organizational belonging connected to their views on assessment?​

Question 2: Can fostering a sense of belonging among open university students strengthen their study engagement?​

Question 3: How a sense of belonging, on a broader scale, can be nurtured in open higher education?​ (Upcoming data collection in 2024).

A sense of belonging to the organization emerges as a key factor in promoting well-being within teaching. Quality teaching outcomes have both individual and societal significance, reinforcing the vitality of the open university as an organization. Identifying these key factors supports the enhancement of teaching practices and overall organizational effectiveness. Our research findings hold the potential to inform the creation of pedagogical practices and support services that promote collaboration, communication, and an open and transparent approach. These efforts aim to strengthen motivation, commitment, and alignment with the community's goals and values.

The findings will inform the development of pedagogical practices, support services, and a strong sense of community, ultimately enhancing the well-being and learning outcomes for all stakeholders involved. Open university students and part-time teachers play crucial roles in university operations, yet often function as separate entities, resulting in a lack of community and unity. Therefore, it is essential for the university community to have a clear vision of integrating open university students and part-time teachers into the broader university community. Organizational actors have a crucial responsibility to ensure that sufficient support and resources are available to meet the needs of open university students and part-time teachers. Support for open university students and part-time teachers may include academic assistance, mentoring, counseling, and flexible learning options. Availability of resources like technology, learning materials, databases, and library resources is crucial.

In recent years, several Norwegian reports have concluded that many children and youth with special educational needs do not receive the necessary pedagogical adjustments they require (Barneombudet, 2017; Nordahl, 2018). Based on this, Stortingsmelding 6. (2019 – 2020) Tett på – tidlig innsats og inkluderende fellesskap i barnehage, skole og SFO announced a competence boost within the field of special education. "The Competence Boost for Special Education and Inclusive Practices" is intended to be a permanent arrangement in the Norwegian education system, with the goal of providing all children and youth, from kindergarten to upper secondary school, with tailored and inclusive educational opportunities. This entails considering the general pedagogical and special educational offerings in conjunction, at the municipal and individual school and kindergarten level (Meld. St. 6 (2019-2020)).

This initiative aims to increase special educational competence among teachers and other professionals in the team supporting the student, particularly involving the Educational and Psychological Counselling Service (EPS). It is emphasized that the actors within the team must develop collaboration skills to work systematically in further developing the quality of education. This applies to both regular school practices, as well as improving the quality of special education (Haug, 2021).

Many previous competence initiatives in the Norwegian education sector have been largely characterized by top-down management. Stortingsmelding 21 (2016-2017) emphasizes that the most significant competence development in schools must occur at the local level. Within this context, there is also an acknowledgement that previous national initiatives have allowed for insufficient local adaptations. Therefore, the Competence Boost should be understood as a new strategy for competence development within the education sector in Norway, where competence is developed locally within each municipality (Mjøs et al., 2023).

In this endeavor, universities and colleges are to be regarded as equal partners to municipalities. The idea is that the various parties should complement each other and place emphasis on mutual learning. When competence is developed through partnerships between primary schools, support systems, and universities/colleges, and is based on local needs, it opens up many possibilities. However, it is also challenging as it is left to the actors to determine what the local needs are. The different actors may bring different understandings of the problems into the partnership and therefore have different needs. Often, in such partnerships, actors may also have unrealistic expectations of each other due to insufficient insight and understanding of each other's guidelines and mandates (Øen & Mjøs, 2023). In these situations, a "blame game" (Hood, 2002) can easily arise, where the different parties primarily believe that it is others who need to increase their competence and change their practices, rather than themselves.

This project reports on the first phase of the Competence boost in a Norwegian municipality. In this initial phase, the work primarily takes place at the steering committee level. The steering committee consists of representatives from the school ownership, representatives from the leadership of the municipal support system for education, and representatives from universities and colleges. In collaboration, the participants contribute to identifying competence needs and based on this, develop a plan for further competence development. Such a plan for competence development largely involves changes at the system level and therefore bears the mark of innovation (Florian, 2015). However, in order to harness the innovative potential of the work, it is crucial that the plans are anchored in the respective organizations and that they reach a consensus and acknowledge the current state (Øen & Gilje, 2020).

The research question for this project is:

What characterizes the process of implementing the Competence Enhancement Project in the municipality and what does this mean for further work?

The paper at hand is the second submission for the ECER in the context of the Learning from the Covid-19 Pandemic - Building Resilience through Inclusive Education Systems (BRIES) project of the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (EASNIE). This paper contains the final results of the project. Last year, in Glasgow, pre-liminary results have been presented.
In the BRIES project, six European countries participated: Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, and Sweden. Together with stakeholders from all countries we looked at how inclusive education systems in Europe have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the lessons learnt, and how to turn the crisis into an opportunity to build resilience and foster well-being.

The guiding question was 'How can different stakeholders’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic be turned into an opportunity to build resilience and well-being in inclusive education systems?'

Using a grounded approach (Charmaz 2014), effective communication in education emerged as one fundamental element to be addressed by decision‑makers to build resilience of all learners and ensure their well‑being in times of crisis (European Agency 2023). During the COVID‑19 pandemic, several countries published communication guidelines for different levels of stakeholders (European Agency 2022b). However, in the BRIES project, stakeholders still identified a lack of effective communication in education (European Agency 2023). This had a negative impact on the well‑being and resilience of stakeholders involved in the teaching‑learning process and on adequately addressing the needs of all learners.

Consequently, the project focused on developing a guidance for establishing a culture of effective communication in education. This guidance was developed to encourage decision‑makers (school leaders, policy‑makers and public education authorities at all levels of governance, depending on specific national contexts) to reflect on communication structures and processes which were in place in their education systems during the pandemic. In particular, they are asked to determine how those processes could be improved. A well-established culture of effective communication supports an education system in regular times. In times of crisis, a well‑established culture of effective communication provides an essential basis for mitigating the impact of significant risk factors for learners including the impact of the crisis on their socio‑emotional well‑being and resilience.
The findings were contextualised in the guidance by developing a model for effective communication, building on the main findings on effective communication, relevant communication theory, and existing models (e.g. the transactional model of communication). Furthermore, the guidance builds on Amartya Sen’s capability approach (Sen 2009). Thereby, effective communication is identified as a collective capability (Ibrahim 2006). Hence, a culture of effective communication in education is only possible, if all involved in the teaching-learning process are included and actively participate.
The European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education has strongly stated in its key principles the importance of increasing prevention measures in education policies to ensure support for all learners (European Agency 2021). In the developed guidance, the emphasis lies on prevention by focusing on the development of a culture of effective communication in education in regular times to be prepared to communicate effectively in times of crisis. As such, a culture of effective communication is a resource all education stakeholders should be able to refer to, to enhance the well‑being and resilience of all learners.

Students with special educational needs are a diverse group. Promoting their learning success is particularly challenging, even in practice for inclusive schools. At the same time, parents are often left alone with diagnosis and treatment.

Therefore, the focus of our paper is on the families of successful students with special educational needs and the networks around their families. Taking a positive approach, our paper did not seek to identify difficulties and barriers but to examine the resources that support learners with special educational needs who succeed (Honkasilta et al., 2019; Muir & Strnadová, 2014; OECD, 2011, 2021; Schuelka & Carrington, 2021). The theoretical basis of the paper is the theory of social capital and the sociological interpretation of resilience (Allan et al., 2009; Coleman, 1988; Muir & Strnadová, 2014; Pham, 2013; Vehmas, 2010).

Our research question is: What are the differences in social capital between parents of successful students with and without learning, behavioural and emotional disorders, and difficulties (SEN B)?

H1: Family social background helps both groups to become successful to the same extent (Haber et al., 2016; Kocaj et al., 2018).

H2: School professionals help both groups to be successful to the same extent. Support: School professionals also play a role in the success of children with integrated learning problems in inclusive education (Honkasilta et al., 2019; Hornby & Kauffman, 2021; Pham, 2013).

H3: Relationship networks within and outside the family help both groups to become successful to the same extent (Coleman, 1988; Epstein, 2018).

Introduction

Academic resilience is typically defined as the ability of students from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve high academic performance (Rudd et al., 2021; Ye et al., 2021). In resilient research, immigrant students, frequently from families with lower socio-economic status (SES) and struggling with cultural and language barriers in unfamiliar environments, are commonly identified as disadvantaged (Anagnostaki et al., 2016). Enhancing the academic resilience of immigrant students is crucial not just for their individual growth but also for the socio-economic and cultural dynamism of the countries they reside in.

The growing population of immigrant students, particularly in European countries, has spurred heightened interest in identifying protective factors that foster academic resilience (Gabrielli et al., 2022; Özdemir & Özdemir, 2020). Recent focus has been on those factors that are malleable and related to the educational environment, including schools and teachers. While some studies have considered individual characteristics like language attitude and immigrant generation (e.g., Martin et al., 2022), there is a notable gap in understanding how the diversity in language and cultural backgrounds among immigrant students affects their academic resilience.

To address this research gap, this present study investigates the influence of instructional quality on immigrant students’ academic resilience, while considering their intercultural communication competence and language distance between their native and host country languages. By doing so, it seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of how educational practices can be tailored to support the unique needs of immigrant students. This research is not only timely but also essential for informing educational policies and practices in increasingly multicultural European societies.

In recent years the social and political impact of various global crises has been at the centre of international (educational) discourse around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic represents one of the most noteworthy recent events that had immense effects on social and educational structures, as well as living environments and self-perceptions of individuals. The societal and institutional responses to the crisis often aggravated an existing experience of uncertainty for those already at the margins of society. The project Cov_enable: Re-Imagining vulnerabilities in times of crises, funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF (project P 34641-G), has been researching the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on supported living arrangements and schools in Austria.

One of the main principles for COVID-19 response taken by policy and decision makers focused on the protection of groups assumed to be vulnerable or at-risk. Vulnerability, as a concept, has journeyed through varying terrains of understanding, always shaped by historically and socially contingent conditions. Mackenzie, Rogers, and Dodds (2014), by offering a foundational understanding of vulnerability, present a taxonomy of vulnerability consisting of inherent and situational/contextual vulnerability – both closely intertwined. Drawing on this foundational taxonomy, Luna (2019) offers a more granular framework for evaluating layers of vulnerability. Central to Luna's conceptualization is the distinction between the origin and manifestation of these vulnerabilities. While some layers remain dormant, others can act as catalysts, either birthing new vulnerabilities or amplifying existing ones.

Employing a qualitative, participatory, and longitudinal approach, the project tracks how concepts and notions of vulnerability move back, forth, in-between and through the macro (policy and media), meso (organizations), and micro (individuals) levels. A central aim of our efforts is to discern how these evolving discourses shape new practices in inclusive education and supported living arrangements. Moreover, it seeks to understand the implications of these practices on the lives of individuals with disabilities and mental illnesses, especially those initially deemed and labelled as particularly vulnerable.

