Conference Agenda

Intercultural education has been an issue of importance in Greek education since the 1990s, when Greece became a receiving country for immigrants; this was the time, when educational policy and research started to focus more on the country’s historical and cultural minorities, as a whole. 1997 constitutes a milestone, since four major Programmes were initiated by the Greek Ministry of Education and implemented by Greek universities with regard to the Education of Immigrant and Repatriate Students, the Muslim Minority Children in Thrace, Roma Children, as well as Children of the Greek Diaspora. After the onset of the Greek economic and social crisis in 2009, it became evident that the idea of intercultural education had to be reconsidered and linked more closely with the concepts of democracy, human rights and intercultural citizenship. Since 2015, the refugee crisis, the pandemic and more recently the Ukraine war, have created new demands for inclusion, quality education and education for social justice.

Cyprus also constitutes a particularly multicultural landscape with its main historical communities (Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Latins and Armenians); additionally, the economic immigrant inflow, especially after Cyprus became a EU member in 2004, has created new challenges for education, from which relevant policies and practices have arisen.

The presentation will focus on the specifics of the Greek discourse on migration and education (areas of discussion and research, controversies and their assumed potential for future developments), taking both educational policy and practice into consideration; it will also pursue the aim to shed light on selected aspects of the Cypriot discourse.

About the presenter

Dr Anastasia Kesidou
is Assistant Professor in Comparative and Intercultural Education at the School of Philosophy and Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She is a member of the Board of Directors/Scientific Board of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Human Rights, Democracy and Peace of the same university and has been Chair of the Board of the Hellenic Observatory for Intercultural Education, which she co-founded in 2008 (three terms). She has participated as coordinator or researcher in various national and European projects funded by the Greek Ministry of Education and the European Union and publishes (in Greek, German and English) in the areas of comparative and intercultural education, education for human rights and democracy, curriculum and textbook research.

Social disparities in education appear as a persistent issue in European societies. In Germany, educational researchers have extensively analysed and systemised the causes of educational inequality in childhood, youth, and young adulthood (Bachsleitner et al. 2022, Becker & Lauterbach 2016; Köller et al. 2019; Scharf et al. 2020). Several primary studies investigate how to overcome or prevent inequality in education (e.g., Blatter et al. 2020; Solga & Weiß 2015). While these studies primarily concentrate on single educational settings or age groups, comprehensive and systematic overviews on overcoming educational barriers in the German context are still missing. Systematic reviews offer the potential to compare findings across different topics, target groups, or contexts; to present generalisable findings for research and practice; and to point out research gaps (Gough et al. 2017; Wetterich & Plänitz 2021). Our project therefore aims at systemising studies on the effectiveness of measures to overcome educational barriers in a comprehensive way. For this purpose, we first investigate how researchers understand and conceptualise educational barriers, before analysing more closely which measures are applied and how they are evaluated.

The study considers formal, non-formal and informal educational settings, as well as all age groups from early childhood to young adulthood (0-27 years of age). The focus is on empirical quantitative or qualitative longitudinal or cross-sectional studies in social and educational science and related disciplines published since 1965 which evaluate the effectiveness of measures to overcome educational barriers in Germany. With respect to selection criteria for identifying educational barriers, a preliminary heuristic framework was elaborated. This framework considers educational barriers on multiple levels (Schmidt-Hertha 2018: 831; Wenzel 2008: 430): the micro-level (individual barriers related to knowledge, competence or dispositions), the meso-level (e.g., learning environments) and the macro-level (e.g., political discourse, political or societal frameworks). All the above-mentioned criteria are the basis for the systematic literature search, screening, coding and synthesis (Newman & Gough 2020), which are currently being carried out in an iterative process.

Using preliminary results of pilot coding (n = 9 studies, 18.01.2024), we will demonstrate which types of educational barriers are identified in the studies and how these preliminary findings contribute to further developing our initial conceptual framework. Although all three levels of educational barriers are apparent in the studies, there are also further categories within the levels. Furthermore, taking into account the interaction of these levels, an educational barrier cannot always be assigned to one single level. In many cases, it remains unclear whether a barrier results from an individual characteristic or from non-adapted structures (e.g., of the educational system) on the meso- or macro-level (see details in Lämmchen et al. in prep.). Moreover, the results provide preliminary insights into what can be considered effective “measures” to overcome educational barriers, which research designs are used for evaluation, and in which age groups and educational settings the educational barriers and measures occur. Overall, these preliminary insights suggest a multitude of definitions, concepts and designs in the research landscape, challenges which need to be considered in the systematic review.

The paper intends to underline the value of systematic literature reviews and to discuss the approach of conceptualising “educational barriers” based on research on overcoming educational inequalities. This discussion may lead to a more differentiated definition which can be further applied and elaborated in educational research. As an outlook, the effectiveness of measures observed so far as well as the next steps of the systematisation will be debated. The results and discussion issues offer a relevant contribution to a better understanding of educational barriers and effective measures for overcoming educational barriers, which is useful for subsequent research on this matter.

Diversity is a reality in Europe, and the European Union has adopted a variety of policies to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, such as in the areas of social rights, employment, and education. Regarding the latter, policies are based on the belief that all learners, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

One key policy is the European Pillar of Social Rights, adopted in 2017. The Pillar includes a number of provisions related to education, including the right to quality and inclusive education for all. The Recommendation of the Council on Promoting Common Values, Inclusive Education and the European Dimension of Teaching (2018) calls on Member States to take steps to ensure that all students have access to quality, inclusive education.

Finally, the European Child Guarantee (2022) is also relevant to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in education. The Guarantee aims to ensure that all children have access to the services they need to thrive, including education.

The notion of equity is a fundamental aspect of education and educational research, and its understanding is far from stable or universal. There is a lack of a universally accepted definition not only across scientific disciplines but also within educational science. Indeed, the concept of equity in education is a multifaceted one, shaped by a variety of social, political, and philosophical considerations. By examining the diverse perspectives, theoretical frameworks and research results that inform equity research, we can gain a deeper understanding of this concept and develop more effective strategies to promote equitable educational opportunities for all students.

The central research questions guiding this study are: What are the conceptualizations and understandings (theoretical approaches) of "equity" within the realm of school education? What methodological approaches can be found in the way educational equity is measured in school education? To answer this question, the study aims to investigate the diverse directions that researchers take when engaging in equity research within school education through to an extensive systematic literature review.

The primary objective of this research is to provide an in-depth analysis of the evolving landscape of equity research within educational science through a literature review. The study will critically examine trends, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks employed by researchers to conceptualize equity. By understanding the diverse approaches taken by scholars in this field, the research aims to contribute valuable insights that can inform future discussions and policy considerations related to equity in education.

The study adopts a conceptual and theoretical framework that critically examines various perspectives on equity within education. Drawing from influential theories such as Rawls (1971), that proposed a theory of justice that emphasizes fairness and equal opportunity, suggesting that society should arrange institutions so that the least advantaged members benefit the most. Moreover, Sen (2009) introduced the concept of capabilities, emphasizing the ability to pursue one's goals and live a fulfilling life, while Nussbaum (2006) developed a list of ten central human capabilities that should be protected and promoted for all individuals. In addition, the recognition theory (see e.g, scholars like Stojanov, 2007), highlights the importance of addressing social hierarchies and power imbalances that can hinder equitable outcomes. Finally, intersectional approaches, promoted by scholars like Crenshaw (1991), emphasize the simultaneous effects of multiple identities, such as race, gender, and social class, on individuals' experiences and equal opportunities.

In times of uncertainty, global socio-economic challenges, demographic changes and pressure from hegemonic powers, everyday life is challenged by an increasing intolerance towards cultural diversity (Ferro, Wagner, Veloso, IJdens & Lopes, 2019), a tendency towards a normative majoritarian approach to cultural literacy (Morell, 2017), a lack of inclusion of cultural expressions represented by minoritised and marginalised groups (May & Sleeter, 2010). Furthermore, there is a lack of knowledge on how to strengthen cultural literacy in education, including good and best practices of how to further integrate it in both formal and non-formal settings (Desai, 2019).

Therefore, a critical cultural literacy approach is fruitful to go beyond ‘high culture’, because it includes within its scope a variety of cultural genres and repertoires from “below” such as street art, hip hop etc. and underlines, that the promotion of cultural literacy has to be understood as a process taking place in situated social interaction, as a dialogic and co-creative endeavour, shaped by power dynamics and structures: As critical cultural literacy is grounded in critical theory, it rests on the assumption “that an interplay of social ideologies and power relations works systematically to advantage some people while disadvantaging others” (Son, 2020, p. 308). So critical cultural literacy can no longer described as a neutral and individual cognitive or technical skill, but rather as a ‘socially situated practice’ (Rutten et al., 2013, p. 445).

Against this societal and theoretical backdrop, the paper presents and discusses preliminary findings from a literature review conducted as part of the EU Horizon project EXPECT_Art ("EXPloring and Educating Cultural Literacy through Art"). The paper focuses in particular on the findings regarding the state of art of cultural literacy and arts education in Germany and Denmark.

In Denmark, arts education has been shaped by the German tradition of Bildung and a Nordic tradition of craftsmanship. In recent years, arts education has developed according to two different societal trends. First, a trend towards perceiving arts education as means of generating entrepreneurship, which underpin a positive economic development in the global market. Secondly, a trend towards perceiving arts education as part of the solution to sustainability challenges (Kallio-Tavin, 2019). Finally, Denmark like the other Nordic countries “never went through a critique of colonialism” and “Nordic democracy does not yet include everybody living in the Nordic countries. Even the local minority cultures are not well represented in the national [arts] curricula” (Kallio-Tavin, 2019, p. 591). This makes Denmark an important context for exploring the potential of decolonisation arts education and education through art to develop critical cultural literacy.

In Germany, there is an urgent need for decolonisation of arts education (see Mörsch, 2021), which was recently underlined by a discourse-analytical study of 850 applications received within the framework of the “Kultur macht stark” and “Kultur macht stark plus” programmes funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In these applications, which were submitted for art projects in schools but also for informal learning settings (see Keuchel 2013 for a mapping of arts education in Germany), for example, the stereotypical addressing of refugees and the individualisation of social problems were reconstructed; furthermore, arts education was presented as a mediator of German, European and dominant cultural values, while children from migrant and socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds were denied their own biographical artistic and cultural experiences (Bücken et al., 2018; Baitamani et al., 2020). Nevertheless, arts education is seen as a powerful way to critically reflect on problematic understandings of culture and to motivate children, young people and adults to rethink social conditions, especially privilege and marginalisation and the construction of others (Battaglia & Mecheril, 2020).

(This work has been supported by Eskisehir Osmangazi University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit under grant number #2977)

Geoeconomics is increasingly positioning itself as a new field of study, offering an opportunity to analyze competition on the continuously evolving global stage through various dimensions such as geography, culture, strategy, and thought structure (Conway, 2000). In the context of international relations, it is observed that states are increasingly inclined to employ economic tools within the framework of their power policies.In these relationships, while the importance of military means diminishes, the role and significance of economic tools are progressively increasing. Luttwak (1990) introduced the term "Geoeconomics" to illustrate that states are competing with each other economically rather than militarily. Huntington (1993) posited that the power hierarchy among states would be determined not by military capacity but by economic strength. Sparke (1998) emphasized that geoeconomics should be holistically approached in conjunction with cultural, political, and economic geography. Scholvin and Wigell (2018) elucidated that the concept of geoeconomics, first introduced by Edward Luttwak, represents a shift in state power politics from military to economic strength. Barton(1999) highlighted that geoeconomics gained increased prominence in the post-Cold War era.Wigell and Vihma (2016) exposed Russia's methods of establishing geoeconomic dominance through its gas exports, while Gonca(2016) discussed China's establishment of geoeconomic sovereignty via the Silk Road. Karakaş (2021) highlighted the geostrategic and geoeconomic significance of Turkey's boron resources exploring Turkey's geoeconomic position and the status of three major global powers. The concept of "Geoeconomics" has been addressed in these various contexts. However, there has been a lack of research examining this concept in the context of education. Therefore, the importance of researching the term "Geoeconomics" in an educational context has emerged, focusing on how Turkey’s economic and geographical strengths, integrated with technology, can strategically enhance its prominence on the international stage. This study investigates whether education, from a geo-economic perspective, exhibits regional differences in terms of national development. In the study conducted by Wang et al. (2017), it was noted that geo-economic relationships are influenced by factors such as geographical location, economic factors, policy, and culture. Therefore, in this research, these four factors have been recognized as geoeconomic indicators and have been examined in detail within the context of education.To date, there has been no study in the literature that concurrently addresses geoeconomics and education.It is believed that this work, by correlating geoeconomics with the field of education, will make a significant contribution to the area. Furthermore, this research presents various recommendations to educational policymakers for addressing inequalities arising from geoeconomic differences. The aim is to enhance the academic success of students in regions that are disadvantaged from a geoeconomic perspective. This study, based on the results of the Districts' Socioeconomic Development Ranking Survey (District SEGE-2022) conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, was carried out in high schools of Eskişehir's Odunpazarı, which has the highest level of socioeconomic development, and Han, which has the lowest. Within the scope of the research, the regional geo-economic differences of 10 high schools in these two districts were examined, and the effects of these differences on students' academic achievements were analyzed. The primary objective of the study is to determine the reflections of geoeconomic regional differences on student success in Turkey. The sub-objectives established in line with this main goal are as follows:

1. What is the status of students in Odunpazari and Han districts in terms of geoeconomic factors?
2. What is the impact of geoeconomic differences on academic achievements of students in Odunpazari and Han districts?