The focus of this paper lies on supported living arrangements that support people with intellectual, psychiatric, physical or sensory impairments in a variety of settings. The paper portrays the entanglements of personal agencies and experiences, processes of subjectivations, institutional structures, and material realities of selected research participants during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper builds on papers presented at ECER 2020 and 2021, the former focussing on the first phase of a small-scale longitudinal study examining how current and former students on the Into Headship (IH) programme in Scotland supported their school communities during the first lockdown in the UK, with a particular emphasis on children and young people (C&YP) considered to be vulnerable through disability, poverty, being looked after or otherwise disadvantaged. The latter paper drew from the second phase of the study (see methods), drawing from the perspective of participants from the secondary sector (aged 11/12-17/18). This paper draws from the findings from the primary sector (aged 4/5-10/11) and a special school for children with severe and complex needs which shares a campus with a primary school.

The Incheon Declaration sought to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ (Sustainable Development Goal 4) [1]. Yet, even prior to the pandemic, the UNESCO Global Education and Monitoring Report [2] highlighted the dire circumstances of the 28 million children homeless and/or displaced due to conflict across the world and the 124 million children and adolescents not in schooling [3]. Likewise, the first global State of the World Report to focus on the mental health and wellbeing of C&YP drew attention to the disproportionate effects of the hardships experienced by the most disadvantaged C&YP and the fragility of support systems [4, 5].

Across the world, the pandemic has served to amplify and exacerbate these existing inequalities, particularly so for those who are marginalised through poverty, displacement and/or disability [6-9]. The disruption to health and social services in many countries and the failure to facilitate learning for disabled children, together with a lack of support networks, may have compounded mental health issues for C&YP so affected, putting pressure on family life and exposing them to greater risk of abuse and neglect [3,6]. The Health Behaviour in School Children report on Europe identified that adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to report negative effects of the pandemic in two thirds of countries/regions [7] whether or not they were in receipt of support from family, teachers, classmates or peers [8]. In the UK, a study published in Nov 2023 found that there were significant disparities in access to support services between children living in poverty and those living in more affluent areas, with the former more than twice as likely not to be in receipt of support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services [9]. Thishighlights the key role that schools play as places of learning but also places of safety and belonging.

The quality of school leadership is an essential element in creating schools which are equitable, inclusive, and compassionate in their approach. This requires a focus on the whole school community and on responsive and adaptive leadership which has at its heart inclusive practice and social justice [10]. School leaders have had to navigate an unprecedented landscape of complex and rapid change and therefore the quality of headship preparation programmes becomes crucial in ensuring that prospective headteachers can rise to the challenge.

This small-scale empirical study focusses on Into Headship, a masters-level programme delivered within a single academic year in partnership with Education Scotland. Through examination of the ways in which IH students supported their school communities during and in the aftermath of lockdown, the study seeks to ascertain the degree to and ways in which engagement with the IH programme had prepared them to meet the challenges in order to inform the development of headship programmes globally.

Once we start talking in the classroom about the body and about how we live in our bodies, we’re automatically challenging the way power has orchestrated itself in that particular institutionalized space (hooks, 1994: 136-137).

Schools treat students’ bodies as an ‘absent presence’, that is, bodies are expected to fade in the background, as they are deemed 'disruptive' to learning. Nevertheless, not all bodies have the ‘ability’ to disappear, with some bodies appearing as ‘excessive’, including the disabled body (Mickalko, 2009).

This paper explores the lived experiences of young people with dwarfism of their secondary education in so-called inclusive schools in the United Kingdom. The research questions of the research were:

• How do young people with dwarfism experience and navigate different school spaces of their secondary schools?
• What are their experiences with their teaching assistants?
• What are the experiences with their class teachers?
• What are the experiences with their peers?

Drawing on phenomenological disability studies (Paterson & Hughes, 1999; Titchkosky & Michalko, 2012) and Leder's (1990) concept of 'dys-appearance' (which occurs when the body emerges problematically into direct consciousness), this paper looks into how the bodies of young people with dwarfism appeared as a ‘problem’ in secondary schools.In particular, it considers how the young people’s bodies (were made to) appear as ‘out of time’ and ‘out of place’ or how they dys-appeared in time and space.

This 2-part panel will bring together colleagues to reflect on teacher education for inclusion in 12 country contexts: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Chile, Cyprus, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia, Switzerland, and USA.

Educating teachers that are prepared to teach diverse student populations is one of the big challenges of present times. This can be to some extent explained by the challenges experienced by teachers linked to student diversity and the international push to develop education systems that include all learners. According to Forlin (2010), TE for inclusion is a way of ensuring that teachers are prepared to teach in classrooms with diverse student populations. Livingston (2020) considers that the role and responsibility of TE ‘in developing inclusive education that enables every teacher to meet the needs of all our young people’, still needs to be explored.

TE can be divided into two main phases: initial teacher education (ITE) and Continuing professional Development (CPD). In trying to dissect TE across 12 different countries, we will consider its format (duration and location), purpose (transmissive-malleable-transformative) and contents. Symeonidou (2017) identified three key formats of ITE for inclusion: a) single-unit approaches: 1 lecture/seminar; b) content-infused approaches: embedded in the programme; c) approaches using school placement/experience. However, Symeonidou and Makopoulou (2019) suggest that the contents, quality and impact of TE for inclusion still need to be explored as existing research is fragmented and limited. The engagement of all teachers in CPD varies within a country and across countries, as different teacher groups are not equally involved in CPD (De Vroey et al., 2023).

Even considering that research on teacher education for inclusion has reported positive outcomes of programs with different approaches, more evidence is needed to understand in depth the content, characteristics, barriers, and facilitators related to the effectiveness of teacher education, as well as to explore the underlying mechanisms involve producing these outcomes (Tristani & Bassett-Gunter, 2019). The literature suggests that internationally TE institutions are exploring ways to actively involve teachers and their students in understanding and developing their own learning, and that those institutions must ensure that theory and research are better linked to teachers’ practice. The competent bodies of educational policy in different countries accept that teachers hold a key role within the economic, social and cultural development of their country, and in promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensuring inclusive equitable quality education for all. TE still faces structural inadequacies as in many contexts elementary and secondary education are seen in a disintegrated way and not as sequentially complementary to each other, and not conceptualized in a unifying way that would enable the continuity between the initial teacher education and continuous professional development (Xochellis, 2002). Siuty (2019) notes that TE needs to support teachers in understanding and disrupting the dominant ideologies around normalcy that operate in educational systems, sustaining the exclusion and interrogating their identities and privileges in the systems of oppression and power imbricated with these ideologies to inform decision-making about practice and social interactions.

The panel will address the following questions:

- To what extent is inclusive education present in initial teacher education and teachers’ continuous professional development?

- What formats (duration and location), purposes (transmissive-malleable-transformative), and contents exist in ITE and CPD for inclusion of all students in education?

This is a timely discussion panel which will consider TE for inclusion cross-nationally to provide new insights to the format, purposes, content, quality and impact of Teacher Education for inclusion in diverse contexts.

This 2-part panel will bring together colleagues to reflect on teacher education for inclusion in 12 country contexts: Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Chile, Cyprus, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Serbia, Switzerland, and USA.

Educating teachers that are prepared to teach diverse student populations is one of the big challenges of present times. This can be to some extent explained by the challenges experienced by teachers linked to student diversity and the international push to develop education systems that include all learners. According to Forlin (2010), TE for inclusion is a way of ensuring that teachers are prepared to teach in classrooms with diverse student populations. Livingston (2020) considers that the role and responsibility of TE ‘in developing inclusive education that enables every teacher to meet the needs of all our young people’, still needs to be explored.

TE can be divided into two main phases: initial teacher education (ITE) and Continuing professional Development (CPD). In trying to dissect TE across 12 different countries, we will consider its format (duration and location), purpose (transmissive-malleable-transformative) and contents. Symeonidou (2017) identified three key formats of ITE for inclusion: a) single-unit approaches: 1 lecture/seminar; b) content-infused approaches: embedded in the programme; c) approaches using school placement/experience. However, Symeonidou and Makopoulou (2019) suggest that the contents, quality and impact of TE for inclusion still need to be explored as existing research is fragmented and limited. The engagement of all teachers in CPD varies within a country and across countries, as different teacher groups are not equally involved in CPD (De Vroey et al., 2023).

Even considering that research on teacher education for inclusion has reported positive outcomes of programs with different approaches, more evidence is needed to understand in depth the content, characteristics, barriers, and facilitators related to the effectiveness of teacher education, as well as to explore the underlying mechanisms involve producing these outcomes (Tristani & Bassett-Gunter, 2019). The literature suggests that internationally TE institutions are exploring ways to actively involve teachers and their students in understanding and developing their own learning, and that those institutions must ensure that theory and research are better linked to teachers’ practice. The competent bodies of educational policy in different countries accept that teachers hold a key role within the economic, social and cultural development of their country, and in promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensuring inclusive equitable quality education for all. TE still faces structural inadequacies as in many contexts elementary and secondary education are seen in a disintegrated way and not as sequentially complementary to each other, and not conceptualized in a unifying way that would enable the continuity between the initial teacher education and continuous professional development (Xochellis, 2002). Siuty (2019) notes that TE needs to support teachers in understanding and disrupting the dominant ideologies around normalcy that operate in educational systems, sustaining the exclusion and interrogating their identities and privileges in the systems of oppression and power imbricated with these ideologies to inform decision-making about practice and social interactions.

The panel will address the following questions:

- To what extent is inclusive education present in initial teacher education and teachers’ continuous professional development?

- What formats (duration and location), purposes (transmissive-malleable-transformative), and contents exist in ITE and CPD for inclusion of all students in education?

This is a timely discussion panel which will consider TE for inclusion cross-nationally to provide new insights to the format, purposes, content, quality and impact of Teacher Education for inclusion in diverse contexts.

While inclusion is part of the international agenda (e.g., Sustainable Development Goal 4), it remains a challenge to ensure that all learners can access, participate, and succeed in education. Barriers to inclusion arise at various levels: teacher (e.g., teacher’s implicit view of learners; Sturm & Wagener 2021), school (e.g., school ethos; Kovač Cerović et al., 2016), and local and national levels (e.g., organisation of educational provision and policy; Jovanović et al., 2022). However, the response to the question “Why are we failing some learners?” depends on the context in which learners' education takes place. From a system perspective (Senge, 1990), obstacles to inclusive education are not isolated events but part of established patterns evolving over time, underpinned by system structures and assumptions that perpetuate the status quo. Therefore, to address these obstacles, we must understand the socio-cultural-historical context in which they emerge. Response measures should address not individual obstacles but the system as a whole. As Senge (1990) notes, "low leverage" activities aiming to bring large-scale changes may alter appearances but not functionality. While such initiatives may contribute, they often do not lead to changes in thinking and practice (Fullan, 1991).

The panel aims to discuss, from a cross-national perspective – Scotland, Serbia, and Germany – the various issues presented at different levels as obstacles to removing barriers for all learners to be included and participate in education. Empirical cases will be presented to illustrate the relationship between obstacles to inclusion and the specific context in which these obstacles emerge. Moreover, we will avoid the tendency to perceive inclusive education as uniform across and within national contexts, emphasising the importance of contextually situated research on inclusive education and dialogue between different (levels of) contexts.

For that the panel will aim to answer the following questions:

1. What barriers to inclusion are identified in the different contexts?
2. What steps can be taken to remove those barriers and progressively guarantee that all learners are able to access, participate and succeed in education?

We will illustrate the discussion along empircial data, that has been gathered in the three countries; starting from these, we will investigate in the different forms of context, in which “images of normal/deviant students” are generated.

There is an international trend towards increased placement of students with disabilities in regular schools. Research has shown that students educated in inclusive classrooms tend to perform better academically and socially when compared to students who are educated in specialist settings (Hehir et, al, 2016). This research has largely focussed on students with students who have low support needs. A large majority of students with disabilities who have high support needs continue to be educated in specialist settings. Researchers, inclusion advocates and policymakers have emphasised the need to include all learners irrespective of the level of needs of students with disabilities. Surprisingly the voices of parents and students who have high support needs are missing from this debate. There is also hardly any research that has made cross-country comparisons.

This current research was being undertaken to examine why parents/carers choose to enrol their child(ren) in regular and/or special schools. The study will also explore factors that influence their decisions to move their child, if they do move them, from one setting to another. We are keen to identify factors that influence parents'/families' decisions about choosing a placement option (inclusive VS special) for their child.

Theoretical Framework

This research is about exploring parental motivation to send their children to either special or inclusive settings. We plan to use the “Theories of Motivation in Education: an Integrative Framework” by Urhahne and Wijnia (2023) to provide a conceptual foundation for the project. The theoretical framework helps us understand the motivation of a person about important decisions. Parents/families may make placement decisions considering many factors (e.g. parental self-efficacy, Matthews, et.al, 2022; satisfaction with the placement option, Sharma, et.al, 2022). The framework would allow us to examine parental motivations across different country contexts. It may allow us to extend Urhahne & Wijnia's framework as it is not applied across multiple country contexts in the inclusive/special education field.

The data for this study is being collected from Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Greece, Germany, and the UK (and other countries). Our group is conducting a longitudinal study using quantitative and qualitative data with the aim to understand why and how parents decide to enrol their children in one or the other setting. In this symposium, we will present cross-country comparisons and individual country data from some of the participating countries about parental perspectives and factors that influenced their decisions.

The first paper will report parental data from a study conducted in Plymouth, UK, the second paper will report data from Norway which examined the relationship between parental perceptions about inclusion with their demographic variables, and the final presentation will examine parental perspectives about the quality of their child's education in Italy.

The research will have significant implications for researchers, policymakers, educators, and families and carers of students with a disability who are keen to learn about how best the schools and systems be reformed to provide high-quality education to all children

This paper presents research findings from a cross-sector study: Are We Included? This project began in 2021 in the city of Plymouth, UK. It is the 2nd largest city in the southwest of England with a population of approximately 265,000. A primary objective of this research was to understand parental perspectives about the inclusion of their child in Plymouth. Research on this topic in the UK and globally is limited (Blandford, et.al, 2023; DfE, 2022; Holland & Pell, 2017) Plymouth is an area of considerable deprivation impacting on student, parent and carer participation in mainstream education compounded by the 2020 – 2022 pandemic. At this time, national policy aimed at improving outcomes for all students had created system-led changes - increased Academisation, the bringing together of Alternative Provision and Special Education Needs, emphasis on English and maths, a one-size fits all behaviour model, and increased powers for Ofsted. This nationally funded levelling-up project aimed to both determine and improve inclusion in all 19 city secondary schools– as reflected by stats on student attendance, participation, and attainment. The data was collected using a series of questionnaires and interviews with students, teachers, and parents. This research will only report on the findings of the survey from parents. A total of 398 parents responded to the survey that examined their Perceptions about inclusion (Sharma et.al, 2022). The interview question examined their responses to these three questions. 1- How do you define or what do you understand by effective inclusive education for your children in this city? 2- What are the challenges you and your children have faced when accessing inclusive practice in schools? 3- How and/or in what way do you as key stakeholders in the delivery of inclusive education to your children, think these challenges can be addressed? Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. We discovered the majority of parents felt teachers were doing their best to include all children in school but thought more could be done to establish better relationships and communications with families. Many felt their school had a preference for defaulting children with behavioural and/or SEND needs to the school SEND hub, rather than supporting them to continue attending their classes. There was also much concern expressed about the systems’ overreliance on referring children with behavioural needs to the city’s already overstretched Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), rather than providing behavioural support in-house.

Blandford, S., Casson, W., Gibson, S., Munn, G., and Shute, J. (2023). Schools Collaborate To Make Inclusion Work. Teaching Times. Available at: https://www.teachingtimes.com/schools-collaborate-to-make-inclusion-work/ DfE (2022), SEND Review: Right support. Right place. Right time. Department for Education London: HM Stationery Office. Holland, J. & Pell, G. (2017) Parental perceptions of the 2014 SEND legislation, Pastoral Care in Education, 35:4, 293-311, DOI: 10.1080/02643944.2017.1392587 Sharma, U., Woodcock, S., May, F., & Subban, P. (2022, July). Examining Parental Perception of Inclusive Education Climate. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 7, p. 907742). Frontiers.

Inclusion is a complex concept that ranges from placing students in mainstream classrooms to changing entire educational systems. While inclusive education is often simplified as the place where students are educated, it is much more than just the mere placement. In inclusive classrooms, all students irrespective of diversities are welcomed and schools make adjustments to ensure that the needs of all students are met. Research has shown a positive impact of inclusive practices on all students including those who have additional needs (Artiles et al. 2006). There has been some debate that inclusion mandates across most countries are driven by policymakers, and researchers and the voices of parents/carers and students with disabilities and their siblings are not given due attention. The perspectives of those who are the actual recipients of inclusion policies and how they experience them should not be overlooked. In Norway, the basic principle of special education is that the student should be taught in mainstream schools (also referred to as inclusive schools), still 9% of students are educated in permanent special education units (NDET, 2023). The current project investigated the potential relationship between the type of placement of students with additional needs with the perception of students' well-being. In this context, relevant factors in measuring the quality of the inclusion climate in schools are students' social participation and acceptance among friends, happiness, and belonging in the school community (Schwab et al., 2018; Sharma et al., 2022). Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate parental reports about the well-being of students receiving special education in regular schools, special schools and special education groups. Method and preliminary findings Through an internet-based survey, we collected data about parental perspectives about inclusion [Parental Perception of Inclusion Climate Scale (Sharma et al., 2022)] and compared it between parents of children who were attending regular schools and special schools/groups as dichotomous independent variables. We used individual items and three sub-factor scores on the Parental scale (Sharma et al., 2022)] related as dependent variables. The findings of the study will be discussed with possible implications for the special and inclusive education sectors in Norway and other countries.

Artiles, A. J., Kozleski, E. B., Dorn, S., & Christensen, C. (2006). Chapter 3: Learning in inclusive education research: Re-mediating theory and methods with a transformative agenda. Review of research in education. McConachie, H., Mason, D., Parr, J. R., Garland, D., Wilson, C., & Rodgers, J. (2018). Enhancing the Validity of a Quality of Life Measure for Autistic People. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 48(5), 1596–1611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3402-z Nordahl-Hansen, A., Fletcher-Watson, S., McConachie, H., & Kaale, A. (2016). Relations between specific and global outcome measures in a social-communication intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Disorders, 30, 19–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2016.05.005 Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (NDET).2023. “Fakta om grunnskolen 2023-2024” https://www.udir.no/tall-og-forskning/statistikk/statistikk-grunnskole/analyser/2023/fakta-om-grunnskolen-20232024/spesialundervisning/ Schwab, S., Sharma, U., & Loreman, T. (2018). Are we included? Secondary students' perception of inclusion climate in their schools. Teaching and Teacher Education, 75, 31-39. Sharma, U., Woodcock, S., May, F., & Subban, P. (2022, July). Examining Parental Perception of Inclusive Education Climate. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 7, p. 907742). Frontiers.

Despite widespread recognition in recent global educational policy agendas (UNESCO, 2015) that inclusive and equitable education is pivotal for ensuring quality education, a contentious debate persists regarding the effectiveness of truly inclusive learning and social contexts (Ainscow, 2020; Hehir, Pascucci, & Pascucci, 2016; Stephenson & Ganguly, 2021). This has lately been particularly pronounced in Italy in a newspaper article which asserted that notwithstanding the country's 50-year history of promoting integration and, subsequently, inclusion since the early 2000s, the system is purportedly failing. Naturally, this has sparked diverse reactions among academics, journalists, teachers and other stakeholders. However, scant attention has been given to the voices of parents and caregivers who, along with their children, directly experience inclusive practices and policies in Italy. Taking into account that in Italy the vast majority of students with disability attend mainstream/inclusive schools, the overarching aim of the research being presented is to provide parents with an opportunity to make their voices heard regarding their preferences towards mainstream/inclusive schools and special schools. This is especially important when considering that research on parents’ perceptions is still not that copious (Sharma et al., 2022; Zanobini et al., 2018). Specifically, this work addresses the question: “Which variables predict positive or negative perceptions towards inclusive education?” The initial data related to the Italian context that will be presented as part of an international study in nine different countries exploring the perceptions of parents and caregivers regarding school provision for students with special educational needs. The data collection tool comprises the “Parental Perception of Inclusive Climate Scale” (Sharma, et al. 2022), the “Me as a Parent Scale” (Short Version) (Matthews et al., 2022), and four open-ended questions. These findings will contribute to the ongoing discourse on global educational policies and the practical implementation of inclusive education strategies, filling a crucial gap in understanding parental perspectives.

Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 6(1), 7-16, DOI:10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587. Hehir, T., Pascucci, S., & Pascucci, C. (2016). A summary of the evidence on inclusive education. Retrieved from http://alana.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/A_Summary_of_the_evidence_on_inclusive_education.pdf. Matthews, J., Millward, C., Hayes, L., & Wade, C. (2022). Development and validation of a short-form parenting self-efficacy scale: me as a parent scale (Maaps-SF). Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31(8), 2292-2302. Sharma, U., Woodcock, S., May, F. & Subban, P. (2022). Examining Parental Perception of Inclusive Education Climate. Front. Educ. 7:907742. DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2022.907742

In the evolving landscape of Chinese education, the 'Learning in Regular Classroom' (LRC) framework has evolved into a cornerstone of inclusive practices, specifically tailored to provide support for students with identified disabilities (Xu et al., 2017). In 1988, the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China initiated discussions on integrating students with special needs into mainstream schools, marking the genesis of inclusive education in China (McCabe, 2003; Zhang & Miao, 2022). Since then, China has witnessed the emergence of a few nationwide legal instruments related to public education for students with disabilities under the Learning in Regular Classroom (LRC) model. These encompass two laws overseen by the NPC standing committee, one statute from the State Council, and two normative documents from the Ministry of Education. While these laws mandate free education for students with disabilities and obligate schools to provide opportunities, none were specifically designed for the LRC model, which synthesizes these legislative actions (Zhang & Arya, 2023). It is evident that the LRC model, prevailing for decades, serves as a proposed solution for implementing compulsory education for children with disabilities, forming the core model for inclusive education in China. However, a comprehensive exploration is essential to understand stakeholders' perspectives, particularly those of parents with children with disabilities.