In the context of the post-covid19 pandemic period of reflection on the worldwide impact of the crisis. A surfeit of social issues related to individual and structural responses to countrywide lockdowns, with implications for inclusion, equality or sustainability, have emerged. One significant area of concern is education, and research into the repercussions of the transitions and gaps that occurred during this time and implications for further response to national or international crises in this age of uncertainty are ongoing (Ducet et al., 2020; Moss et al, 2020).

School closure in Ireland during the Covid19 pandemic in March, 2020 was an unprecedented period in Irish education. Given that schooling took place ‘remotely’ with children in their homes, the period of school closures provided a unique opportunity to observe and examine the formation, dynamics and quality of relationships between families and teachers/schools and the impact they have on children’s education. To date the focus of international research has been on the effective pedagogical approaches developed during this period, critical questions about equality of access for different social groups of children and young people, including digital engagement, and their short or long-term wellbeing as a result of the transitions during this time (Crean et al., 2023; Donegan et al., Cullinane and Montacute, 2020). There is a gap in the literature however, in relation to the interactional and reflexive space where teachers and parents communicated about children’s experiences of learning and educators experiences of teaching. During the national physical closure of schools during the Covid 19 pandemic, remote schooling was recognised as a critically significant space for the continuity of children’s education (Moss et al. 2020). The positive interaction between teachers and parents was a significant finding in the ‘Children’s School Lives (CSL) Covid19 sub-study (Report 3, www.cslstudy.ie). The phrase ‘checking-in or checking-up’ as one teacher remarked however, captures the complexity faced by teachers in reaching out to parents whilst trying to maintain positive and non-judgemental relationships with families as they navigated the provision of educational support for remote learning. The key questions asked in this paper are: Firstly, how did principals, teachers and parents describe and define their experiences of ‘checking up/in’ during the remote learning period of the first Covid-19 lockdown? Secondly, to explore what were outcomes of negotiating this space at this time and to examine the broader national and international implications of these experiences, if any, for teaching and learning in similar crises, in the future?

We frame these experiences within the conceptual lenses of expanding normalisation of surveillance (checking up) (Hope, 2016) and reflexive practice (checking-in), during this unprecedented period in Irish education. We draw on the concept of ‘reflexive’ practices (Beck, Giddens, Lash, 1994) to analyse and understand the ‘checking-in’ experiences described by parents, principals and teachers that underpinned their motivation and resilience to engage with each other and provide children, with the best education they could under the often strained circumstanced of the extended lockdown period. Following on, the paper uses Page’s (2017), conceptualisation of three types of teacher surveillance: vertical (Educational institutions and school management); horizonal (peers, parents); and interpersonal (reflective, self-policing), to analyse and understand teacher’s experiences of multiple forms of ‘checking-in’, that has broad implications for the teaching profession, going forward. Analysis of the teacher-parent interactions cross-cuts common themes in educational research related to external/internal patterns of surveillance, power structures, parent and children’s voice, engagement, social justice and wellbeing.

This study offers a preliminary analysis of the municipal cultural mediation service targeting the Roma population of a city in North-East Spain. I seek to understand to what extent this intervention favours the school-to-work transition (STWT) of Spanish Roma youth. This paper draws on a broader two-year-long, cross-country project funded by the European Commission. Here, I seek answer to two interrelated questions: 1) What are the achievements and challenges of a Roma intercultural mediation project in a local context? 2) To what extent a Roma intercultural mediation can contribute to structural changes?

The Roma population represents the largest ethnic minority in Spain, which has historically been targeted by public policies, often motivated by racist stereotypes, repressive political interests and have had negative socio-economic and psycho-affective consequences, contributing to the reproduction of their marginalized social position (Laparra, 2009; San Román, 1994). The Spanish Roma population is a highly heterogenous one in all aspects (Carrasco & Poblet, 2019; López de la Nieta, 2011). Nevertheless, a large part is overrepresented in the most disadvantaged sectors in the domains of education, employment, health and housing, also taking into account the growing racism and discrimination against them (Felgueroso, 2018; FOESSA, 2014, p. 201).

Intercultural mediation programmes have been increasingly promoted to ensure equal access of young people to public services, but results have been varying, and they have drawn criticism (Clark, 2017, p. 201; Kóczé, 2019; Kyuchukov, 2012) which can be summed up in the following: 1) they offer precarious labour conditions and inferior status of Roma mediators which imply their dependence on the organisation that runs the programme; 2) they are rarely involved in broader diagnosis, problem definition, planning, but rather are engaged in the daily management of scort-scale technical problems (conflicts, claims); 3) Their bi-cultural knowledge, and bi-cultural belonging is often instrumentalised by administrations or organisations in order to introduce changes in the community without substantial participation and negotiation processes; 4) Intercultural mediators are held accountable for the success/failure of interventions, avoiding an institutional/structural analysis of the causes (Helakorpi et al., 2019); 5) Their training focuses on the identification of individual or family level factors, and by their presence and intervention a “consensus narrative” is sought among the non-minority colleagues about the correct, mainstream meanings and action (Petraki, 2020). 6) The particular results of intercultural mediation do not justify it as a measure to apply for structural problems deriving from poverty, discrimination or social exclusion, which leads to the depoliticization of structural problems (Kóczé 2019).

Drawing on these critical insights, I analyse empirical data, relying on two main concepts: “neoliberal governmentality” (Foucault, 1988; Lemke, 2001; Miller & Rose, 1990; Pyysiäinen et al., 2017; Wacquant, 2012), and “activation” (Baar, 2012). In the observed city, programmes and services are available to improve the living conditions of Roma families, however, the Roma community tends access these services much less frequently than the rest of the population. Roma young people’s knowledge about programmes, services and other opportunities is scarce, biased and linked to people of reference such as teachers, monitors, social services technicians, or the intercultural mediator, among others, which creates reliance on parallel structures and preserve institutional/structural inequalities.

Interreligious and interfaith dialogue, as well as community action, are two areas of growing interest today, given that religious and cultural diversity is a worldwide reality that poses challenges to coexistence and social cohesion. Interreligious and interfaith dialogue refers to the process of communication and mutual understanding among individuals from different religious traditions and/or beliefs. On the other hand, community action refers to collaboration among community members to address challenges and improve the quality of community life.

From the review of academic literature, an underexplored relationship emerges between interreligious and interfaith dialogue and community action. This relationship is important because both initiatives aim to promote peace, justice, and harmony in society (Ibrahim et al., 2012; Orton, 2016). Through interreligious dialogue, prejudices and cultural barriers between different religions and communities can be reduced. This can help foster mutual cooperation and understanding, leading to increased community action and the resolution of common problems. Community action can also be a means to promote interreligious dialogue. When working together on community projects, people from different religions and cultures can learn about their similarities and differences, fostering greater understanding and mutual respect.

In many cases, interreligious and interfaith dialogue and community action have been used to address specific issues, such as poverty alleviation, promotion of education and training, or conflict resolution, both internationally and in Catalonia ̶ the context of our research. Additionally, interreligious and interfaith dialogue and community action can also be a way to address broader social and political challenges. For example, in some countries, religious organizations have worked together to address climate change (Fedorova, 2016; Purnomo, 2020).

However, we cannot ignore the obstacles in promoting interreligious and interfaith dialogue and community actions, as highlighted by research. One of the major challenges is the lack of understanding and tolerance that may arise between communities belonging to different religions and cultures (Abu-Nimer, 2001; Edwards, 2018; Farell, 2014; Miller, 2017; Pallavicini, 2016; Vila-Baños et al., 2018). This can hinder collaboration and joint work on community projects. There may also be mistrust and references to historical conflicts between different religious groups during interaction, making cooperation and community action difficult (Helskog, 2015; Kuppinger, 2019). Additionally, there may be challenges such as linguistic and cultural barriers that make communication difficult (Kruja, 2020; Mitri 1997), as well as logistical and institutional challenges in organizing joint community projects.

Despite these challenges, academic literature provides data on initiatives worldwide to promote interreligious dialogue as community action. In Catalonia, too, there are emerging studies in this regard, from both a broader social perspective (Freixa-Niella et al., 2022) and a more educational and formative perspective (Vilà-Baños et al., 2022). AUDIR (2023) identified up to twelve practices of interreligious and interfaith dialogue in our country in which there is a community action component. The preliminary results of our research have expanded this collection up to 37 existing good practices currently.

Hence, for potential becoming a tangible reality, rather than a mere theoretical construct, it is necessary to delineate the conditions that make it possible, encompassing personal, geographical, cultural, social, economic, political, and, notably, religious dimensions. This forms the crux of the research we present, which sets the overarching goal: "To comprehensively grasp the conditions that mold interreligious and interfaith dialogue into a good practice of community action fostering coexistence in Catalonia."

The preliminary stages of the research took place from October 2023 to January 2024, and were dedicated to the update of the landscape of interreligious and interfaith dialogue practices within Catalonia, as well as the formulation and validation of an indicator system designed to facilitate the identification of good practices among them.

Romanians, Serbians, and Turks make up the largest immigrant communities in Austria (Statistik Austria, 2023). Turkish people are often represented as the least integrated immigrant community throughout Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands (Wets, 2006). Second-generation Turkish youth have the lowest academic outcomes of any major immigrant community in Western Europe, with students experiencing lower academic outcomes in Germany and Austria, compared to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (Crul & Vermeulen, 2004). In recognition of the academic disparities, this study seeks to examine how four teachers in an Austrian vocational school (Handelsschule), with a substantial Turkish origin student population, utilized culturally responsive teaching methods to support students.

Much of the initial Turkish immigration began in the 1960s as part of bilateral labor agreements with the Turkish government to address shortages in the workforce after WWII (Wets, 2006; Herzog-Punzenberger, 2003). Although the guestworker program in Austria ended in 1973, Turkish immigration increased in 1974 as guestworkers’ families arrived (Herzog-Punzenberger, 2003). In 2006, Austria had the highest achievement gap between Turkish origin students and native students, with a gap of 133 points between Turkish students and native students on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), compared to gaps of 114 points in Germany and 91 points in Switzerland (Buchmann & Parrado, 2006). In both Germany and Austria, Turkish origin students were in schools with higher student-teacher ratios and less resources, compared to native students (Song, 2011). In Austria, Turkish origin students were also disproportionally enrolled in special education programs (Herzog-Punzenberger, 2003). Analysis of 2006 PISA results demonstrated that home factors (i.e. number of books at home, language spoken, and parent level of education) accounted for 55% of the test score difference between native students and Turkish origin youth in Austria (Song, 2011).

It is clear that there is a dire need for teachers to shift pedagogical strategies to ensure that immigrant-origin students, particularly Turkish-origin students, feel a sense of belonging in the classroom and are effectively supported. Our primary research questions in this study are: What culturally responsive teaching practices are being used in Austrian schools? What barriers exist for teachers in implementing culturally responsive teaching practices?

In theorizing culturally relevant pedagogies, which originated within a U.S. context, we utilized Ladson-Billings’ (1995b) model, which includes three characteristics: “an ability to develop students academically, a willingness to nurture and support cultural competence, and the development of a sociopolitical consciousness” (p. 483). Recognizing that cultures are not static, Alim and Paris (2017) also proposed the concept of culturally sustaining pedagogies, which are those that support linguistic and cultural pluralism in schools. Within both definitions, the concept of critical consciousness, which is rooted in Freire’s (1970) concept of conscientização, played a central role. Culturally responsive teaching is “a way of teaching and learning that considers the social, emotional, cognitive, political, and cultural dimensions of every student” (Powell et. al., 2016).

Findings using the Culturally Responsive Instructional Observation Protocol (CRIOP), have demonstrated that students, who have teachers that score higher on a culturally responsive teaching scale, score higher in both Math and Reading assessments (Powell et. al., 2016). In Austria, a “pedagogy for foreigners” (Ausländerpädagogik) exists, but this has been perceived as a deficit-based model that does not effectively support integration (Seyfried, 2014). Culturally responsive pedagogical models have been proposed as one potential means of reducing the achievement gap between immigrant-origin and native students (Seyfried, 2014). We recognize that there are teachers who may be implementing these models, partially or in-full, even if they have not been provided with formal training in culturally responsive pedagogies, which led to the current research.