To address this need, the current study was conducted to identify the factors influencing the decision-making process of parents when faced with the choice between regular and special schools, with a specific focus on the prevailing legal framework underpinning the LRC model. Furthermore, a crucial aspect of the investigation involved assessing the extent to which parents, acknowledged as central figures in the educational process, are granted recognition as equitable partners in pivotal decision-making processes, especially concerning the educational journey of their children with disabilities.

Parents who participated in this mixed method study reported that school principals play a decisive role as decision-makers in determining whether their children could gain admission to regular schools. When enrolling their children with disabilities in mainstream schools, parents' comments emphasized their recognition that, in contrast to regulatory frameworks, the ultimate determination of whether their children can attend these schools lies with the approval of the school principal. Despite the legal mandates of the 'Learning in Regular Classroom' (LRC) model and nine-year compulsory education, which prohibit schools from rejecting children based on their special needs, parents highlighted that schools could still find justifiable grounds to suspend their children if perceived as burdensome. According to parental perspectives, inclusive education appeared to be viewed by school principals more as a personal favor or act of kindness than a legally binding obligation for public schools.

The study also unveiled that, when confronted with the absence of a formal mechanism to address conflicts related to inclusive education, parents experienced vulnerability when their children with disabilities faced rejection or encountered unfair treatment in school. Confronted with this void, parents turned to informal avenues, including transferring their children to another school or committing additional financial or psychological resources, in a bid to ensure an uninterrupted educational journey for their children with disabilities.

Moving beyond individual choices, the research found that the broader challenges facing the implementation of inclusive education in China. These challenges encompass limited teacher training, insufficient resources, attitudinal barriers, and infrastructural limitations. Attitudinal barriers among teachers, students, and parents can hinder the successful implementation of inclusive education. Negative attitudes or stereotypes about students with disabilities may lead to exclusion rather than inclusion (Zhao et al., 2022). Empowering parents with knowledge emerge as a requirement, necessitating comprehensive initiatives to bridge the awareness gap around inclusive education principles (Zhang & Chen, 2021).

The culture of rights and the inclusive processes that promote the participation of people with disabilities in the community context has grown significantly in recent years, partly as a result of changes in demographic development at the national and international level. The progressive ageing of the population and the increased life expectancy represent a very significant challenge for both people with disabilities and their families. This is a social and cultural challenge we have to face not only to guarantee inclusion and participation rights, but also to implement organizational and managerial practices and processes that make them possible. It is therefore increasingly necessary to promote reflections, to develop project ideas and practical experiments aimed at building the adult identity of people with disabilities. The creation of an adult identity is the most important prerequisite for being able to relate to and to perceive oneself as such. On the basis of these considerations, the Centro Studi e Ricerche per la Disabilità e la Marginalità (CeDisMa), in order to face the request of some educational services, in Northern Italy, carried out a research project aimed at investigating, identifying and defining the main aspects - pedagogical, architectural, organizational and managerial - of a scientifically grounded, innovative and sustainable design of daytime services for disabled adults.

Specifically, this study was developed within two epistemic macro-areas, each structured into different work phases and related purposes: first macro-area - the state of the art and second macro-area - in-depth study.

Through a structured methodological framework, the survey, carried out between May 2021- March 2022, identified and defined important elements for the design of these services.

The emerging aspects highlight many points of interest on the pedagogical, managerial and structural level that can guide debates and actions in this field and open up further research areas.

The role of the family experiencing the disability of one of its members has gained increasing recognition. Understanding functions, needs and possible contributions that the family can offer means going beyond a care perspective, highlighting instead its qualities and skills, sometimes not immediately visible and that require to be enhanced. On the basis of these considerations, the families of adults with disabilities attending day care centers in the analyzed area, were also involved in the research project through the administration of a questionnaire. The aim was to offer them opportunities to intervene and share their needs, expectations and requirements.
A total of 20 people were reached.

UNICEF estimates that 616 million pupils worldwide have been excluded from regular schooling as a consequence of the coronavirus. As a result, many countries have put in place processes and structures, such as remedial education programmes, to address growing educational inequalities and promote school participation (Groß Ophoff et al. 2023). Such measures include summer-schools. They are typically used to reduce educational inequalities, in particular the socially disparate summer gap effect (Helbing et al. 2021). According to the faucet theory, pupils with low socio-economic status are disproportionately affected by summer learning loss (Alexander et al. 2001). The explanation for this phenomenon is that disadvantaged pupils have structurally less or no access to institutional and non-formal educational settings during holidays.

With regard to effects of summer-schools, there is evidence that they can have positive effects on pupils' literacy or numeracy skills, confidence and self-regulation (Cooper et al., 2000; Quinn et al. 2014; Lynch et al. 2023). However, the overall effect is expected to be rather small, at d=.23 (Hattie 2020). In addition, effect sizes are higher for middle class children than for low SES children. In addition, effect sizes are higher for middle class children than for low SES children. Successful programmes are characterised by the use of professional (trained) educational staff, meaningful preintervention assessment of performance and needs, parental involvement and the use of individualised support approaches (Zierer 2021).

The Austrian Ministry of Education (BMBWF) has introduced a ten-day summer-school at the end of the summer holidays in 2020. It aims to reduce the risk of learning loss for pupils with a non-german mother tongue and/or low academic achievement by providing individualised and linguistically adapted instruction during the summer holidays. In 2021, the programme was opened to all interested pupils and extended to other subjects (including Maths and English). The programme is now open to all pupils with different learning needs (repetition and consolidation of learning content, targeted support to compensate for deficits, preparation for the next school year and support for the transition to a new school form). Teaching should take place in small groups, across classes and school levels, and be project-oriented and language-sensitive. Student teachers and official teachers are responsible for the implementation of the programme (BMBWF 2023).

To date, there are only a few studies that provide insights into the summer school intervention. The main focus has been on the student teachers teaching in the summer school and their competence and professional development (Kart et al. 2022; Groß Ophoff et al. 2023; Lenz et al. 2023; Pham Xuan et al. under review). There is no evidence on the impact of the Austrian programme at pupil level. This study therefore focuses on the pupils who participated in the summer school. The research project aims to answer the following research questions:

- What experiences and perceptions do the students report after their participation in the summer school with regard to the objectives of the BMBWF?

- How are these reports to be interpreted in the light of the Faucet Theory?

To answer these questions, four group interviews were conducted with lower-achieving pupils (from less privileged backgrounds). The interviews provided an in-depth insight into the support programme and shed new light on the participants' experiences. The data were analysed using structured qualitative content analysis. The results will be discussed in the light of the international literature on the impact and conditions for success of summer-schools. Finally, the suitability of summer schools as an intervention to ensure school participation, as implied in the title, is addressed. The paper concludes with a discussion of conceptual considerations for the further development of summer-schools.

„Structural and social inequality“ (Zengilowski et al., 2023, S. 1) as well as „mechanisms that reproduce injustice and inequality“ (MacKenzie, Chiang & Thurston, 2022, S. 1) shape schools and teaching. Concurrently, there is a normative demand for a culture of education and teaching that is sensitive towards heterogeneity and inclusion, which has been legally established throughout Europe since the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The goal is to achieve collaborative learning and equal participation of all children, regardless of their learning conditions, in general mainstream education and the mainstream school system. The project focuses on inclusive primary school education, in which students with and without intellectual disabilities learn together. Consequently, a wide heterogeneity of individual learning conditions can be assumed (Ratz & Selmayr, 2021). The design of such inclusive instruction situation attributes potential to digital media because various opportunities for participation can be made accessible for a heterogenous student body through and with them (Kamin, 2020).

Digital media and the associated digitalization of all areas of live have, especially since the pandemic, shaped society and, consequently, school and education as whole. Generally, there is a consensus that the task of school education is to prepare all students for active engagement with and use of media, as well as reflection on media. Digital Storytelling presents an exemplary concept for designing inclusive digital teaching. Within the framework of Digital Storytelling, a literary story can be read and narrated using not only convention means (images, text) but also expanded ones (photo, video, audio). Due to the diverse, multimodal expressive possibilities, all children with heterogenous learning conditions can work on a common subject at different performance levels (Warmdt, Frisch, Ratz & Pohlmann-Rother, 2023).

Normatively, there is a demand to design such digitally inclusive instruction, like Digital Storytelling, with high quality. When looking at the current research discourse in German-speaking countries, it can be observed that publications on inclusive instruction (Bohl, 2017) and on instruction with digital media (Quast, Rubach & Lazarides, 2021) reference classical research on teaching quality and, consequently, cognitive activation. In cognitively activating instruction, the goal is to stimulate all learners according to their individual learning conditions to engage with challenging tasks that promote understanding and inference (Groß-Mlynek, Graf, Harring, Gabriel-Busse & Feldhoff, 2022, S. 1). In recent years, numerous German-language research projects on cognitive activation can be found, while in the international discourse, closely related concepts are often explored (e.g. „deeper learning“ by Meyer, Imhof, Coyle und Banerjee in 2018). When looking at the (subject-specific) operationalization and the mechanisms of action for cognitive activation, the research works exhibit a divergent and inconsistent picture (Groß-Mlynek et al., 2022, S. 3). One reason for this may be that the effects of cognitive activation in the studies are examined across the entire class rather than focusing on individual children (Begrich et al., 2023; Rieser & Decristan, 2023). Previous studies have often focused on the question of which an instructional approach leads to what effort or outcome however, individual influencing factors are mostly disregarded (Kunter & Ewald, 2016, S. 20). The individual and differential perspective in teaching quality research is the focus of the project. This is done using the example of individual cognitive activation in inclusive primary school instruction attended by students with and without intellectual disabilities, addressing the following two questions:

1. Which individually cognitively activating teaching and learning situations can be described in inclusive small group work on Digital Storytelling?
2. What differences in the number and type of codings for individual cognitive activation are evident for each student regarding the stigma surrounding intellectual disability?

This PhD study explores how dance provides opportunities for personal development of Children Experiencing Complex Needs (CECN), leveraging video observation to delve into the challenges and opportunities for inclusion. Video observation is integral to the methodology of this study involving pupils, parents and teachers associated with different special educational needs schools in England. Complex needs encompass a spectrum of conditions, including physical and sensory disabilities, intellectual and developmental delays, and other medical challenges that may impede societal participation. The premise of the study is that dance supports inclusion, empowering CECN to develop crucial personal skills essential for effective social interaction. By enhancing social inclusion, these personal skills enable CECN to build relationships, engage in activities, and access support systems, leading to significant improvements in overall well-being, sense of belonging, and personal growth.

Participant observation originated in anthropology as a way for researchers to study the customs and practices of remote communities by immersing themselves and observing while participating in the community (Iacono, Brown and Holtham, 2011). Observation as a research method is particularly suitable for studying dance, a multisensory activity that needs to be experienced by the senses and observed as it happens, allowing direct insight into various interactions in different settings (Fox, 1998). It enables a natural way of recording data to study dance and how it affects the behaviour of the participants thus aiding in understanding interactions between people in various situations (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007).