Over the decades intercultural encounters have been introduced in research and education inclusive of communication between humans and different communities. Dervin, Sude, Yang & Chen (2022) problematizes the dominant discourse on interculturality between East and West and the need for diverse languages to be introduced in the dialogue. This study explored the ways in which interculturality can provide means towars planetary justice and sustainable societies. In the future, intercultural dialogue should not be based on the humanistic assumptions of a solitary human self, separate and autonomous from the rest of the planetary system. This paper discusses opportunities to shift the language around interculturality incorporating interdisciplinary, social justice and planetary lense by using the metaphor of contact zone in between interculturality and sustainability towards more sustainable interculturality.

Utilizing the contact zone theory by Mary Louise Pratt (1991), this study explores the opportunity of interculturality to be understood as a dialogue and the encounters beyond Western intepretation of (inter)culture. Pratt’s (1991) theory of contact zone, in its traditional understanding, refers to the interculturality (her original term used was transculturation) as a social space, where people meet, clash, and struggle with each other, often in contexts of highly asymmetrical relations of power (Pratt, 1991, 6). In her writings, Pratt mentioned a story of a letter addressed by an unknown but apparently literate Andean to King Philip III of Spain. The purpose of the letter was to guide the King to rule in a more respectful manner towards the indigenous Andeans. The story continues with a belief that the letter was never delivered to the King (ibid, 1991,6). This leads to the ongoing issue of today’s education – whose knowledge is taught at schools and whose (inter)culturality is recognized in the education policies when intercultural education theories rely mainly on western knowledge system.

For the longest, teaching interculturality, has been recognized as important based on global education policy frameworks (see for example the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Competency Framework, 2020 and The Council of Europe’s White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, 2008). As an example, Finnish national curriculum recognizes interculturality in a form of language and cultural diversity, to remind about the ethnic diversity in schools. Interculturality and sustainability both play a significant role in our increasingly interconnected and diverse world, with also increased tensions and crises. However, interculturality has not been much included to the sustainable development goals, namely to the Education for All SDG4 goal. Interculturality here refers to the interaction and dialogue that takes place in highly asymmetrical power relations, often centered on beliefs and values among individuals or groups from different ethnic, educational, socio-economic and geographical locations (see for example Dervin, 2015). Whereas sustainability focuses on the long-term well-being of both the environment and society, aiming to preserve resources and promote social equity between species. This study explored the intersection between interculturality and sustainability, their interdependence and the potential for positive synergies towards sustainable interculturality with the focus on planetary justice.

Chinese Studies, formerly known as Sinology, generally refers to scholarly research on China conducted by non-Chinese scholars, especially those from Western backgrounds (Hargrave, 2016). Consequently, it normally adopts an outsider’s perspective and tends to be inevitably Western-centred (Gu, 2013; Hou, 2021; Yu, 2019). In the past two decades, however, there has been a notable influx of Chinese international students into Chinese Studies programmes in UK universities, especially at the postgraduate level (BACS, 2021; Universitas, 2005). For these students, undertaking Chinese Studies courses abroad offers not only exposure to the host culture but also a unique external standpoint for introspection on their ‘own’ culture and ‘self’. This presents a valuable opportunity for them to develop the critical cultural awareness that is essential to their intercultural competence. This study aims to explore the intercultural experience of these Chinese students and understand how they make sense of it and how it relates to their identities. The following three research questions guide this research:

Q1: Why do Chinese students choose to undertake Chinese Studies abroad?

Q2: If, and how does their engagement with Chinese Studies influence their understanding of their ‘own’ culture?

Q3: How does their experience influence their perception of ‘self’ as being Chinese?

Existing studies in the field of intercultural communication and education have not linked research with programmes students undertake which aim to understand their ‘own’ culture – a gap this study seeks to address by focusing on Chinese Studies for Chinese international students. Unlike previous research in this field, which predominantly centred on acculturation or intercultural competence, this study adopts an interculturality perspective and focuses on their identity. Therefore, interculturality and identity, together with another closely related concept – culture, constitute the theoretical underpinning of this study, all understood through the lens of social constructionism (Berger & Luckmann, 1967; Gergen, 2015), which guides this study as the overarching paradigm.

By interculturality, this study follows Dervin’s (2016) approach and believes it is ‘co-constructed, influenced, and somewhat determined by the presence of an Other (p.76), so it means a ‘ dynamic and critical process of making sense of intercultural experience in relation to people’s own backgrounds (Jin, 2021, p. 573)’. In other words, it is viewed as a liquid process of becoming intercultural, of acquiring intercultural awareness and sensibilities, sometimes with failures, exceptions, and instabilities. The term culture is comprehended within the field of intercultural communication, embracing a postmodern paradigm that recognises culture as fluid and socially constructed (Holliday, 2016). Likewise, the concept of Identity is approached from a social constructionist perspective, acknowledging its multiplicity, dynamism, and social construction (Risager & Dervin, 2015). Concerning the identity of ‘being Chinese’, this study does not confine it to national identity, although it focuses on Chinese students from mainland China. What is involved in interculturality is cultural identity, which means a collection of multiple identities (Zhu, 2016), though a nation as an external cultural reality usually provides a framing for identities(Holliday, 2010).

This study represents an initial exploration into the motivations and self-formations of Chinese international students engaged in Chinese Studies from an intercultural communication and education perspective. Beyond filling a research gap and contributing to existing literature and theory, this research offers practical implications for course designers, educators, and universities to review their policies, pedagogy, or services, thereby improving Chinese students’ overseas study experiences and satisfaction.

The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of inclusion and exclusion in academia, with a primary focus on ethnicization/racialization within a local University in Sweden. The discussion about structural discrimination in the Swedish labour market has been going on in the public discourse for several decades. The main focus has been on the inequality between women and men in working life (see, for example, SOU 1993:7; SOU, 1998:6; SOU, 2014:81, but discrimination against non-Swedes and/or non-whites has also been noted, albeit to a somewhat lesser degree (see e.g. Mählck, 2013; Osman, 2021; de los Reyes, 2008; SOU 2005:56; SOU 2006:59). The question of how gender interacts with other categorisations, such as ethnicity and/or ‘race’ have been shown even less interest. Nor has discrimination in higher education attracted much attention, and Swedish as well as European academia is relatively little researched from critical perspectives on power, inclusion, and exclusion. However, the fact that academia, like other educational institutions, always includes aspects of power is nothing new (Ahmed, 2012; Bethoui & Leivestad, 2019; Hübinette & Mählck, 2016). To investigate these issues, the following four questions were in focus:

1) To what extent do employees perceive themselves included or excluded in relation to ethnicity/’race, class, gender/gender identity, religion, age, sexuality and disability.

2) What experiences and understandings of inclusion and exclusion processes do employees express?

3) In what contexts do employees perceive that inclusion/exclusion occurs?

4) How is ethnification/racialization perceived to interact with other social categorizations in relation to inclusion/exclusion?

Although ethnicity/’race’ has been the focus of the study, we also asked how these categorizations were perceived to interact with gender, age, class, religion and to some extent sexuality and disability. The employees we interviewed have also spontaneously highlighted the importance of how gender, age and class are perceived to affect such things as collegial treatment and career conditions.

As research has pointed out, these are complex processes of demarcation and exclusion that rarely allow themselves to be understood with the help of a social category belonging alone (see, for example, de los Reyes, 2007). Although there are experiences of exclusion that are perceived to have a clear basis in the person's ethnic origin or skin color, such orders cannot be said to be stable and unambiguous (cf. Lundström, 2017).Since norms and notions of ethnicity/'race' are mutually constituted by other power relations, and since social positioning is always context-dependent, we saw it as an analytical necessity to apply an intersectional perspective on the processes of ethnicization and racialization that we investigated. (cf. Mählck, 2012 p. 31). The concept of intersectionality can be traced to the work by black feminist researchers concerned with how oppressive power is embedded in societal structures and systems The intersectional theory concerns primarily how the exercise of power, through intersecting domination and oppression, affects individuals who face multiple social inequities, with consequent multiple marginalisations (Collins, 2019). This criticl social theory gave a lens to analyse understand inclusion and exclusion within a local university context.

Research Background

In the concept of resource distribution in higher education, elitism and egalitarianism compete with each other and promote the development of higher education. In addition, as the popularization of higher education in chinese society continues to deepen, whether the distribution within universities should be included in more diverse standards, and whether to pursue simple equality or complex equality, has also become an important topic of discussion. The distribution of university scholarships is a core issue in the distribution of resources in higher education institutions, which not only reflects the university's concept of distributive justice, but also characterizes the university's educational philosophy.

Folger Brickman distinguished between micro distributive justice and macro distributive justice. Micro distributive justice refers to the fairness of resources obtained by individuals, while macro distributive justice aims to explore the fairness of resource distribution at the group level, ensuring the overall needs and development needs of the community.

The study sorted out policy documents from fifteen universities in China. Research has found that the text for scholarship distribution emphasizes the value orientation of "procedural fairness" and focuses on the implementation of the "deserve" principle, but does not effectively explain the macro distribution status of scholarships. Therefore, this study aims to explore the issue of justice in the distribution of university scholarships from a macro perspective.

Research Questions

The three questions of this study are explored from the perspectives of "reality", "concept", and "necessity".

1.Distributive justice in reality: What is the current situation and characteristics of the distribution practice of university scholarships?

2.Distributive justice in concept: What are the views of students on the distribution justice of university scholarships? Does this conflict with the real situation?

3.Distributive justice in necessity: What distribution philosophy should universities be based on? What macro distribution principles should be adopted? In addition, what social issues and cultural logic do these distributive justice views reflect?

Theoretical Framework

The research refers to the higher education stratification system constructed by Martin Trow and the higher education diversity classification model constructed by Teichler Ulcer. The study proposes a macro distribution classification model for university scholarships, which mainly includes two dimensions:

Firstly, the "evaluation types" of scholarships: "Unity" and "Diversity". “Unity”, only covering academic performance. “Diversity”, in addition to academic performance, also includes types such as comprehensive qualities and social practice. Drawing on Walzer's theory of complex equality, it is believed that the distribution of educational resources should not rely solely on a single distribution standard, but should achieve equality in different fields and contexts while respecting individual differences.

Secondly, the “coverage areas” of scholarships: "elitism" and "egalitarianism". Scholarships are concentrated on a small number of high-performing students or spread over a larger group of qualified performers. The study draws inspiration from Cohen's principle of community theory, which suggests that focusing solely on the "deserve" principle will tacitly tolerate significant differences in outcomes, even if such inequality undermines the community. Therefore, based on Rawls' viewpoint, it is emphasized that "inequalities that cannot be weakened in the name of equal opportunities should be appropriately restricted in the name of the community".

Based on this, the macro distribution for university scholarships is divided into four types: "Unity-Elitism", "Diversity-Elitism", "Unity-Egalitarianism", and "Diversity-Egalitarianism".

Professional activism consists of the political mobilisation (e.g., advocacy, awareness raising, social activism) of professionals doing educational, social and community intervention in defence of rights, well-being, and social justice of the people in situations of vulnerability (e.g., migrants/refugees, people in poverty, LGBTQIA+) with whom they work (Costa, Vaz & Menezes, 2021a).

Despite the high relevance of this professional role for contemporary life in Europe and worldwide, reinforced by the growth of vulnerability and social injustice, and highlighted in the literature and in professional guidelines of various disciplines (e.g., education, psychology, social work, nursing, medicine), professional activism is still an understudied topic in Portugal and, mainly, through a multi-professional approach (APA, 2019; MacDonnell & Buck-McFadyen, 2016; NASW, 2022; Picower, 2012).

The topic gained theoretical substance through the intersection with critical understandings of educational, social and community intervention with people in vulnerable situations, especially in adult education and community psychology. These theoretical approaches highlight the ethical-professional, political, critical and pedagogical components of this broad area of intervention (Freire, 1979; hooks, 1994; Ledwith, 2011; Martín-Baró, 1986; Montero, 2004; Nelson & Evans, 2014; Prilleltensky & Fox, 1997), as well as the complexity and richness of the processes of conscientisation, politicisation, learning and knowledge production inherent in this professional praxis and identity (Choudry, 2015; Foley, 2001; Freire, 1975, 1979; hooks, 1994; Lane, 1981; Ledwith, 2011; Montero, 2004; Ollis, 2010).

Previous research revealed a vision of professional activism as a praxis that promotes and is guided by a sense of (in)justice, which, in turn, demands a positioning in defence of the people with whom professionals work, leading to interventions orientated by and towards social justice. Among other results, it also showed that opportunities to incite this political consciousness and positioning and reflect about activism as a relevant professional role are triggered mainly by personal and professional relationships throughout life and by concrete work experiences (Costa, Vaz & Menezes, 2021a, 2021b).

This paper reports the processes and findings of a qualitative study aimed at confronting, deepening and advancing knowledge about professional activism by discussing the previous research findings with a new group of experienced professional activists (Costa, 2023). To this end, we implemented a qualitative study using focus groups (Cohen, Manion & Morisson, 2018) to cross-validate our previous findings regarding the meanings and learning of professional activism. The goal was to explore diverse interpretations of our data to develop a denser, more participative and comprehensive representation of our previous findings (Costa, 2023; Creswell & Miller, 2000; Lietz & Zayas, 2010).