Challenges of participant observation

In this study, the researcher became a participant observer by teaching dance to students who were participants of the study. This helps to gather data about the behaviour of the participants and provides an in-depth understanding of the behaviour of the participants that would otherwise be inaccessible (DeWalt and DeWalt, 2011). However, involvement in the process can also be a distraction to the participants, affecting the quality of the data collected (Johnson, Douglas, Bigby, and Iacono, 2011). To address this challenge, the researcher used videos to collect data which involves recording the activity or behaviour being studied using a video camera, thus providing a less intrusive way of gathering data. The process of selecting a group of participating students was time-consuming and required continuous negotiation and coordination with school staff. One of the students expressed concerns and reservations about the use of a video camera. To address this, the researcher made a conscious effort to build trust gradually and ensure that the presence of the video camera became a natural aspect of the session over time.

Video recording can be a distraction and may prove challenging to maintain focus on the specific subject being studied, particularly in a fluid activity such as dance (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2007) which was the case in certain phases of this study. The process of setting up the camera equipment, making sure it is running properly, and adjusting settings took away from the focus on the dance lesson on a few occasions. Additionally, the presence of a teaching assistant was not sufficient to alleviate the distractions caused by the video camera as well as the music system. This was particularly true during the beginning of lessons, as the researcher had to spend time getting the equipment set up and functioning. The teaching assistant’s role was mainly to monitor the participating pupils rather than assist with video recording.

Non-availability of a space for lessons on occasions, continuous negotiations with gatekeepers, lack of response from parents, and delays in receiving signed consent forms from parents were some of the other issues faced which is not uncommon in school-based research (Alibali and Nathan, 2010).

As part of my dissertation project 'Inclusive Education in Rural Ghana - an ethnographic study in postcolonial relations', I seek to pursue a theoretical and methodological interest, using comparison as a methodology to address the complex problem of doing ethnographic research on inclusive education in postcolonial relations.

Disability and inclusive education are being constructed as an unequal international phenomenon by both academic research (Singal, 2013) and major organizations such as the World Health Organization (World Healt Organization, n.d. 10 facts on disability) or UNESCO (n.d. Global education monitoring report 2020). This leads to developments that describe inclusive education as an 'international movement' (Artiles & Dyson, 2005) and a 'development issue' (Chataika, 2019), highlighting the impact of disability and inclusive education solutions as important for human rights and sustainable development. This constructive basis is highly problematic when contextualized in postcolonial relations, as these tend to reproduce colonial patterns in terms of 'stereotypical dualism' (Andrien & Hulme, 1993). Singal and Muthukrishna (2014) refer to persons with disabilities and note that the discourse describes them as "backward, victims of society, neglected or hidden" (p. 294) with the aim of liberation and emancipation through the "'enlightened', 'civilising' work of Northern scholars and agencies." (ibid.) This is even more problematic as the concept of inclusive education needs to be contextualized due to different understandings of inclusion (Dyson, 1999), disability (Singal, 2013) and education (Singal, 2013) from context to context. The lack of universality thus opens up a space to connect with colonial continuities. It is therefore of theoretical interest to gain insights into the understanding of these phenomena in postcolonial relations, and thus to be able to describe understandings of inclusive education. I have chosen Ghana as my research site for practical research reasons.

In addition to the theoretical research interest, which again focuses on inclusive educational practice in rural Ghana, the methodological research interest asks how the perspective on this is constructed, as this is of high interest due to the critique of inclusive education "from the West to the rest" (Grech, 2011). Thus, the relationship between the object of research (what?) and construction of positionality or perspectivity (how do I look and how is the perspective constructed?) is central.

The research design, which tends to follow orientations, narratives and discourses that can be located in the Global North (Werning et al., 2016) or the West (Grech, 2011), thus becomes itself the object of critical inquiry. The research design itself is thus understood as fragile and fluid, in order to rethink questions of postcolonial relations, understood as powerful, exclusive and hierarchical, towards an inclusive and open scientific negotiation.

The methodology of comparison offers orientation to this theoretical-methodological problem. The ‘productivity of difference’ (2015, p. 108), according to Parreira do Amaral, not only enables the perception of what is one's own or what is different by distancing oneself from the familiar. This productivity also opens up spaces for reflection in which the relational construction of self and other (Othering: Said, 1978) can be critically examined and discussed. (ibid.)

The presentation aims first to outline the research design and the inherent problems, and then to take a closer look at the methodological possibilities of the ‘productivity of difference’ (Parreira do Amaral 2015, 108) by asking the following questions:

1. What possibilities does the method(ology) of comparison offer? How can comparison be used profitably?
2. How can the construction of difference, which tends to be problematic, be made productive and used profitably for the research object?
3. How does the specificity of postcolonial relations construct the practice of comparison, and what are its orientations?

Both parts of this symposium address the professional challenge rapid new-deregulations of laws and standards, freeing people of human-rights (neoliberalism), have created systemic injustice, and the widest gap between poorest and richest since World War II. Mistrust leads to students, more than willing to work hard, dropping out of school without them or their families knowing how to earn a living. At the limits of poverty they beg and are vulnerable to recruitment into regimes of Violence, Uncertainty, Chaos and Ambiguity.

The professional challenge is addressed Symposium Part 2 with perspectives from 1) Albania/Kosovo experiencing youth, the nations' futures, choosing to leave home to be trafficked abroad by boats, 2) US allowing some migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, already in Mexico, to apply to enter the US as refugees, 3.i) Nigeria's urban strategies to improve secondary education to leverage cultural richness and diversity of student populations to cultivate mutual respect, empathy, and active citizenship, and 3.ii) Nigeria's rural strategies to reverse malnutrition and mobilise education to optimise nutritional value of higher yielding crops, whilst attracting youth to stay in Nigeria with hope for sustainable futures. Two themes emerge.

1. Authoritarian hierarchical top-down delivery of PISA driven curriculums in classrooms de-professionalize educators and administrators by removing their autonomy and contribution to policy making (Sahlberg, 2012). Reduced to transmitters of government ideology, teachers are prevented from culturally responsive lesson-planning using students’ baseline-assessments to inform differentiated learning-plans for success. This creates systemic injustice as students with what Bourdieu calls the system's ‘right capital’ succeed and get richer and those without drop out of school to beg, engage with trafficking of illegal goods and people, or fail at school, widening the poverty gap.

2 Capital of disadvantaged students with intersectionalities of discrimination, assessed using deficit models, is found wanting. Students’ marginalised capital remains unrecognised and no differentiated lesson-planning creates pathways to curriculum Intended Learning Outcomes. Rather, they are segregated/streamed to Special Education Needs and Disability/lower ability classrooms with low expectations. This perpetuates patterns of illiteracy and prevents accessing knowledge of community-building to stop neoliberalism and systemic injustice implemented by power of a person, not power of the law.

Presenters offer culturally relevant responses to ways their Universities' Education Departments address the following question:

1. How and in what ways can University Schools of Education act as hubs to support a school to build a professional development community of practice.

Each presenter addresses the question and themes step-by-step.

Step 1 The intricate challenges posed by climate change significantly impact impoverished families, perpetuating social injustice and impeding sustainable development. The symposium partners draw on Dewey's Professional Educators and Administrators Committees for Empowerment (PEACE) to build Participation, Experience, Association, Communication, and Environment. This theoretical foundation employing action research methodology throughout the curriculum design, delves into the multifaceted consequences of the intersectionalities of climate change, war and forced migration. The adverse effects, such as irregular rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and heightened temperatures for nationals and new arrivals, directly jeopardise agricultural productivity—the linchpin of rural livelihoods and peaceful communities. Lacking resources and knowledge to navigate these challenges, impoverished families face heightened vulnerability, further exacerbated by limited access to crucial information and technologies. Consequently, children from these families often confront early school dropout, amplifying cycles of poverty and social injustice.

Step 2 Adapting ‘A Blueprint for Character Development for Evolution (ABCDE) to offer five stages drawing on social contract theory, to prepare teachers to recognise bias and reverse it.

Each partner incorporates diverse perspectives and community building using the frameworks and methodologies above, to reverse local inequality, and mainstream them through powerful Higher Education networks to reverse g/local inequality.

There are large gaps between the actual results of the students in Albania and Kosovo and even the average PISA results, let alone the top PISA results. Students from Kosovo and Albania are considered functionally illiterate. They are not taught to celebrate their cultural heritage and the memory is lost and their perceptions of the future are without hope. Many young people leave Kosovo and Albania, with high risk of loss of life, to be trafficked to countries where they think they will have a brighter future. They do not realise that even if they are successful in gaining refugee status in another country, they will not have an education that will allow them to be competitive in the labour market. Curricula problems are a misalignment between what students need to learn and what they are taught, are age inappropriate, and students are demotivated and see themselves as failures without hope for a future. Teacher training is not about addressing this problem, or empowering students with the conceptual frameworks and theoretical frameworks to solve their own problems to become self-reliant and resilient. Rather, educational institutions have a great disconnection with the education departments of the universities which misses opportunities to optimise students' learning. Many students have traumatic and post-traumatic problems, behaviour difficulties and have not developed attachment to their peers, families and communities drawing on Bowlby's Attachment Theory. School leaders selection is made according to the political investment in the election which is camouflaged with laws and instructions. In order to camouflage this, some criteria have been set by an international agency for school principals to follow, but this does more training on how to work as a teacher than how the head of the school should lead the staff and students in achieving high results. The appointment commissions are fully selected with political investment. Some universities started preparing leading teachers with postgraduate research degrees, but these are not recognised in the appointment of school leaders. The presentation reveals how following the two steps set out in this symposium abstract; PEACE and ABCDE builds community and empowers teachers, students and families with feedback-loops to policy makers and sightlines to change and hope for the future.