When asked about school leadership, Hózhó or “walking in beauty” in Navajo as a holistic leadership framework (Secatero, 2018), may not be the first image that comes to mind amidst the contemporary pressures and influences of accountability policies, political debates about teaching race and history, digitalization, Covid 19 pandemic effects, etc. Yet Hózhó leadership is at the heart of a Navajo principal’s leadership in an elementary reservation-based public school.

Regardless of differences in contexts, successful Indian school leadership work is predicated upon educational purposes that entail but transcend the functional principles of social justice, equity, and inclusion imbedded in foundations of tribal-specific culturally responsive education practice (Martin, 2021). This Navajo principal’s leadership is part of a larger international study, first through a theoretical examination of Navajo philosophy of education in relation to ecological systems of influence and complexities and then through a study of the Navajo principal’s leadership practice.

The United States has a history of colonization of Native Americans, ongoing assimilation through, for example, boarding schools for indigenous children, has resulted in trauma over centuries. Reservation schools who serve indigenous children face pressures from tribal, state, and national policies for accountability purposes. Particularly, U.S. schools that serve indigenous students are historically situated within a complex interplay among federal and state policies, schools, districts, and, in this case, the tribal nation. Many educational scholars have articulated various theories of leadership aimed at transformative practices, e.g., (Martin, 2021), culturally responsive leadership; (Secatero, 2018), Navajo Holistic leadership; (Shields, 2015), socially just outcomes; (Furman, 2016) inclusive practices; and (Khalifa, et al., 2019) decolonizing leadership that are relevant to Indian-serving schools. Yet few of these theories and studies framed from these theories focus explicitly on indigenous school leaders serving reservation schools from an indigenous philosophical perspective.

Across this literature, there are studies of leadership grounded in various theories, and we see the need to enhance indigenous leadership theorizing and its relations to leadership. The intention of this presentation is to expand leadership theorizing, study, and practice in Navajo educational philosophy in relation to successful principal leadership amidst multiple layers of influence and complexities of the contemporary situation. This study is part of an International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP), thus the purpose of the presentation is twofold: first, to further develop educational leadership theorizing with tribal forms of knowledge (specifically Navajo) amidst multiple layers of systems of influence and complexities and second, to present empirical findings from a case study of a Navajo principal in relation to Navajo educational philosophy as well as the broader theoretical grounding for successful principals from the international ISSPP study We conclude with implications of a balanced notion of success for leadership preparation and practice.

Research Questions:

RQ1: To what extent, and in what ways, do school principals contribute to the ‘success’ of their schools similarly or differently within a state? What are the key factors, including but not limited to: individual, structural, social, cultural, and systems-related district, tribal, national factors that influence, positively or negatively, how school principals’ impact on the ‘successes’ of their schools?

RQ2: What similarities and differences can be identified in the values, beliefs, and behaviors of successful school principals across different schools in the same state?

The ISSPP research examines school leadership through the lens of ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) which theorizes individual practices and development within the context of various dynamically interacting layers of social and ecological systems to capture the processes and actions in which schools operate, develop, and thrive in an increasingly unpredictable, globalized world.

In 2011, a BA programme in Intercultural Education [Interkulturel pædagogik] was established at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Southern Denmark. The BA programme is interdisciplinary, including a choice of either Arabic or Danish as a second language as the other main subject other from intercultural education. In 2017, the Arabic track was discontinued so that all students studied Intercultural education combined with Danish as a second language. In 2023, the university’s rector, on the recommendation of the dean of the Faculty of Humanities, decided that the programme should close “to bring balance to the economy” since the programme was estimated to be financially unsustainable due to a small number of students. The last students of the programme will graduate in 2026.

In this presentation, we – both of us experienced lecturers at the programme, and one of us furthermore former head of study – will outline a research study of the programme’s history, content, and research environment, and we will discuss the possible futures of Intercultural education programmes in Denmark. Also, we will look to similar and related programmes in the European context, such as the Nordic countries and Germany, for a comparative analysis.

The research question of the study is: What was the purpose of creating a BA programme in Intercultural Education, how have the programme's curricula and content changed historically, and what development opportunities does the programme now face?

The presentation draws on document analysis of documents and other material related to the programme stored in an archive over the years. Among these, the official curriculum [studieordning], syllabi for each discipline, the original application from establishing the study programme in 2011, as well as the publications related directly to the programme such as the anthology “Interkulturel pædagogik – Kulturmøder i teori og praksis” [Intercultural education – Cultural encounters in theory and practice] (2015) edited and authored by lecturers and researchers affiliated with the study programme and announcing a “presentation of a research and education field” (Hobel et al., 2005).

Furthermore, we will include reflections on our own positioning as researchers in the field and lecturers in the BA programme since 2015.

Based on the case study of the BA programme, we will discuss future opportunities (and perhaps hopes) for intercultural education in higher education, with special respect to new developments in the research field inspired by postmigration (Römhild 2017, Foroutan 2019), Critical Race Theory (Gillborn, 2006), teaching for social justice perspectives (Kumashiro, 2015), etc.

Intellectual humility (IH) and cultural humility (CH) are usually categorized separately in the literature but have overlapping elements, especially when considering educational contexts. IH refers to an open attitude toward others’ knowledge through reflection and identification of gaps in one’s knowledge base that can be filled by the knowledge of others (Van Tongeren et al., 2019). CH is similar in that it is based on an open cultural attitude. ‘In a multicultural world where power imbalances exist, cultural humility is a process of openness, self-awareness, being egoless, and incorporating self-reflection and critique after willingly interacting with diverse individuals’ (Foronda et al., 2016, p. 4). Considering the growing diversity of student and staff populations in higher educational institutions (HEIs) (Marginson, 2016), IH and CH are of interest from various perspectives and may be necessary for educators and students to possess. Both IH and CH may be considered important aspects of social justice and student voice goals as the vehicle through which these educational aims can be achieved.

Aspects of social justice and student voice are concerns at all levels of education, including higher education (HE) (Papa, 2019). Efforts have been made in various educational domains to address these concerns, such as socially just curricula development (Ashwin, 2022) and efforts to promote/develop ecological universities (Kinchin, 2023). Exploring and developing new pedagogical methods can play a significant role in developing socially just education, focusing on student voice across disciplines and enhancing student learning (Wong et al., 2023), thus addressing social justice and student voice concerns. Relating pedagogy to philosophical concepts, such as humility, can act as an important analytical tool in assisting lecturers in HE to understand the complexities of their practice when engaging in pedagogical method implementation.

Based on the social justice framework of Nancy Fraser (2007, 2013) that consists of (re)distribution, recognition, and representation, the student voice for social justice (SVSJ) pedagogical method seeks to transform HE students from passive to active learners and engaged participants. SVSJ implements Fraser’s justice framework by creating space for student voice in course pedagogical content planning. Students (working in small groups) develop this space by researching, planning, and facilitating learning activities for their peers and the lecturer (Briffett-Aktaş et al., 2023). SVSJ relies on creating a mutually respectful environment in the classroom that fosters space for multiple voices to be expressed, heard, acknowledged, and valued. The classroom interactions between stakeholders require mutual respect, support, care for others, and a willingness to learn from the ‘other’ (i.e. IH and CH demonstrations); in short, displaying kindness to ‘the other’ (Rice & Bakke, 2022). The result is the creation of a shared power dynamic in the classroom, which has been shown to empower students to actively participate in and engage with their learning (Wong et al., 2023).

In this inquiry, we argue that when implementing SVSJ in HEIs, IH and CH are foundational to the success of the implementation. Adopting and displaying different types of humility ensures that the interactions between the lecturer, students, their peers, and the course content are open and mutually respectful. IH and CH can help promote a supportive environment where different types of knowledge are successfully redistributed within the classroom community. Humility in a variety of forms can act as the catalyst through which socially just education and active student teaching and learning can be achieved in diverse SVSJ implementations.

Teaching in dynamic and ever changing migration and diversity contexts continues to be challenging. In particular, teachers are called upon to meet the following two educational objectives:

Firstly, equal educational chances should ideally be provided regardless of factors such as social, ethnic, national origin, religious conviction or gender. However, this is still far from reality (OECD, 2023). Although the causes for this inequity are complex, it is also undisputed that teachers are influential with their respective pedagogical orientations (e.g. Weitkämper, 2019 for an overview).

The second objective relates to the broad topic of social belonging and the corresponding social learning: All students should learn to live responsibly in a democratic, diverse society. The Swiss-German "Curriculum 21", for instance, stresses the need to learn mutual respect for a pluralistic, anti-discriminatory society and for social cohesion (D-EDK, 2016). Teachers are challenged in this respect, not only in terms of guiding their students' learning processes, but also in terms of self-reflecting and developing their own attitude.

Both of these concerns are based on the fundamental conviction that all students have equal rights to recognition, both in terms of educational opportunities and in terms of their social belonging (Mantel, 2022). In view of the great importance of these two objectives, the question arises as to how teachers can be effectively supported in their challenges. This, in turn, requires a better understanding of the guiding orientations teachers have and what limits or expands their scope of action.

Previous studies repeatedly show stereotyping and deficit orientations among teachers towards their students, particularly with reference to migration history, culture and/or language, sometimes intersectionally interwoven with socio-economic background and/or gender. In some studies, the differences between various pedagogical orientations have been worked out within the framework of typologies, however, often limited to a focus on teachers’ dealing with cultural difference, particularly what the German speaking area is concerned (see Leutwyler & Mantel, 2015 for an overview; Mantel, forthcoming). The presented study adds to the state of research with an attempt to describe the differences between teachers’ orientations in a rather general way, exploring new ways of looking at the underlying logics and including a deeper understanding of what these orientations are shaped by in terms of their life and professional history. Accordingly, this research is focussed on the following questions: (a) What are the pedagogical orientations among teachers in schools of the migration society, particularly with regard to questions of educational opportunities and questions of social belonging and the corresponding social learning? (b) In what ways are these orientations shaped by the teachers’ life and professional history?

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24^th February 2024, the European Union activated the temporary protection directive (EC, 2001). The directive is intended to establish “minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons from third countries who are unable to return to their country of origin”. Article 12 of the directive instructs that “Member States shall authorise . . . persons enjoying temporary protection to engage in employed or self-employed activities, subject to rules applicable to the profession, as well as in activities such as educational opportunities for adults, vocational training and practical workplace experience”. It is estimated that there are currently 4.2 million people from Ukraine living in the European Union, with Germany and Poland the main countries hosting these beneficiaries of temporary protection (Eurostat, 2023). While some attention has been given both to the educational experiences and challenges for Ukrainian children and young people as they attempt to continue schooling in new contexts, and to the experiences of schools and national systems of education as they seek to integrate these new learners, very little attention has been paid to the integration of Ukrainian educators into schools and education systems. The notable exception is the OECD work on “Teaching Opportunities and Support for Ukrainian Educators” (OECD, 2023). This short document provides a keen insight into the variety of ways in which certain member states of the European Union have sought to support Ukrainian teachers to restart their careers in a new jurisdiction. Short-term contracts as teachers are available in some countries, while other countries they are specifically seen as resources to address the educational and psycho-social needs of Ukrainian children and young people, sometimes in dedicated temporary education sites, or can be employed as teaching assistants. While there are many contextual differences with this population of teachers, it is evident that they share some of the same barriers that refugee and migrant teachers face more generally as they seek to continue their chosen career in a new jurisdiction. Miller (2008) claims that when states do not provide appropriate professional development support for such teachers, they fail to integrate them into the norms, customs and nuances of the local system which is “tantamount to professional neglect”. Female refugee teachers in Canada and the UK (Ratković and Pietka-Nykaza, 2016) argue that they shoulder the burden of integration, with few supporting mechanisms for enabling them to continue in their career. When this happens, they are less likely to succeed on their journey into teaching. Even when they have successfully commenced a teaching position, such teachers encounter a host of difficulties such as adjusting to new administrative regulations, teaching practices, new curriculum, diverse forms of assessment, differences in values and expectations, teacher status, classroom management and interaction with parents and communities (Bense, 2016; Carvatti et al., 2014; Collins and Reid, 2012). These experiences can lead to high levels of attrition among migrant and refugee teachers. Bridging programmes have been highly successful in supporting refugee teachers to integrate into teaching workforces (Schmidt and Schneider, 2016). There is a wide variety of models to the provision of such programmes, ranging from complete reaccreditation over one full academic year to short, two-day induction courses. The Migrant Teacher Project secured funding under the AMIF to support the integration of Ukrainian teachers in Ireland. They key element of this work was the provision of tailored teacher bridging programmes. Rooted in concepts of worker integration, this paper reports on participant evaluations from two versions of these bridging programmes.

My PhD study explored how a group of migrant preservice teachers experienced the phenomenon of intercultural education in the Learning Area of Languages within the Australian school context. The study aimed to understand both preservice teachers’ perceptions of the intercultural capability and its implementation in their teaching practice.

This study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore the participating preservice teachers’ lived experiences of adopting an intercultural perspective in their classroom of Languages. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews from a cohort of seven preservice teachers enrolled in a graduate Initial Teacher Education program and completing a qualification in teaching Languages at an Australian University in Victoria. By investigating preservice teachers’ interpretations of the intercultural capability; their experiences in the classroom of Languages (what they observed and how they acted during their teaching rounds and how they intend to act in the future); and their beliefs about the need for the development of the intercultural capability in their learners, it was possible to delve into the ways in which these prospective secondary school teachers of Languages engage with the intercultural project.

This study focuses solely on practitioners and explores their engagement (or lack thereof) with the intercultural project, based on the rationale that ‘no education policy can operate successfully without the commitment of teachers’ (Starkey 2007, p. 60).

This study posits that, for the intercultural project to succeed and become more than ‘good intentions’ (Gorski 2008, p. 516), there needs to be a move towards a more politically engaged approach (Tarozzi 2014). Teachers should see themselves as responsible for creating an inclusive and just society (see Crozet 2016).

This study follows a Critical Intercultural Communication Pedagogy framework (Atay & Trebing 2018; Sobre 2017) coupled with an ethical paradigm based on the work of the philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas (Bossio 2018; Ferri 2014; Ben-Ari & Strier 2010). Critical Pedagogy aims to transform society through education by locating the place of change in schools (Guilherme 2002), where the development of ‘critical cultural awareness’ should be fostered (Byram 2008). This aspect is essential for the success of intercultural education because it turns it into a broader social project. Crosbie (2014, p. 97) considers that this ‘quest for social transformation […] begins with a language-learning classroom in which students are encouraged to deal with cosmopolitan ideals, giving rise to a possible scenario where engagement with the world is shaped by social justice’.

The research findings, mainly deriving from individual in-depth interviews, indicate that both the critical and ethical paradigms appear as weak and uncertain, especially when it comes to translating ascribed meanings of the intercultural capability into the practice of teaching. This highlights the need for a strong theoretical (philosophical and epistemological) foundation for intercultural education to counteract neoliberal forces in the field. The critical turn in intercultural education scholarship is still far from being known and accepted outside the circle of those interested in it. In addition, the neo-social phenomenon in Australian education policy (Lingard, Sellar & Savage 2014) risks weakening the efforts made by critical intercultural communication scholars, since the social agenda is present in education policy. This ‘rejuvenated governmental interest in enabling healthy and positive social environments’, however, appears to exist ‘primarily for the sake of fostering greater economic productivity’ (Savage 2013, p. 187) instead of existing primarily for the benefit of all students, regardless of their linguistic, cultural, or socioeconomic background as proclaimed in the document underpinning the current Australian Curriculum. It is important to note that this well-documented and long-standing shift towards intercultural education is also typical to other countries, and its inception in Australian education policies mirrors developments internationally.

Networks hold a meeting during ECER. All interested are welcome.

The European Commission (2020a) and the Council of the European Union (2021) recommend that promoting quality and inclusive education and combating early school leaving will remain a priority in education and training in the coming years and decades. The new strategic framework calls for reducing the early school leaving rate to below 9% at EU level by 2030. According to Eurostat data (2023), the average rate in the EU in 2022 was 9.6%, compared to 12.4% in Hungary. However, the average rate varies significantly by region and ethnicity, almost doubling in rural areas of the country and with the rate of early school leavers among Roma youth being several times higher than in the majority population. According to research (Bocsi et al.), the early school leaving rate among Roma youth is 65%, which is worse than the European average. In the EU, 44% of Roma pupils are in segregated education. 28% of Roma young people have completed upper secondary education, compared to 83.5% in the majority population (European Commission 2020b). Education, the attainment of at least upper secondary education, has an impact on life chances, with a number of studies showing a link between employment and health and well-being and early school leaving (Gitschthaler & Nairz-Wirth, 2018).

Hungarian research (Paksi et al. 2023) describes the causes of early school leaving in harmony with international studies. In Hungary school factors play only a minor role in preventing early school leaving, with individual characteristics and family background factors being the most important determinants of early school leaving. Hungary is consistently among the countries with the highest explanatory power of the SES index in student performance (OECD 2019). Success in entering and progressing to secondary school, and thus preventing early school leaving, depends on informed career choices, which are often lacking for young people of lower social status and Roma youth (Bereményi, 2022).

Intersectionality is a perpetual situation in which multiple categories of inequality interacting with each other manifest as a new social category, in which the causes of oppression cannot be separated (Asumah-Nagel, 2014). It is characterised by being situated, with factors of social division interacting continuously and their significance strongly dependent on context (place and time) (Yuval-Davis, 2015). According to Howard and Vajda (2017), the most persistent forms of group-based disadvantage are linked to identities of origin (minority), with one form of inequality promoting or deepening another. The devaluation of cultural identity is more likely to be associated with economic and territorial disadvantage, resulting in persistent intergenerational poverty. In Hungary too, social disadvantage and its complexity (school exclusion, settlement disadvantage), as well as belonging to the Roma community and the negative social prejudice associated with it, are the most frequently intertwined categories (Forray-Pálmainé Orsós, 2010).

Our development programme was designed to increase the impact of school factors in preventing early school leaving, for the reasons outlined above. The focus of the four-year programme is to foster an inclusive learning environment (Varga, 2015) through targeted career guidance and close family contact with teachers and peer mentoring. The three main content dimensions of the programme are to develop the student's self-awareness and self-image, to foster parental involvement, and to learn about careers and related further education pathways. The mentoring programme targets one class in each of ten primary schools with a majority of Roma pupils and supports pupils from 6th grade for three years until they enter secondary school. The presentation will report on the first results of a research component accompanying the evaluation of the mentoring programme, the longitudinal student questionnaire.

Sustainable development and societal approaches to migration-related diversity are crucial for shaping our future. Various education policy documents at the international and national level address this challenge, including those of the UNESCO (2006, 2020), KMK/BMZ (2016) and KMK (2013). Additionally, several pedagogical concepts have emerged within the context of education for sustainable development (ESD) and intercultural education that are based on different societal views and goals. Approaches to intercultural education in German-speaking countries range from "assimilation/foreigner pedagogy" to "classical intercultural pedagogy", and more recent approaches include migration pedagogy, intercultural pedagogy of belonging and intersectional post-migration and postcolonial approaches (Nohl 2014; Allemann-Ghionda 2009). In the context of the environment and sustainability, ESD has replaced traditional environmental education and includes key aspects of global learning (Gräsel 2018). However, the understanding of sustainability (strong and weak sustainability) and the concept of ESD varies (Sinakou/Boeve-de Pauw/Van Petegem 2019; Vare/Scott 2007).

As teachers are regarded as “change agents” for developing awareness of sustainability, intercultural aspects and racism in schools in pluralistic societies (Koskela/Kärkkäinen 2021; Leeman/van Koeven 2019), teacher training increasingly emphasizes ESD and intercultural education. However, although sustainability and migration-related diversity are seen as central cross-cutting issues within the German school system (KMK/BMZ 2016; KMK 2013), they are rarely discussed together. The few discussions on both issues focus on social sustainability (Garcia-Arias/Corbetta/Baronnet 2023; Lasonen 2009), which ignores the interplay between social, economic and ecological sustainability, as conceptualised under "weak" and "strong" sustainability. This is not only the case in Germany, but also internationally (Catarci 2021; Pusch 2023a). Consequently, it is not surprising that these two future-oriented educational focuses are seldom considered together and linked in teacher education. This paper explores the perspectives of student teachers at the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) on sustainable development and ESD, migration and intercultural education.

The presentation is divided into six sections, beginning with a brief introduction, followed by an outline of the relevant ESD concepts (Section 1) and approaches to intercultural education (Section 2) in the German discourse. Section 3 summarises the current state of research on ESD and intercultural education in teacher education in Germany and relates it to findings from international comparative studies. In this context, the paper highlights the lack of consideration of these two cross-cutting issues together. Building upon this background, Section 4 presents the research question, outlines the study design and explains the methodology. Section 5 presents the preliminary research findings, which form the main body of the proposed paper. Finally, Section 6 provides a brief summary and outlook.

The notion persists that children are too young to notice diversity en consequently, causing adults to hold back in engaging in conversations about identity, diversity and social justice (Beneke & Cheatham, 2019; Husband, 2012).

Contrary to these expectations, babies as young as 6-9 months old perceive ethnic-racial differences (Kelly et al., 2005), still showing a preference for the ethnic-racial characteristics of their primary caregiver (Kelly et al., 2007). However, preferences start to shift as young children begin to associate socialized value judgments with specific ethnic-racial features. From the age of three years old, children use racial and gender categories to include or exclude peers (Raabe & Beelman, 2011; Van Ausdale & Feagin, 2001). Three- to five-year olds also show a preference for thinner individuals and manifest negative attitudes towards individuals with a larger body size (Birbeck & Drummond, 2005; Su & Aurelia, 2012). These evolvements have a (negative) impact on both self image (‘how should I look’ or ‘where do I fit in’) as on children’s perspectives on (super)diversity (‘what is ‘normal?’). Hence, (early) childhood appears to be a crucial period to support positive intergroup attitudes and lay foundations for a strong self image (Birtel et al., 2019).

Social justice education

Research indicates that (Flemish) teachers encounter difficulties in comprehending and addressing diversity and social justice within their classrooms (Agirdag et al., 2012; Slot et al., 2019; Banjeree & Luckner, 2014; Dierickx, Luyckx, & Ben Sliman-Ghomari, 2023). Educators frequently hesitate to engage in conversations about equality, values, and diversity due to a lack of confidence, personal beliefs or knowledge, often exacerbated by limited available resources (Beneke & Cheatham, 2019; Boutte et al., 2011 ; Husband, 2012). When educators avoid discussions of identity, difference or (in)justice, this can be called a ‘diversity silence approach’ (Dierickx et al., 2023), thereby (unconsciously) creating an atmosphere in which the unique histories, cultures, values, and experiences of minoritized groups are overlooked or disregarded (Schofield, 2007).

This creates the need for social justice education. Within our research projects, social justice education is about creating empowering, democratic and critical educational environments (hooks, 1994), and focuses on enhancing the lives of all historically marginalized groups, based on (socialized) characteristics such as ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and intersections between these characteristics (Dierickx, Luyckx, & Windzak, 2023). We specifically focus on antiracist, antiableist, body positive and gender sensitive education.

Supporting teachers in social justice education through video coaching

To promote a confident self-image, an open and respectful worldview, it is important to prioritize supporting teachers’ general and pedagogical diversity knowledge and skills (Dursun, Claes, & Agirdag, 2021; Sheridan et al., 2009). Previous professional development initiatives focus mostly on knowledge development and personal beliefs. However, changes in teachers' belief systems do not always result in an improved teaching practice (Romijn, Slot, & Leseman, 2021). For this purpose, we are co-constructing a professional development program that enhances in-practice learning and reflection through videocoaching. This innovative method for professional development deepens the understanding of (implicit) beliefs, offers schoolteams a methodology to strengthen a culture of reflection (Verschaeve et al., 2020) and supports sustainable professionalization within an embedded and contextual approach (Merchie et al, 2016; Romijn et al., 2021).

Research goals

The main goal is to investigate the effects of the videocoaching program on the competencies of early childhood teachers and primary education teachers in social justice education. As this program will be designed starting from research as well as opportunities and needs of the field of practice, a subgoal –and focus of this paper- is to have an overview of the current opportunities and needs for professionalization within social justice education in Flanders.

Education plays a crucial role in shaping the lives of children and youth, providing them with a meaningful, integrative and productive foundation that positively impacts their social engagement, health and overall well-being. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this essential aspect of development as schools closed and transitioned to digitally-based homeschooling. While this situation affected all students, it posed additional challenges for many children and youth from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds (CYRAS) (Fazel et al., 2012).

Throughout the pandemic, people from forced migration backgrounds were specially labeled as ‘hard to reach’ by health authorities, and they were more severely affected by the virus compared to other groups (Diaz, 2021; Orderud et al., 2021). Despite these challenges, there is a lack of studies or evidence examining whether special educational interventions were implemented for CYRAS or how the pandemic impacted their education in the Nordic countries (Baker et al. 2018). Therefore, it is crucial to investigate whether official strategies were in place and how the Nordic countries addressed the educational needs of CYRAS during and after the pandemic.

Our study aims to describe and compare official strategies, including policy documents, guidelines, and prescriptions at national and regional levels for disseminating information and implementing measures targeting children, youth, and families during and after the pandemic, across the participating countries.

The project Erasmus+ KAIII “Co-created Education through Social Inclusion” (COSI.ed) is carried out from 2021 to 2024 in five European countries: Norway, Denmark, Poland, Spain and Portugal. COSI.ed aims to develop a comprehensive model and a political strategy for social inclusion of pupils at risk of social exclusion and dropout throughout Europe (https://cosied.eu/). The model builds on the understanding that educational staff and the students co-create as part of a community of practice.