Bowlby, J. (1969) Attachment and loss: Vol 1. Attachment. New York: Basic. Bowlby, J. (1973) Attachment and loss Vol. 2. Separation. New York: Basic. Bowlby, J. (1980) Attachment and Loss. Vol 3. Loss. New York: Basic. Buchanan, J. (1975). Vol. 7 The Limits of Liberty: Between Anarchy and Leviathan in The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan, Foreword by Harmut Kliemt, 20 vols. (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1999-2002) Available at http://oll.libertyfund.org/title/1827 Taysum, A., & Hysa, F. (2023). Typology of epistemologies for democratising knowledge and policy benefits for all mainstreamed by doctoral-study. European Journal of Educational Research, 12(2), 623- 637. Fehérvári, A. (2017) Management of Social Inequalities in Hungarian Education Policy in Italian Journal of Sociology of Education 9 (2). Freedom House (2022) Freedom of the World Report. https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2020/leaderless-struggle-democracy Hysa, F. and Taysum, A. (2022) Using A Blueprint for Character Development for Evolution (ABCDE) to Build Relationships Through Talk to Mobilise Attachment Theory to Develop Security Attachment Capital for Good Choices that Regulate Continued Good Lives., in Journal of Groundwork Cases and Faculty of Judgement 1, (2) 187-209. USAID (2023) Administrator Power travels to Serbia and Kosovo – May 2023. https://www.usaid.gov/administrator-power-travels-serbia-kosovo

According to Hesson (2023) report by the Biden administration will allow some migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who are already in Mexico to apply to enter the United States as refugees. The refugees are expected to apply for asylum and will be eligible for government assistance through the early resettlement process. These refugees are likely to settle in Texas, California, and New York, which have historically received the most refugees. This symposium presentation examines the dynamics of refugees entering the United States from Mexico and explores potential strategies for their shelter, safety, cell phones, employment, and educational access. This presentation identifies communities of practice that are working hard to facilitate community building for social justice. It also highlights the myriad of difficulties and harsh challenges faced by refugees fleeing for their lives and emphasises the role of lifelong learning in promoting higher education opportunities. Undocumented refugees in the US can obtain legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA provides some two year work permits and protection from deportation. Currently, only a small percentage of undocumented college students are on such a program currently. Once documented, leveraging their current knowledge and skills, refugees can build academic capital that can be recognised by accrediting agencies enabling access to inclusion, education, and the workforce legally. The Professional Educators and Administrators Committees for Empowerment (PEACE) can facilitate democratisation of cultures and languages while honouring cultural heritages and memories of their associated literacies, that enable communities to celebrate previous achievements, participation, cooperation and success. Likewise, adapting “A Blueprint for Character Development for Evolution” (ABCDE), drawing on social contract theory, offers five clear steps to prepare teachers and community members to recognise bias and reverse it. Additionally, the presentation discusses how these approaches address the urgent needs for financial, food, and water security by involving collaborative problem-solving efforts. The research question of the symposium and themes are addressed in the evaluation of how realistic future hope is, that adopting these conceptual and theoretical frameworks will progress communities to finding their own solutions towards achieving the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda. The evaluation will have a particular emphasis on sustainability.

Ball, S. (2004). Education policy and social class: The selected works of Stephen J. Ball. Routledge. Glazer, N. (1987). The emergence of an American ethnic pattern. Ronald Takaki,13-25. Hesson, T. (2023). US to accept certain non-Mexican migrants in Mexico as refugees. Reuters. https://bit.ly/47W9wtZ. Maldonado-Maldonado, A., Carlos Aguilar Castillo, J., Cortes-Velasco, C. (2023). Student migration between Mexico and the United States: possibilities and disputes associated with becoming mobile in H., Pinson, N., Bunar., D. Divine. (Eds) Research Handbook on Migration and Education. EE. Revens, E., Lennin, C., Alvarez, D., Ordonez, S., Benitez, C., Garcia, P., Price, A., Price, R. (2023). The Migrant Experience: A Journey of Hope A report summarizing data obtained from migrants and those helping migrants at the US/Southern Border and in North Carolina. http://camino.tokdigitalagency.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Migrant-Journey-Report-ENG.pdf. United Nations. (2016). Agenda 2030. Sustainable Development Goals https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300 UNESCO. (2022). Marrakech Framework for Action https://www.uil.unesco.org/en/marrakechframework- action USAID. (2021). Higher Education as a Central Actor in Self-Reliant Development: Program Framework. https://bit.ly/45JBkkU Will, M. (2019). Deprofessionalisation is killing the soul of teaching Union President Says. Education Week. https://bit.ly/3PyubOQ

In the past two decades, Nigeria has grappled with political violence fuelled by extreme ideologies, banditry, and ethnic militias, posing a threat to national stability. Concurrently, economic downturns and threats to food security further exacerbate the challenges. This paper contends that fostering democratic values in secondary schools is pivotal for Nigeria's stable democracy. However, schools face significant challenges, including a lack of resources and support for teacher professional development initiatives. Institutional barriers and cultural norms impede the creation of inclusive learning environments conducive to democratic thinking. Despite these challenges, unique opportunities exist to foster democratic community building. Leveraging the cultural richness and diversity of the student population can cultivate mutual respect, empathy, and active citizenship. Drawing on Dewey's theory of education for democracy and Taysum's Professional Educators and Administrators Communities for Empowerment (PEACE) agenda, the study advocates a holistic approach to democratise cultures and languages. This entails transitioning from dishonouring to honouring cultural heritages and literacies. Theoretical underpinnings from Dewey and PEACE guide the university's support for secondary school teachers, emphasising the development of knowledge and skills through action research. The literature review underscores the absence of a participatory culture within schools, hindering relationships between teachers, students, and administrators—critical for quality learning and preparing students for active democratic participation in society (Imam, 2020). Imam and Taysum highlight the vital role of education for democracy in empowering young people, fostering inclusive communities, attachment security, and critical thinking. University School of Education Teacher Training and Teacher Professional Development programs play a crucial role in enhancing teachers' understanding of democratic principles (Biamba et al, 2021). The literature emphasises the need for reflection on teaching practices and beliefs, fostering inclusive and participatory learning environments (Bada et al, 2020). Building communities of practice emerges as a central theme, facilitating knowledge sharing between university educators and teachers. By fostering a sense of community and empowering teachers, the study aims to enhance the nurturing of young people in democratic culture within schools. This, in turn, aims to produce effective citizens capable of active participation in democratic processes, thereby demanding responsible leadership in their communities upon leaving school. The study envisions a democratic education system that equips future generations to contribute meaningfully to Nigerian society.

Bada, H A., Ariffin, T F T., & Nordin, H. (2020, August 24). The Effectiveness of Teachers in Nigerian Secondary Schools: The Role of Instructional Leadership of Principals. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2020.1811899 Biamba, C., Chidimma, O N., Chinwe, O V., Kelechi, M C., & Chinyere, N A. (2021, January 1). Assessing democratic classroom practices among secondary school civic education teachers in the global south: case study of South East Nigeria. Cogent Education, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2021.1896425 Imam, H. (2020). How teachers of secondary schools describe and understand participation in their educational institution. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 12(1), 80-101. doi:10.14658/pupj-ijse-2020-1-6. Imam, H. & Taysum, A. (2022). Adults and children using A Blueprint for Character Development for Evolution (ABCDE) to facilitate self-reflection through talk to manage emotions and self-regulate for continued good life in post Covid-19 recovery. Journal of Groundwork Cases and Faculty of Judgement, 1 (2), 214. Article 4. Taysum, A. (2019). Education Policy as a Road Map to the Achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Emerald.

Community engagement and social learning skills are pivotal for enhancing farmers' knowledge in agriculture to optimise crop yields/nutrition, farmers accounting skills, incomes and good lifestyles. This study explores the synergies between these elements to empower farming communities. The introduction sets the stage for understanding the significance of community-based approaches and social learning in agricultural knowledge enhancement. Research by Di Falco et al. (2020) reveals that influence in farmers' adoption of climate change adaptation measures, the impact of farmers' social networks on the uptake of climate change mitigation measures, remains largely uncharted. This symposium presentation begins to fill this gap with implications for symposium partners and ECER delegates. Surveying existing research, the literature review delves into community engagement models and social learning theories within agricultural contexts. It synthesises key findings, identifying gaps and laying the foundation for the study's unique contribution to the field. The theory draws from Borgatti and Ofem's social network theory (2010) and Foster and Rosenzweig's social learning concept (1995). It posits that individual behaviour is shaped by peer interaction, encompassing herd behaviour, spillover, neighbourhood, or peer effects. The central premise is that emerging technologies or practices disseminate through social learning knowledge gained from observing and interacting with peers and neighbours (Šūmane et al., 2018), commonly known as spillover or neighbourhood effects ( Vroege et al., 2020). The research will be conducted in Nigeria, focusing on utilising focus group discussions to investigate the dynamic relationships among community engagement, social learning skills, and farmers' knowledge acquisition. In this study, community engagement, social learning skills, and farmers' knowledge acquisition will serve as dependent variables, while farmers' demographic features will be treated as independent variables. Presenting empirical results, this section unveils the data collected from the study. Farmers' responses and observed outcomes are analysed, shedding light on the effectiveness of community engagement and social learning using Professional Educators and Administrators Committees for Empowerment and ABCDE in augmenting agricultural knowledge among participants. Interpreting the findings, the discussion section explores the implications of community engagement and social learning on farmers' knowledge. It delves into the broader significance of the results, considering implications for agricultural practices, community development, and future research. Drawing from the study's insights, this section offers practical recommendations for policymakers, agricultural extension services, and community leaders. Suggestions for optimising community engagement programs and fostering social learning skills are outlined to enhance farmers' knowledge and resilience.

Borgatti SP, Ofem B (2010) Social network theory and analysis. Soc net theory and educ change:17–29 51:17–30 Di Falco S, Doku A, Mahajan A (2020) Peer effects and the choice of adaptation strategies. Agric Econ Foster AD, Rosenzweig MR (1995) Learning by doing and learning from others: human capital and technical change in agriculture. J Polit Econ 103 Šūmane S, Kunda I, Knickel K, Strauss A, Tisenkopfs T, Rios I, Rivera M, Chebach T, Ashkenazy A (2018) Local and farmers’ knowledge matters! How integrating informal and formal knowledge enhances sustainable and resilient agriculture. J Rural Stud 59:232–241. Taysum, A. (2019) Education Policy as a Road Map to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Emerald. Vroege W, Meraner M, Polman N, Storm H, Heijman W, Finger R (2020) Beyond the single farm–a spatial econometric analysis of spill-overs in farm diversification in the Netherlands. Land Use Policy 99:105019

Both parts of this symposium address the professional challenge rapid new-deregulations of laws and standards, freeing people of human-rights (neoliberalism), have created systemic injustice, and the widest gap between the poorest and the richest since World War II. Mistrust leads to students, more than willing to work hard, dropping out of school without them or their families knowing what to do to earn a living. Children and families turn to begging at the limits of poverty and are vulnerable to recruitment into regimes of Violence, Uncertainty, Chaos and Ambiguity.

To address the professional challenge in this first part of a larger symposium the following themes are addressed by perspectives from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) including Iraq, Morocco, Palestine, and Syrian Refugees' experiences in Lebanon, Turkey and France of:

1. Authoritarian hierarchical top-down delivery of PISA driven curriculums in classrooms de-professionalize educators and administrators by removing their autonomy (Sahlberg, 2012). Reduced to transmitters of government ideology, teachers are prevented from culturally responsive lesson-planning using students’ baseline-assessments to inform differentiated learning-plans for success. This creates systemic injustice as students with the system's ‘right capital’ succeed and get richer and those without drop out of school to become beggars, or engage with risky business of trafficking of illegal goods and people, or fail at school and, in any case get poorer.

2. Capital of disadvantaged students with intersectionalities of discrimination, assessed using deficit models, is found wanting. Students’ marginalised capital remains unrecognised and no differentiated lesson-planning creates pathways to curriculum Intended Learning Outcomes. Rather, they are segregated/streamed to Special Education Needs and Disability/lower ability classrooms with low expectations. This perpetuates patterns of illiteracy and prevents accessing knowledge of community-building to stop neoliberalism and systemic injustice implemented by power of a person, not power of the law.

Presenters offer culturally relevant responses to ways their Universities' Education Departments address the following question:

1. How and in what ways can University Schools of Education act as hubs to support a school to build a professional development community of practice.

Each partner of our symposium addresses the question and our themes step by step.

Step 1 The intricate challenges posed by climate change exacerbated by war and forced migration, significantly impact impoverished families, perpetuating social injustice and impeding sustainable development. The symposium partners draw on Dewey's Professional Educators and Administrators Committees for Empowerment (PEACE) to build Participation, Experience, Association, Communication, and Environment. This theoretical foundation employing action research methodology throughout the curriculum design, delves into the multifaceted consequences of climate change, war, forced migration and reaching the limits of poverty. The adverse effects, such as irregular rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and heightened temperatures for nationals and for new arrivals, directly jeopardise agricultural productivity—the linchpin of rural livelihoods. Lacking resources and knowledge to navigate these challenges, impoverished families face heightened vulnerability, further exacerbated by limited access to crucial information, technologies and transparent democratic policy for social justice. Consequently, children from these families often confront early school dropout, if schooling is even available, which amplifies cycles of poverty and social injustice.

Step 2 Adapting ‘A Blueprint for Character Development for Evolution (ABCDE) to offer five stages drawing on social contract theory, to prepare teachers to recognise bias and reverse it when building community with teachers, students and families.

Each partner incorporates diverse perspectives and community building using the frameworks and methodologies above, to reverse local inequality, and through powerful Higher Education networks, mainstream them in education systems to reverse g/local inequality.

Refugees in Iraq have been the most complicated humanitarian crisis in the region, and has had an impact on all sectors of life. The areas most affected by the crisis are located in the north of the country, mainly around Mosul. This area has witnessed extremely harsh humanitarian crises for the last three decades after thousands of people were forced to flee their homes and villages for safety. Mosul has been the site of many conflicts across different fronts that have resulted in the displacement of thousands of families and the disruption of access to primary education for thousands of children. Most refugees are currently staying in refugee camps with minimum support and severe living conditions. Mosul and the surrounding areas were liberated from the terrorist groups but refugees are still in their camps with no foreseeable plan of returning home. Addressing the requirements of the support needed by people, mainly children, within such a context of uncertainty is challenging in the areas where the camps are. Thousands of children in the camps have been deprived of their rights to access education. The 1948 United Nations declaration of human rights clearly states in Article 26: ‘Everyone has the right to education’, but thousands of Iraqi refugee children are deprived of their basic education rights and are trapped in poverty with no hope for the future. Using the conceptual frameworks and theories of this symposium, lessons learned from the refugee crisis in Iraq are presented around how to effectively assess the needs of the refugees, establish a workable system to support their situation in all aspects of life, and achieve a sustainable education for them in new partnerships between Universities, school teachers, students and families.

Brown, K. M., Benkovitz, J., Muttillo, A. J., & Urban, T. (2011). Leading schools of excellence and equity: Documenting effective strategies in closing achievement gaps. Teachers College Record, 113, 57–96. Cole, J. (2012) ‘Iraq in 1939: British Alliance or Nationalist Neutrality toward the Axis?’ Britain and the World 5 (2) 204-222. Dodge, T (2006) The British mandate in Iraq, 1920-1932. The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974. Dogan, Serkan, et al (2017) ‘A glimpse at the intricate mosaic of ethnicities from Mesopotamia: Paternal lineages of the Northern Iraqi Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Turkmens and Yazidis’, in PloS one 12 (11). Garavini, G. (2019) The Rise and Fall of OPEC in the twentieth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Garfield, R. (1999) Morbidity and Mortality among Iraqi Children from 1990 through 1998: Assessing the Impact of the Gulf War and Economic Sanctions. Hatem Issa, J., Jamil, H. (2010) Overview of the Education System in Contemporary Iraq in European Journal of Social Sciences, 14 (3) 360-368. Ministry of Planning (2018) Iraq National Development Plan 2018-2022. Baghdad: High National Development Plan Development Planning Committee. Wenner, J. and Campbell, T. (2017) The Theoretical and Empirical Basis of Teacher Leadership. 87 (1) pp. 134–171.

In the rural regions of Morocco, the intricate challenges posed by climate change significantly impact impoverished families, perpetuating social injustice and impeding sustainable development. Drawing on Dewey's Professional Educators, and Administrators Committees for Empowerment (PEACE) to optimise Participation, Experience, Association, Communication, and Environment) framework as a theoretical foundation and employing action research methodology throughout the curriculum design, this study delves into the multifaceted consequences of climate change. The adverse effects, such as irregular rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and heightened temperatures, directly jeopardise agricultural productivity—the linchpin of rural livelihoods. Lacking resources and knowledge to navigate these challenges, impoverished families face heightened vulnerability, further exacerbated by limited access to crucial information and technologies. Consequently, children from these families often confront early school dropout, amplifying cycles of poverty and social injustice. The literature review incorporates diverse perspectives, with Leach's 2008 work providing a foundational understanding of the environmental context, Adger's 2006 emphasis on vulnerability and resilience, and Pelling and High's 2005 exploration of adaptive capacity and social capital. Blaikie's 2006 focus on community-based resource management and Gupta et al.'s 2010 tool for assessing institutional adaptive capacity contribute additional insights. To address these issues, the study advocates for building communities of practice that facilitate knowledge sharing among educators, community leaders, and families. Within an action research framework, University Education Department teacher training programs play a pivotal role in equipping educators with the skills to embed climate change resilience into the curriculum. Collaborative efforts involving teachers, communities, and families inform the curriculum, ensuring its contextual relevance and promoting sustainable practices. By fostering a sense of community and empowering educators, the study aims to enhance the adaptability of rural communities to climate change, simultaneously mitigating social injustices and breaking the cycle of early school dropout and poverty.

Andalousi, S. (2022) Berries with the taste of misery: Shocking exploitation of Moroccan female workers. El-Estiklal Newspaper. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2022) Near East and North African Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition; Trade as an Enabler For Food Security and Nutrition. Cairo https://www.fao.org/3/cc4773en/cc4773en.pdf Morocco World News (2022) A Legacy of Abuse Continues for Moroccan Migrant Workers in Spain. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2019/08/279532/abuse-moroccan-migrant-workers-spain . Nuffic The Dutch Organisation for internationalization in education (2022). Primary and Secondary Education Morocco National curriculum https ://www.nuffic.nl/en/education-systems/morocco/primary-and-secondary-education Open Government Morocco (2021) national Action Plan 2021-2023. The Kingdom of Morocco https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Morocco_Action- Plan_2021-2023_EN.pdf Statista, (2023) Unemployment in Morocco in 2020 by gender and region. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1292145/unemployment-rate-in-morocco-by-gender-and-region/ United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights (General Assembly Resolution 217 A). Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declarationhuman-rights/. Taysum, A. and Zohri, A. (2023). Evaluative Policy Analysis Informing Framework Proposal to Micro-Credential Leaders of Lifelong Learning through King Mohammed VI African Institute, Marrakech Framework and 2030 Agenda, Journal of Groundwork Cases and Faculty of Judgement 2(2), 209-234.

School leadership refers to the persons or teams that guide, manage or lead education institutions at multiple educational levels (Pont, 2020). In Palestine, school leaders form a community of practice which aims to maximise the collaboration among them and exchange best practices to improve their professional growth, decision making and problem solving skills during and post crises. Education improves through effective school leaders. School leaders could improve the quality of thinking, learning and management as they can share multiple scenarios with teachers and students. In the Palestinian context, school leadership could be defined as a mixture of history, memory, educational and financial crises, the daily struggle against occupation, the desire of independence and several initiatives to make tangible changes in schools (Salha & Affouneh, 2023). School leaders face various challenges like workplace problems, and leading organisational change. Data were gathered through interviews and questionnaires by a mixed method case study design, with the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data. Results, and integration are used to provide in-depth evidence for the investigated case. Specifically, the researcher of this present study used sequential design, as it began with qualitative data collection, which was analysed and used to construct the study questionnaire. It was then followed by qualitative data collection in order to strengthen the interpretation of the results of quantitative data analysis. Findings revealed school leaders made significant differences in student learning and school improvement when granted autonomy to make decisions. School leaders acquired knowledge and skills in decentralisation as a new policy for education under uncertainty. Despite the lack of resources, Palestinian school leaders demonstrated trust in learning and teaching as national interest, and belief that community engagement is a main factor in school policy. In Palestine, School leadership is a goal and a tool, a goal that should promote and a tool to create community leaders and a community of practice. It could be difficult to lead schools in uncertain conditions, which is the usual case in Palestine. School leaders showed high flexibility to overcome several challenges to normalise emergencies and to manage crises. Designing a well-structured program of school leadership within University Education Departments, during and post crises is urgently needed to secure social justice, quality education and professional development. Adoption of decentralisation policy to empower school leaders to manage crises is recommended to engender their immediate response and learning through situational practices operationalising this symposium's frameworks and methodologies.

Salha, S. & Affouneh, S. (2023). The State of Art of Educational Leadership in Palestine: The Two Faces of the Coin. In Kh. Arar et al., (Eds). Demystifying Educational Leadership and Administration in the Middle East and North Africa (1st ed, pp 153-165). Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003334835-9. Pont B. (2020). A literature review of school leadership policy reforms. Eur J Educ, 55: 154–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12398

Since the uprising in 2011 in Syria, the political regime implemented increasingly intolerant and brutal and violent practices. Migrating Syrians, fleeing from Syria for their lives as undocumented refugees, face rapidly changing bureaucracy which, as quicksand, offers no foundation for building a good life. Access to education for children and young adults operationalises ‘exclusion by inclusion’, with little incentive to study. Three important case studies, in Lebanon in Turkey and in France show how the lack of inclusive policies has led to the exclusion of Syrians in these two neighbouring countries and the European country equally. In Lebanon, Turkey and France, Syrian refugees, like Palestinian refugees do not have equal access to education and the labour market. Virtual learning degree courses that may be accessible to Syrian and Palestinian refugees are useless with no pathways to a nation state's professions or teaching. This prevents Syrians and Palestinian refugees co-constructing public policy that supports diversity, equity and boosts inclusion. Drawing on this symposium's framework as a theoretical foundation and employing action research methodology throughout the curriculum design, this study delves into the multifaceted consequences of culturally relevant challenges for Syrian refugees in these three cases. These include Violence, Uncertainty, Chaos, Ambiguity and war, a loss of home, a loss of good livelihood, a loss of family and cultural traditions, and forced migration with refugee undocumented status into nation states that do not honour the Syrian language, literacies and wisdom. This can erode memories and ABCDE offers communities the chance to reignite the powerful memories of a culture and language and build community to advocate for social justice with feedback-loops to policy makers. The PEACE can mobilise ABCDE with agendas to develop strategies with milestones, that can be monitored and evaluated to hold governments accountable, through open government partnerships, to script inclusionary policies for education and all ares of the quadruple helix to realise social justice. Step by step PEACE and ABCDE can be mainstreamed with Virtual Universities in the digital economy offering high quality Micro-Credential Modules for teacher training and Continuing Professional Development to build communities’ languages and cultures of democracy to dismantle systemic injustices.