A central component of the COSI.ed project is the Collaborative Competence Groups (CCG), which follow the project and provide input throughout the whole project. Each country has established a national CCG consisting of 2-3 pupils, 1 higher education student, 1 policy maker, 1 teacher, 1 researcher and 1 CCG facilitator. The aim of these groups is to work synergistically with all group members in contribution to running, developing, implementing, and evaluating the project. The group members are representatives of relevant stakeholders in the project. The CCG members are working together building on individual experience and competence, to raise the experiential knowledge in the project. The CCG meets three times a year during a four-year period. The national CCGs contribute in identifying needs and planning of the upscaling of the COSI. ed model. They provide feedback on the model, make suggestions for the revision of the model and make recommendations for the final model. Moreover, the group contributes to discussions and policy recommendations. The national CCG contributes to the COSI.ed model being developed in line with the national context.

COSI.ed also includes an overarching international CCG including representatives from the national CCGs. These meetings with pupils, teachers, policy makers, researchers, higher education students, and researchers from Denmark, Poland , Spain , Portugal and Norway have participated in these online meetings. The goal of these meetings is to have an international exchange of experiences within the project. Moreover, these international meetings contribute to discussion and recommendations to the international aspects of the project.

COSI.ed has a collaborative and co-creational design with stakeholders’ participation in the development and implementation of a model for inclusion and policy development. COSI.ed is the first project to use CCGs on such a large scale. CCGs have been used as a research tool in other studies mainly within mental health- and school research (Klevan, 2017 and Krane, 2016). This approach is inspired by a participatory research tradition (Borg, Karlsson, Kim, & McCormack, 2012). Co-creation involves all stakeholders in collaborative processes, embedded in the participants’ everyday life and collaboration with people in this context (Borg, Karlsson, Kim, & McCormack, 2012). Thus, the research tradition is placed within a social constructivist paradigm. In line with this paradigm knowledge is developed and negotiated in discourses between people in the social world, social relations, and practices (Krane, Klevan & Sommer, 2021). In this tradition knowledge is regarded as something that is created and developed in contexts rather than being “one truth” that we could grasp or discover. Active youth involvement is central in this research approach (Krane et al, 2021). At an organisational level, changes in power dynamics between care providers and children have been reported when youth are involved in such processes. At a community level, youth involvement has been found to promote intergenerational dialogues between children / youth and adults (Shamrowa & Cummings, 2017). The power relations between the participants in collaborative research is also central in a collaborative approach. A pitfall in such approaches is that there is no redistribution of power, and the so-called youth involvement becomes tokenism (Hart,1992). Both opportunities and these challenges will be discussed.

This study explores the adoption of an intercultural approach to the practice of English language teaching within the context of the public policy of Saudi Vision 2030 (SV30).

Recognising the growing role of English as a global language and its place and influence on the growth and advancement of Saudi Arabia’s economy through education (Al-Seghayer, 2011), the Saudi government has recently launched a strategic development plan called Saudi Vision 2030 (SV30). Within this public policy, the Human Capability Development Program of SV30 focuses explicitly on developing the ‘values of global citizenship’ while highlighting the need for globally competitive citizens (HCDP, 2020).

The idea of global citizenship introduced in the Program (HCDP, 2020) aligns with the Global Citizenship Education (GCED) concept of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presented at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015. Related to GCED are concepts encompassing education for peace, democracy, human rights, and a commitment to social justice, emphasising critical thinking and responsible participation (Osler & Vincent, 2002, p. 2).

The role of English teachers thus becomes crucial in developing their students’ sense of global citizenship, given the dominant position of the language they teach. Furthermore, recognising that language teaching inherently involves cultural integration, there have been international recommendations advocating for the infusion of the intercultural dimension into second/foreign language classrooms (Brown, 2007). Since grasping specific cultural aspects and traits is essential to language proficiency (Kramsch, 1993), if teachers fail to adopt an intercultural approach, they effectively hinder their students’ future opportunities. In the current globalised context, to foster a more comprehensive intercultural approach, scholars propose shifting from a narrow ‘national’ paradigm, where only the target culture is considered and contrasted against the home culture, to a broader perspective. It follows that an intercultural approach to language teaching aligns with the overarching goal of cultivating globally competent students.

This study utilises Baker’s three levels of Intercultural Awareness [ICA] (Baker, 2015, p. 163) to examine the extent to which an intercultural approach is adopted in classroom practice. It investigates how teachers develop their perceptions of ICA and whether this affects their teaching. The following research questions were addressed:
• What are their beliefs and conceptualisations of ICA?
• What are the sources from which they derive their ICA?
• How do they incorporate ICA into their English Language Teaching practice?

To establish whether the practices and perspectives of EFL teachers in Saudi Arabia have moved beyond this paradigm, this study adopts Baker’s three levels of ICA (2015b). According to Baker (2015, p. 163), the concept of ICA can be delineated by considering the 12 elements grouped into three levels illustrated in Figure 1. These elements follow a progression, starting with a fundamental comprehension of cultural contexts in communication (Level 1: Basic Cultural Awareness), which then advances to a more complex understanding of language and culture (Level 2: Advanced Cultural Awareness), concluding with a nuanced, hybrid, and evolving understanding of cultures and languages in intercultural communication, essential for ELT in global contexts (Level 3: Intercultural Awareness).

Significantly, ICA holds direct relevance for English users in global contexts, particularly in expanding circles such as Saudi Arabia. At Level 3, national cultures are just one of many orientations and resources that individuals interacting may draw upon and construct in communication (Baker 2012, p. 63).

Amidst Australia's colonial history and the national call for truth-telling about colonial violence against First Nations peoples, educators play a crucial role in cultivating student understanding, even when facing uncomfortable content. While discomfort-based pedagogies have been well theorized (see for example Boler and Zembylas, 2003), this research uniquely addresses the development of 'capacity for discomfort' within teacher identity to assist Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students in navigating such content – both in their teaching degrees and their future teaching profession.

Discomforts often emerge in educative encounters that engage with difficult forms of knowledge, materialised through discussion topics including racism, stereotypes and biases, and truth-telling (Britzman, 1998; Zembylas, 2015). Literature defines ‘pedagogy of discomfort’ relates the intentional ways that educators and students examine their experiences of uncomfortable emotions when encountering knowledge that challenges dominant beliefs, attitudes, and social norms (Zembylas, 2015; Zembylas & McGlynn, 2012). This research is guided by Indigenous ethics rooted in the place and histories of Australia, specifically emphasizing 'relationality and reciprocity' (Bishop, Vass & Thompson, 2019), ‘mutuality and collectivity’ (Grande, This research seeks to identify the capacities that need to be developed for discomfort to be truly transformative.

Exploring the building of capacity for discomfort and the explicit teaching of this skill emerges as a crucial frontier in contemporary educational research. Acknowledging discomfort, particularly in educational settings that confront challenging topics such as racism, biases, and historical truths, is essential for cultivating critical thinking, relationality and empathy. The explicit teaching of discomfort as a capacity holds promise in reshaping educational practices and fostering resilience in the face of discomfort. This research seeks to understand how intentionally building capacity for discomfort can not only enhance learning outcomes but also contribute to the broader societal goals of truth-telling and reconciliation. Examining this intersection provides an opportunity to reevaluate pedagogical approaches, redefine educational objectives, and contribute valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on transformative and inclusive education.

This presentation shares preliminary data from a pilot project integrating ‘discomfort education’ at the start of an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) subject focused on traumatic colonial histories in education.

This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on truth-telling and reconciliation by exploring innovative approaches to prepare educators who can navigate discomfort and contribute to a more inclusive and empathetic educational landscape.

This paper explores the experiences of families with children who have special educational needs by problematizng the idea of educational provision for children and families who are facing extra challenges in UK. This is particularly the case for parents of vulnerable children from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Teachers and other support workers are not aware of the broad cultural framework within which parents and families of these vulnerable children operate. Parents have an enduring interest in their children’s well being, while teachers are under pressure to focus on academic matters. These two categories of adults do not see the educational provision in identical ways. There is a lack of understanding about school processes, and therefore mistrust on parents’ part. Equally, there is misunderstanding and lack of information for teachers. Children are the ones who have live with the consequences of adults’ misconceptions and decisions. What kind of social justice is denied? What sort of intercultural dialogue could ease children’s journeys through school? This paper will explore some of these issues with a view to attempting to address the situation adequately and more holistically.

Women’s relationships with and experiences in diaspora are remarkedly varied and complex (Spivak, 1996). To fully understand their diverse experiences, it is necessary to consider the interaction of gender, class, race, and ethnicity alongside nationalism, colonialism, and imperialism (Banerji et al., 2010). Around the world, migrant women are often siphoned into gendered and racialized jobs, contributing to the increasing feminization of migration (Castles & Miller, 2009). The phenomenon of increasing female migrants for employment is accompanied by the contentious deskilling process of immigrant women in traditional education models, leading to questions about power, education, and the economy (Gunduz et al., 2013; Mojab, 2000).

The resourcefulness and agency of diasporic women in foreign contexts is often overlooked, and research on migrant workers can perpetuate victimhood narratives and discourses of victimization from diasporic experiences (Maitra, 2015; Mansuri & Tittensor, 2017). In order to support migrants in lifelong learning and decolonize transnational migration contexts, a shift towards strengths-based holistic pedagogies is required (Maitra & Guo, 2019).

The focus of this paper is to examine how embodied learning pedagogies can assist women in diaspora in establishing social relationships and community connections to navigate and overcome the stress, uncertainties and isolation of migration experiences. This will be accomplished through the use of findings from a community-engaged educational research project that brought together diasporic women to connect in peer-learning and knowledge co-creation activities designed to build situated solidarities and strengthen their social connections and relationships through an embodied whole-person learning curriculum. The research objective of this project was to develop and evaluate a model for newcomer education that took a strengths-based curriculum approach and shifted away from colonial deficit logics. This paper will answer the following research questions: 1) What opportunities does employing embodied learning and education methods that consider the whole person in learning create to assist diasporic women in addressing their current and future needs and challenges? 2) How might this learning support and foster more positive migration journeys and outcomes?

The research project utilized theories of embodied learning, situated solidarities, and transnational feminisms. Embodied learning is a learning concept that affords multiple ways of knowing and being in the world by connecting the mind, body, emotions, and spirit in learning. This concept and approach to learning emphasizes and explores the body’s involvement and significance in generating knowledge (Stoltz, 2015; Wong & Batacharya, 2018). Situated solidarities promote the co-creation of knowledge across borders and “multiple divides… without reinscribing the interests of the privileged” (Nagar, 2014, p. 82). In theory, this includes distributing power, questioning knowledge hierarchies, and examining the politics of place (Routledge & Derrickson, 2015)

Social networks are “central to the process of migration and the formation of transnational identities and communities” (Monkman, 1999, p. 348) and impact nonformal and informal learning which is exceedingly valuable to navigating migration trajectories. Educators can gain a deeper understanding of transnational learning and living by studying social network relations which can result in improved learning opportunities for migrants. The use of embodied learning and practices to support migration journeys and experiences (Biglin, 2020). This paper contributes to advancing this area of research by sharing novel approaches for education and community building with diasporic women which is needed given the rising levels of transnational migration. The research has important implications for educationalists and education researchers and offers hope for re-imagining educational objectives and curricula through a social justice lens.

This study seeks to answer the following research questions:

1. What are the primary challenges faced by disabled students in Bangladesh when pursuing their education?
2. What are the socio-cultural, economic, and policy-related factors contributing to these challenges?
3. How do these challenges impact the academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being of disabled students?
4. What strategies or interventions can be implemented to mitigate these challenges and promote inclusive education in Bangladesh?
5. General objective: the general objectives of the study identify the main challenges of disabled students to pursue their education.

6. Specific objectives:

   v To explore the disabled students social challenges

   v To explore the disabled students Economics challenges

   v To explore the disabled students Institutional challenges

   v To explore the disabled students friends and family

v To explore the disabled students social challenges

v To explore the disabled students Economics challenges

v To explore the disabled students Institutional challenges

v To explore the disabled students friends and family

From the perspective of social (in)equalities and social justice in education, forced migration unprecedentedly challenges education systems to pedagogically and politically manage the growing diversity stemming from cultural and social groups' experiences. By bringing together research on inclusive education, this proposal stems from the previous symposium held in Glasgow focusing on the activities of the Erasmus+ KAIII (621365-EPP-1-2020-1-NO-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN) project “Co-created Education through Social Inclusion” (COSI.ed).

Considering the different ways of managing marginalised and disadvantaged groups suffering the disproportional impact of negative outcomes, the COSI.ed project sought to develop a co-created education model in which educational staff and students from underprivileged backgrounds collaborate to share their perspectives on learning experiences, develop knowledge and skills, remove learning barriers, and improve educational experiences and pathways. The indirect approach, the equality literacy (Moshuus & Eide; 2016; Stuart et.al 2019) and the co-creation methodologies were incorporated into the model, which was tested and improved in educational settings in Denmark, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.

This proposal of symposium aims thus at discussing the development of policies and practices oriented towards social inclusion based on the upscaling of a co-created model for achieving social inclusion in European countries with diverse contextual characteristics while emphasising the outcomes of the various education professionals' promising practices.