Al-Abdullah, Y. (2021). Facing the educational obstacles in the Northern Parisian Suburbs. The case of Allophone Syrian Dome Children in St Denis. Keynes et Mineurs en Mobilite, 6, 39-49. Al-Abdullah, Y. & Papa, R. (2019). Higher Education for Displaced Syrian Refugees: The Case of Lebanon. In K. Arar, J.S. Brooks & I. Bogotch (Eds), Education, Immigration and Migration (Studies in Educational Administration). (pp. 169-189). Emerald Publishing Limited. Adler, M. (1941). A Dialectic of Morals: Towards the Foundations of Political Philosophy. University of Notre Dame. Ball, S. (2004). Education policy and social class: The selected works of Stephen J. Ball. Routledge. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and Education. MacMillan. Haidar-Baldwin, M., & Taysum, A. (2021). A contextualized policy analysis of Lebanese Education from the end of World War II 1944, to the dissolution of parliament in 2020. Journal of Groundwork Cases and Faculty of Judgement, 1(1), 72-93. Open Government Partnership. (2023). Global Summit. https://www.opengovpartnership.org Taysum, A. (2019). Education Policy as a Road Map to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Emerald. United Nations. (2016). Agenda 2030. Sustainable Development Goals https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300.

1 The challenge of inclusion and reflexivity

Inclusion/exclusion, interculturality and equal opportunities are social and educational key challenges in Europe. The research project "pro-inclusive-reflective" presents aims to promote inclusion in the long term by focusing on how to deal with heterogeneity, especially the experience of foreignness, in the first phase of teacher training.

Given the many contingencies in our society, the individual characteristics and symptoms of pupils and teachers alike, the challenges of supporting young people on their educational journey are enormous. This is only possible if teachers know how to deal reflexively with foreignness and fear of alterity in terms of culture, milieu, disability, or gender orientation.

Accordingly, we pursued the following objectives:

- promoting inclusion in schools,

- increasing necessary competences of student teachers to deal with heterogeneity and disconcerting foreignness,

- qualification of trainee teachers to supervise educational processes of future teachers, i.e. to become reflective practitioners dealing productively with their own alterity as well as the alterity of pupils and students.

2 Reflexivity as a necessary competence for teachers

Our research is based on the approach of the reflective practitioner promoted by Donald Schön (1987). According to our experiences it seems important to articulate reflective work when encountering others. Especially according to the psychoanalytic approach (Lacan, 2004) which addresses the unconscious as a real confusion with arising affects, desires and passions during the process.

Research on becoming a teacher as well as our own qualitative studies identifies recurring challenges for teacher candidates and their supervisors (Weber, 2008). Practice supervisors should be prepared to work with students on the following aspects:

- applying and reflecting on differentiated approaches,

- becoming aware of the relationship between knowledge and ignorance and developing an eye for their students' unique relationship to knowledge,

- learning to deal with affects, resistance to alienation, their own desires and the desires and enjoyment of their students',

- personal motivation to become a teacher and the matter of one's own style,

- students' ideas about heterogeneity, educational equity and the specific needs of children and young people.

3 Aims of the training program for trainee teachers

To supervise someone firstly requires a "commitment"; it requires a "yes" to singularity, to the alterity of the novice (Derrida, 2003). The training we have developed for reflective trainee teachers has the following aims.

Participants

- are aware of challenges that students face during their practice concerning alterity,

- be able to verbalize and reflect on their own imaginary-narcissistic expectations, projections, and transfers onto students,

- be aware of the importance of reflection when dealing with heterogeneity in a group or when designing inclusive settings,

- can apply methods of solution-focused practical reflections to support students in developing their own teaching style

- are aware of the importance of a psychoanalytic perspective, especially regarding action-determining phantasmas, structure of drives and unconscious resistance to alterity (e.g. social and cultural differences, disabilities, gender orientation) and are familiar with central concepts of psychodynamic/psychoanalytic educational work.

- are aware of functions, tasks and ethical positioning of supervisors.

Methodologically, the training will articulate psychoanalytic/depth psychological work on case studies of interactions between practice teachers and trainee teachers.

4 Process and purpose of the symposium:

- Discussion the importance of reflexivity focusing on verbalization.

- Working on the biographical-singular aspects, especially in the context of heterogeneity.

- Illustrating psychoanalytically orientated case work and how it can promote reflexivity of trainee teachers.

Discussion

What do colleagues think about our approach? What experiences have they made on this topic? What challenges are they facing? Are there any international differences?

Reflexivity is often emphasized in current teacher training, but the content is not always fully grasped and the conditions for the possibility of reflection in the sense of systematic reflection and analysis of school practice processes are not examined more closely. Practical support tends to focus on providing tips and tricks, thus creating a false sense of security. It often remains a pseudo-reflection, a mere linguistic duplication of existing ideas guiding action, if these are not linked to feelings and personal experience and are not linked to theories, translated into terms, or conceptually specified, which would be necessary for real reflection (cf. Hilzensauer, 2008). The research project pro-inklusiv-reflexiv develops a concept for an accompanying internship course (“Praktikum”) in teacher’s training that focuses on promoting students' ability to become aware of the experiences and feelings associated with the internship and to express them in language. This translation work makes experience available and thus reduces uncertainty. It serves the "primary task" (Rice, 1963) of promoting the subjectivation of students in the internship and thus initiating a process of reflexive professionalization. The article reconstructs the easily disrupted path from pre-mentalizing to mentalizing thinking (Schultz-Venrath, 2013, p. 90ff.) based on scenes from internship seminars, paying particular attention to the emotional influencing factors. The highly narcissistic vulnerability of students in educational and teaching situations that are so significant and demanding for their professional biographies, the omnipresent transference dynamics, a refusal to know as a collective attempt at defense, and the common students’ narratives about students as alien others are worked out in their function for the students' striving for security. Finally, the contextual factors that inhibit and promote mentalization in school and university are discussed.

Hilzensauer, W. (2008). Theoretische Zugänge und Methoden zur Reflexion des Lernens. Ein Diskussionsbeitrag. Bildungsforschung, 5(2). https://bildungsforschung.org/ojs/index.php/bildungsforschung/article/download/77/80/ Rice, A. K. (1963). The Enterprise and Its Environment. Tavistock. Schultz-Venrath, U. (2013): Lehrbuch Mentalisieren. Klett-Cotta.

From various qualitative research projects, we became aware of the ethical problems of mentoring trainee teachers (Weber, 2008; Pirone & Weber, 2018). Consciously or unconsciously, mentors are partly responsible for barriers in the training process of trainee teachers. For example, without being aware of it or intending it, the mentor uses the trainee teachers as a mirror of his own ideas and professional gestures. In fact, he wants to format the latter from the motives of reflection: "Do it the way I tell you and you will complete your traineeship". This is reminiscent of the sculptor Pygmalion who fell narcissistically in love with his statue. This poses a number of challenges for the practice counsellors, which go beyond the didactic skills of the subject. From a psychoanalytic point of view, the question arises, how the practice counsellors position themselves as knowers and a "subject who knows" (Lacan 2011). Does they rather inscribe themselves in a discourse of the (authoritative) master, the scientist, the hysteric or the analyst who encourages the trainee to construct his singular knowledge of action? Considering trainee teachers as knowers, to what kind of role they are assigned to? How does a practice counsellor face his “otherness and how does he or she face the students and his "otherness" and how does he promote student teachers as singular subjects of desire? Therefore, we have developed a framework that enables practising teachers to reflect on their conscious and unconscious ideas, desires, affects (e.g. jealousy, fear) and transference in complex and conflictual situations with trainee teachers. The group shares case studies, thus acting as a "echo chamber". They read case studies out lout and each participant the protagonist what part affectively touched them. For example which aspects of pleasure, desire, transference or discourse they noticed. Ultimately, the practice teacher should also be able to verbalise and communicate their own style through this work. This includes positioning themselves ethically, asking themselves to what extent they can support the trainee teacher in their desire/enjoyment of becoming a teacher who may be confronted with the unfamiliar and the uncanny. It also involves being able to deal responsibly with the question of whether their trainee teacher is capable of accompanying pupils in their educational processes later on.

Lacan, J. (2001). Le Séminaire, Livre VIII, Le transfert. Seuil. Pirone, I. & Weber, J.-M. (2018). Comment être juste dans l'acte éducatif? Une question pour le sujet au-delà d'une compétence professionnelle de l'enseignant. Spirale – Revue de recherches en éducation, 61(1), 53–68. Weber, J.-M. (2008). Le tutorat comme métier impossible et de l’impossible. ULP.

Refugee pupils often attend inclusive classes, as many of them cannot be taught in mainstream classes due to their traumatic experiences (Rohr, 2020). There they meet adolescents who themselves have cognitive, physical and/or socio-emotional problems and who live in precarious family situations, too. First-year students who complete their school practice in inclusive classes encounter a reality that is often alien to them, irritating, and frightening. They need support to be well equipped to meet the pedagogical, didactic, social, and emotional challenges. The practical module, which was developed and evaluated in the "proinrepra" project works at the “basic tool” - the person of the student. Everyone is born into an environment with different political, economic, cultural, and social (relationship) possibilities. Growing up, everyone has developed personal likes and dislikes, conscious (and unconscious) strategies for coping with conflicts and stress, values, ideas about themselves and others. And everyone is always striving to create, stabilize and optimize the highest possible subjective level of well-being and to avoid, prevent and minimize discomfort (Fonagy et al., 2002). These theories of depth psychology also apply to teachers, pupils, and the organization of relationships in inclusive classrooms. In the seminar, the eight modules (summarized here in three topics) lead propaedeutically to a reflective and transfer-oriented supervision of the internship. (1) I, as a prospective teacher, and my biographical history: Thematic tasks (experiences, action strategies, wishes etc.) are worked on and theory-based discussed. (2) Focus on the individual pupil/student: We ask: " Why did pupils behave as they did in this situation? How they might have experienced themselves?” The aim is to come closer to understanding the student's subjectivity, motives, and resources. Through reflective dialogues the experiences of the placement are transformed into experiences that are available for later pedagogical situations. Teachers must realize that 'absolute' knowledge about a student can never be generated in any case discussions; one must be content with well-founded assumptions about a student's feelings and behavior and learn to endure and cope with the uncertainty that can be reduced but not eliminated. This applies to (3) Focusing on oneself as a teacher and teacher-student interactions in the classroom: Workdiscussion-Protocols are written and discussed. Conscious and unconscious elements that help to shape the course of the interaction are to be uncovered and their significance recognized.

Fonagy, P. Gergely, G., Jurist, E., Target, M. (2002). Affektregulierung, Mentalisierung und die Entwicklung des Selbst. Klett–Cotta. Rohr, E. (2020). Flucht als Trennungserfahrung und der pädagogische Umgang mit unbegleiteten minderjährigen Geflüchteten. In D. Zimmermann, M. Wininger, & U. Finger-Trescher (Eds.) (2020). Migration, Flucht und Wandel. Jahrbuch für Psychoanalytische Pädagogik 27 (p. 107–122). Psychosozial.