To this end, the contributions to this symposium will show how the experiences and results of COSI.ed can be sustained in the future while supporting educational and youth policies at several levels, including local, regional, national, and European. The symposium starts by analysing the process of enacting social inclusion policies and follows by identifying promising practices, and the conditions within which they were developed to explore policy recommendations at regional and European levels. The ambition is to portray a meta-analysis of policy outcomes associated with social justice and intercultural education. The second contribution discusses the impact of current educational policies on the cognitive, emotional, and social development of young people at risk. The presentation aims to highlight the need for collaborative efforts in implementing inclusive education and social inclusion policies while introducing a conceptual, scientific model developed within the Co-created Education through Social Inclusion project, implemented in five European countries. The COSI.ed model maintains continuity in theoretical and methodological approaches, evolving through implementation in diverse contexts. Despite common assumptions from the MAcE project, the model undergoes changes and adaptations in different regions, leading to five regional/national working models and one European COSI.ed model. The co-creation process is refined through desk research, data analysis, national models examination, and interviews with practitioners and young people, with a focus on humanising methodology. The third contribution underscores the pressing need for adaptations in European educational policies to address the challenges faced by institutions in qualifying, developing, and supporting diverse cultural and social groups, often marginalized or from disadvantaged backgrounds. The presentation identifies how in the development of the project promising practices are translated into policy recommendations, involving diverse stakeholders. The paper summarises the collaborative processes, identifies key policy recommendations from the voices of youth and professionals, and discusses their potential transferability to different contexts and regional practices.

The Co-created Education through Social Inclusion (COSI.ed) project, funded by Erasmus+ (621365-EPP-1-2020-1-NO-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN), aimed to change educational practices by developing a co-created education model. This model engaged educational staff and students from underprivileged backgrounds in collaborative efforts to share perspectives, develop knowledge and skills, eliminate learning barriers, and enhance educational pathways. The COSI.ed model, incorporating an indirect approach and co-creation methodologies, underwent testing and refinement in educational settings across Denmark, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. This paper emerges from an analysis of how regional education and youth policies align with and diverge from the goals outlined in the Council Recommendation on promoting common values, social inclusion, inclusive education, and the European dimension of the teaching of the Paris Declaration. Adopting the Policy Cycle Approach (Bowe, Ball & Gold, 1992; Ball, 1994), the policy process is seen as a series of interconnected actions occurring within specific interest group-dominated arenas at transnational, national, and local levels. The theoretical-methodological approach, includes the context of influence, the context of text production, and the context of influence, while emphasising micropolitical processes and the role of actors at the local level, including professors, support staff, and school communities. Guided by the research question, "What are the ideas and organizations supporting educational policies for social inclusion?" this paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the dynamic landscape of educational policies for social inclusion, shedding light on the ideas and organisations that shape and influence these policies across different levels of governance.

Ball, S. (1994). Education reform: A critical and post-structural approach. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Bowe, R., Ball, S. J., & Gold, A. (1992). Reforming education & changing schools: Case studies in policy sociology. London: Routledge.

Current educational policies regarding inclusive approaches have a huge impact on cognitive, emotional and social development, as well as on the social integration of young people at risk (Gordon-Gould & Hornby, 2023). Our study aims to illuminate the emerging need for collaborative working to implement models for a more inclusive perspective on education and social inclusion policy. We demonstrate a conceptual, scientific model, as well as the process of its development, illustrating useful practice in working with young people at risk of social exclusion, created and implemented in five European countries within the Co-created Education through Social Inclusion project. Among the various ways of acquiring knowledge, models and scientific modelling activities are particularly important (Potochnik, 2017). A scientific model aims to represent empirical objects, physical phenomena, and processes in a logical and objective manner. They “attempt to reduce the world to a fundamental set of elements and laws and on this basis, they hope to better understand and predict key aspects of the world” (Borner et al. 2012, 3). Model is not only a reflection of reality, but also grounds for action, or a stimulus for discussion. Model design usually involves the formulation of a scientific hypothesis or the identification of a particular structure or dynamic. Often the hypothesis is grounded in an analysis of empirical data (Borner et al., 2012). Harré (2004) notes that models can complement theories by providing mechanisms for processes that are left unspecified even though they are responsible for bringing about the described phenomena. The COSI.ed model is qualitative, inductive and uses verbal and graphical description to represent the findings from the bottom-up approach. This starts from observations followed by the identification of patterns and factors, which leads to the generation of conclusions (Borner et al., 2012). The COSI.ed model is characterised by a continuity of theoretical and methodological approaches. Despite it was built on the common assumptions and concepts from the MAcE project, in the process of its implementation in different and highly heterogeneous contexts, common assumptions have been subjected to different processes - changes in perception, understanding, re-signification, repositioning of elements and redefining interrelationship. This led to five regional/national working models, based on which one European COSI.ed model was developed. Drawing on desk research, data, national models analysis and interviews with practitioners and young people, we refine the co-creation process by embedding it in the tenets of humanising methodology (Reyes et al. 2021).

Borner, Katy & Boyack, Kevin & Milojevic, Stasa & Morris, Steven. (2012). An Introduction to Modeling Science: Basic Model Types, Key Definitions, and a General Framework for the Comparison of Process Models. 10.1007/978-3-642-23068-4_1. Downes, S. M. (2020). Models and modeling in the sciences: A philosophical introduction. Routledge. Gordon-Gould, P., & Hornby, G. (2023). Inclusive education at the crossroads: exploring effective special needs provision in global contexts. Routledge, London. Harré, R. (2004). Modeling: Gateway to the Unknown (Studies in Multidisciplinarity 1), ed. D. Rothbart, Amsterdam etc.: Elsevier. Potochnik, A. (2007), “Optimality Modeling and Explanatory Generality”, Philosophy of Science, 74(5): 680–691. Reyes, C. C., Haines, S. J., & Clark, K. (2021). Humanizing methodologies in educational research: Centering non-dominant communities. Teachers College Press. Rogers, K. (2023, November 17). Scientific modeling. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/scientific-modeling

Within the rapidly evolving European landscape, the urgency for adaptations in educational policies is accentuated by the daily challenges faced by educational institutions in facilitating the qualification, development and support of increasingly diverse cultural and social groups, often marginalised or from disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite continuous innovation and modifications in pedagogical practices motivated by the inclusive education movement for social justice, the translation of such principles to educational policies that facilitate the dissemination of successful or promising practices across diverse contexts is frequently disturbed by neoliberal logics and systemic inequalities (e.g. school competition, standardized curricula, managerial control) that underlie educational systems (Mikelatou, & Arvanitis, 2023). Ainscow (2020) highlights how promoting inclusion and equity through educational policies and practices is highly connected with processes of social learning in particular contexts. To achieve this, the author suggests an inquiry framework for inclusive education, which emphasises teacher-student dialogues about teaching and learning, as well as wider discussions about what inclusion and equity mean for different actors. Dialogue and social learning have been chief aspects of the experience practices in the COSI.ed international project when engaging young people, researchers, teachers and other education professionals, as well as actors from management and policy-making sectors in collaborative practices. The co-creation approaches used in the implemented and monitored practices of the indirect approach (Moshuus, & Eide, 2016), the collaborative competence groups (Krane, & Klevan, 2019) and the equality literacy framework (Stuart et al., 2019), which embody the COSI.ed model (as described in the previous paper) align with the emerging trend towards more collaborative and participatory processes in the design of policy recommendations and policy-making (e.g. Goulart, & Falanga, 2022). Therefore, the project team initiated a collaborative process to translate the identified promising practices into policy recommendations for a wide audience of policymakers and practitioners at different levels. This ensured that the recommendations reflected the diverse voices of the project. The paper summarises the collaborative processes used to design and upscale promising practices for policy recommendations of co-created education for social inclusion. This paper also identifies the main policy recommendations that emerged during the design process, highlighting the voices of youth and professionals. The recommendations are discussed in terms of their potential transferability to other contexts, as well as their specific regional practices.

Ainscow, Mel (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 Goulart, P., Falanga, R. Co-production and Voice in Policymaking: Participatory Processes in the European Periphery (2022). The European Journal of Development Research, 34, 1735–1744 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-022-00551-z Krane, V., & Klevan, T. (2019) There are three of us: parents’ experiences of the importance of teacher-student relationships and parental involvement in upper secondary school, International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 24:1, 74-84, DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2018.1464482 Mikelatou, A., & Arvanitis, E. (2023) Pluralistic and equitable education in the neoliberal era: paradoxes and contradictions, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(14), 1611-1626, DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2021.1904018 Moshuus, G. H., & Eide, K. (2016). The Indirect Approach: How to Discover Context When Studying Marginal Youth. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406916656193 Stuart, K., Bunting, M., Boyd, P., Cammack, P., Hornbæk Frostholm, P., Thore Graveson, D., Moshuus, G. Walker, S. (2019). Developing an Equalities Literacy for Practitioners Working with Children, Young People and Families through Action Research. Educational Action Research, 28(3), 362-382

Gender pay gap, unfavourable working conditions for mothers, and lack of all-day childcare facilities are examples of marginalised situations for women all over Europe. These inequalities are a social problem that have an impact at various levels, including their educational and career path, as women's skills and abilities are often not recognised. Similar situations occur with racialised people such as migrants and refugees, where their bodies and perspectives are excluded e.g. in political and academic spaces and discourses often wrongly marked as too personal, too emotional and too subjective (Kilomba 2016). Accordingly, women who are racialised are facing marginalising structures in the intersection of gender and race not only individually, but also structurally and institutionally.

The research issue to be discussed here is how these discriminatory structures affect migrant-ised women in their everyday life, especially in their educational and career paths. By using the term ‘migrant-ised’ the authors highlight the complex process of migrant-isation, where (forcedly) moving people and their following generations are turned into migrants and acknowledges the institutionalised sociopolitical category of governance and power the terms migrant and migration are filled with (Worm 2023). Following this critical approach, the symposium aims to analyse the discriminatory structures migrant-ised women face due to the intersection of gender, race and class by centralising so far untold stories of migrant-ised women in educational research. The necessity of these often-excluded voices to be heard - especially in academic discourses - has derived from their value to detect and dismantle the faced discriminatory structures.

The first paper presents findings from an ongoing research project with migrant women. Taking a (self-)critical look at the asymmetrical interview settings in terms of race, language, class and academic status, the researcher shows how including a joint research perspective can become. This is seen not only as an aspect of the data-production, but more so in the research process, as it can affect the whole research project and its output. This leads to new insights, enables new ways of tackling racism, gives way to politicisation, solidarisation and perhaps even to the educational process of gaining agency (Bildung).

The second paper examines the intersection of language barriers, gender dynamics, and epistemic justice encountered by Arab women pursuing doctoral studies in the UK. The study, employing feminist theory, uses qualitative methods, including 15 semi-structured interviews, to explore the challenges of mastering English and the access to the academic discourse. Unveiling the unique pressures and biases faced by these women, the research highlights equity issues in academic leadership and mentorship and advocates for inclusive practices.

The third paper aims to contribute to a reflexive perspective on the positionality of White and BIPOC researchers in European societies and focuses on challenges of researching racial injustice, highlighting the impact of researchers' social positioning and biases. It emphasises the importance of reflective practices, particularly in qualitative research, and advocates for increased participation of BIPOC researchers. The presentation centres on a study that examines the education of migrant and refugee students in Germany and highlights the tensions reflected in interactions between interview partners and the female migrant-ised researcher.

Following the reflexive approaches the question of (language) barriers and the term migrant-ised will be critically discussed in the symposium considering the fact that even this term contributes to the wrong essentialisation of a homogenous and singular group and can be traced back to the national socio-political and historical differences of used terms like ethnicity and race between UK and Germany (Chadderton & Wischmann 2014). The terms and concepts used in these discussions involve the challenges and opportunities of integrating individuals in societal discourses in order to overcome exclusion.

In the realm of higher education, the issue of language barriers among international students transcends mere linguistic challenges; it represents a multifaceted hurdle with profound implications for their academic journey. For Arab women pursuing doctoral studies in the UK, this challenge is particularly pronounced, as they grapple not only with mastering English as an additional language but also with navigating the intricacies of academic discourse and engaging in scholarly debates within a non-native linguistic and cultural context (Badwan, 2021). This paper delves into the intricate relationship between language barriers, gender dynamics, and epistemic justice faced by Arab women doctoral students. Drawing on feminist theory (Bell, 2016) and epistemology of resistance (Medina, 2013), the study seeks to unravel the nuanced challenges these women encounter in accessing knowledge and participating in academic discourse within the British higher education landscape. Central to this exploration is the recognition of the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, religion, and nationality, which further complicates their academic journey. Gendered expectations and cultural norms impose unique pressures on Arab women doctoral students, influencing their confidence levels, assertiveness in academic settings, and access to support networks. Stereotypes and biases rooted in ethnicity and gender may further marginalise these women, hindering their ability to fully participate and thrive within academic communities. Moreover, issues of equity in knowledge access loom large, with limited representation in academic leadership and research positions restricting their access to mentorship, funding opportunities, and institutional support (Okan, 2019). To unpack these complexities, the study adopts a qualitative approach, gathering insights from semi-structured interviews with 15 Arab women doctoral students in British universities. Thematic analysis illuminates 3 key research questions surrounding language barriers, access to epistemic justice, and the gendered dimensions of their experiences. By providing a platform for these voices to be heard, the research sheds light on the intersecting challenges faced by international Arab women students and contributes to a deeper understanding of language barriers in doctoral education. In advocating for inclusive practices, the paper calls for targeted interventions that transcend essentialism and coloniality in language (Gabriel & Tate, 2017). It underscores the importance of raising awareness, fostering solidarity, and promoting activism within academic communities to create a more just and accessible educational environment for all. Ultimately, by recognising and addressing the intersecting challenges faced by Arab women doctoral students, universities can take significant strides towards fostering a more equitable and inclusive academic landscape.

Badwan, K. (2021). Language and Social (In)Justice. In K. Badwan [ed.]: Language in a Globalised World Social Justice Perspectives on Mobility and Contact. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77087-7_9 Bell, L. (2016). Theoretical foundations for social justice education. In M. Adams & L. A. Bell [Eds.]: Teaching for diversity and social justice. (pp. 3–26). New York: Routledge. Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Gabriel, D. (2021). Race, ethnicity and gendered educational intersections. Gender and Education, 33(,), pp. 791-797 https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1967667 Gabriel, D., and S. A. Tate. 2017. Inside the Ivory Tower: Narratives of Women of Colour Surviving and Thriving in British Academia. London: Trentham Books. Medina, J. (2013). The epistemology of Resistance. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Okan, Z. (2019). Language and Social Justice. In R. Papa [eds.]: Handbook on Promoting Social Justice in Education. Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74078-2_111-1

This paper presents insights into an ongoing research project with female migrants who came to Germany from the Middle East as adults, often mothers. Most of them are refugees. This project was planned as a ‘classic’ biographical study with aim to reconstruct experience of different societal groups in terms of education in transnational contexts. Even though the researcher is familiar and sensible for critical race and critical whiteness perspectives and the dilemma of voice in asymmetric interview-settings (in terms of race, language, class and academic status) and hence willing to reflect this, she was surprised by the way the “participants” turned the projects into their own political project. The interviews were conceptualised as narrative interviews (Schütze 2012). These interviews are usually conducted between two people: the interviewer and the interviewee. This setting was the first thing that has been transformed, because many of the interviews were part of a larger group in the setting of a women’s project at a refugee support centre. The second thing was language. Most women wanted to speak German and did it, but they also switched to Arabic. Some interviews were solely in Arabic and were translated after transcription. Hence, the hegemony of German was not only addressed but relativized at least to some extent. Thirdly, the women became involved into the process of publication and hence to re-appropriate their stories. The whole research process became a joint project within the context of a refugee initiative in Flensburg. From a Critical Race (Delgado et al. 2023) and Critical Whiteness (Applebaum 2016) point of view it is important to name and hear racial and with-it intersectional power structures also on the level of research (Chadderton 2012). In this paper will be outlined, in which ways racial lines are tackled and at the same time politization and solidarization is practiced and bound back to biographies. This might open new perspectives on education or Bildung as process of gaining and maintaining agency (Wischmann 2018). Therefore, two of the (so far 8) interviews as (counter)stories (Solorzano and Yosso 2001) will be presented. The interviews are analysed with a reconstructive, narrative-analytical approach (Rosenthal 1993).

Applebaum, B. (2016). Critical Whiteness Studies. In: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Online verfügbar unter https://oxfordre.com/education/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264093-e-5?source=post_page---------------------------. Chadderton, C. (2012). Problematising the role of the white researcher in social justice research. In: Ethnography and Education 7 (3), S. 363–380. DOI: 10.1080/17457823.2012.717203. Delgado, R.; Stefancic, J.; Harris, Angela P. (2023): Critical race theory. An introduction. Fourth edition. New York: New York University Press (Critical America). Rosenthal, Gabriele (1993): Reconstruction of life stories: principles of selection in generating stories for narrative biographical interviews. In: The narrative study of lives 1 (1), S. 59–91. Online verfügbar unter https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/5929. Schütze, F. (2012). Biographieforschung und narratives Interview. In: Oral history. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. Solorzano, D. G.; Yosso, T. J. (2001). Critical race and LatCrit theory and method: Counter-storytelling. In:International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 14 (4), S. 471–495. DOI: 10.1080/09518390110063365. Wischmann, A. (2018). The absence of ‘race’ in German discourses on Bildung. Rethinking Bildung with critical race theory. Race Ethnicity and Education, 21(4), 471-485. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2016.1248834

Various research disciplines address social injustice using different methodologies. When analysing and approaching racial injustice, there is a relevant debate on how structures of injustice and racism are reproduced by White researchers (Scharathow 2014; Rühlmann 2023). While there is already knowledge about the role of researchers in qualitative studies and the significance of reflecting on the power dynamic they hold, it is a different context when the researchers themselves belong to a minority within academia (Karabulut 2022). Usually, researchers who are not BIPOC and come from 'educated' middle-class families (ibid.) are the norm. However, when researchers share the same social positioning as the individuals being studied, it raises questions such as how interviewees will react and what kind of information will be shared. Additionally, it is important to determine the extent to which the data is evaluated, analysed, and interpreted. Creswell (2015) suggests that one criterion for qualitative research is reflecting on one's own subjective positioning. Therefore, it is important for researchers to be aware of the potential influence of their experiences, preconceptions, and beliefs, and to reflect on them. This is particularly relevant in research approaches such as Critical Whiteness Theory (e.g. Collins 2000, Kilomba 2016). Additionally, it is crucial for BIPOC researchers to conduct more research on topics relevant to BIPOC in order to broaden the discourse. The presentation aims to initiate a discussion on how perspectives and positionality influence data acquisition, analysis, and research outcomes. To connect this reflexive approach to an ongoing study, we will introduce data from two research projects. Addressing the practices and challenges associated with the education of migrant and refugee students, 18 qualitative semi-structured interviews with teachers and school leaders were conducted across six secondary schools in Germany. Newly arrived migrant students are usually placed in separate classes with a focus on rapidly acquiring German as an additional language for academic purposes. The data collected and interactions during data collection reflect a habitual inclination towards monolingualism. It highlights the complex and ambivalent positions of teachers, as well as their varied actions and reflections regarding the incorporation of students' multilingual competencies in the German classroom. The study reveals the challenges faced by educators in balancing linguistic diversity and the prevailing monolingual educational norms. The interactions of the interview partners with the female migrant-ised researcher mirror these tensions and shall be focused on in this paper. The second project focuses on high-achieving women's biographies.

Creswell, J. W. (2015). 30 Essential skills for the qualitative researcher (1st ed.). Sage. Hill Collins, P. (2000). Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203900055 Karabulut, A. (2020). Rassismuserfahrungen von Schüler*innen: Institutionelle Grenzziehungen an Schulen. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Kilomba, G. (2016). Plantation memories: Episodes of everyday racism (4. Aufl). Unrast. Rühlmann, L. (2023): Race, Language, and Subjectivation. A Raciolinguistic Perspective on Schooling Experiences in Germany. Springer: Wiesbaden Scharathow, W. (2014). Vom Objekt zum Subjekt. Über erforderliche Reflexionen in der Migrations- und Rassismusforschung. In: Broden, A. & Mecheril, P. (2010): Rassismus bildet. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. https://doi.org/10.14361/transcript.9783839414569.87

As lifelong learning is an important condition for employability, social inclusion and active citizenship, the European Council has been emphasizing the importance of adult learning for the last two decades (European Commission, 2001). Despite these predetermined goals, participation in adult learning remains highly unequal: those who are most in need of learning to improve knowledge and skills in a rapidly changing labor market are least likely to find their way into adult learning (Boeren, 2016; Desjardins, 2015). This participation behavior and its failure to be properly addressed by policies only increases the disparities between advantaged and disadvantaged adults. Research on causes of low participation rates among vulnerable adults points to the fact that much more than other groups of adults, disadvantaged adults face different types of barriers that prevent them from learning (e.g., Cross, 1981). Yet policies seeking to remove such barriers and thus aiming to minimize the threshold to adult education (e.g., reducing enrollment costs, organizing learning activities at alternative time points) seem to be failing in their purpose.

One major difficulty with policies focusing on raising participation is that it shifts the responsibility to individual adults taking or not taking the initiative to participate. While an individual’s agency is not to be ignored, the decision-making process, particularly for disadvantaged adults, is a complex and sensitive phenomenon to comprehend (Boeren, 2016). Vulnerable adults are more likely to have experienced a problematic schooling trajectory often resulting in early dropout. Due to previous negative school experiences, these adults are more likely to have adverse self-perceptions as learners, low expectations of what can be achieved, fear and distrust of educational systems, preventing them from taking the step to undertake learning activities again at an adult age (Boeren, 2011; Cross, 1981; Darkenwald & Merriam, 1982; Goto & Martin, 2009; Rubenson, 2010; Vannieuwenhove & De Wever, 2022). In addition, adults differ in what Bourdieu (1984) calls their various forms of capital. Family, friends, school, and the work environment shape an individual’s frame of reference (“habitus”). Within this frame of reference, values are pushed forward, helping to determine what is considered important and what is within an individual’s possibilities. Consequently, interactions within the social context implicitly set boundaries for what is worth aspiring. Lower learning intentions therefore are not so much a conscious individual choice but rather the inherent consequence of socialization processes (Boeren, 2011; Bourdieu, 1984; Cross, 1981).

Understanding sociopsychological hindering processes preventing disadvantaged adults from learning is crucial to gain a better insight in the participation gap between advantaged and disadvantaged adult learners. As research on this subject is challenging and scarce, the symposium aims to broadly illuminate the role of potentially obstructive sociopsychological (demand side of adult learning) and organizational factors (supply side) by bringing together recent empirical findings emerging from three diverse research projects, developing a European perspective on this topic. Specifically, Paper 1 by Ellen Boeren will examine long-term shifts in inequality patterns within the UK and Ireland. Paper 2, authored by Simon Broek, will investigate the relationship between learning culture and individual agency in the Netherlands. Finally, Bea Mertens' Paper 3 will delve into the dynamics of motivation and barriers affecting learning quality of disadvantaged adults in Belgium. Through the variety of theoretical lenses and methodological approaches used, the insights from the research projects represented in the symposium fuel an in-depth discussion on potential levers for participation necessary for both education providers and policy makers to be able to design appropriate interventions to enhance both supply and demand side of lifelong learning for disadvantaged adults.

This presentation will delve deeper into the characteristics of participants versus non-participants in adult learning with a specific focus on future learning intentions, motivations and barriers. Previous research has shown that participation in adult learning remains unequal (Boeren, 2016). Those with higher levels of qualifications, younger adults, and those in knowledge-intensive jobs are more likely to participate. But to what extent have participation patterns, including its drivers and barriers, among these groups remained static during the past 20 years? This contribution to the symposium will introduce the audience to an ongoing adult education project, funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC): A UK-Ireland investigation into the statistical evidence-base underpinning adult learning and education policy-making. We will present a brief methodological overview of the Learning & Work Institute’s Adult Participation in Learning (APiL) survey, a representative cross-sectional survey with near-annual rounds of around 5,000 adults each, totalling around 100,000 for the period 2002 - 2023. The Learning & Work Institute is the UK’s leading non-partisan body generating policy-influence in adult education. Having introduced the audience to the methodological aspects of our research, we will present trend analyses on who did and did not participate during the last 20 years, including the characteristics of adults who indicated a likelihood to participate in the near future. The data also allow us to unpack the motivations (Boeren & Holford, 2016; Boshier & Collins, 1985) of participating adults and which barriers (Cross, 1981; Kalenda, Vaculíková, & Kočvarová, 2022) prevented others. Given our access to representative data for the period 2002 to 2023, we will not only discuss determinants of participation but specifically zoom in to patterns over time. Preliminary analyses of the data confirm a stubborn trend towards higher participation chances for younger and highly educated adults, those in full-time employment, coming from higher social class backgrounds. Additionally, while these socio-economic and socio-demographic background characteristics remain important predictors of future participation, adults’ current or recent participation status appears as the most powerful determinant of learning intentions. Analyses on trends in relation to motivations to participate and barriers preventing participation are ongoing at the time of submission. These will be finalised before the ECER conference and thus represent novel insights to the conference audience. The presentation will end with recommendations for future research, including the need for specialised longitudinal adult education data.

Boeren, E. (2016). Lifelong learning participation in a changing policy context: an interdisciplinary theory. London: Palgrave-Macmillan. Boeren, E., & Holford, J. (2016). Vocationalism Varies (a Lot):A 12-Country Multivariate Analysis of Participation in Formal Adult Learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 66(2), 120-142. Boshier, R., & Collins, J. B. (1985). The Houle typology after twenty-two years: a large-scale empirical test. Adult Education Quarterly, 35(3), 113-130. doi:10.1177/0001848185035003001 Cross, K. P. (1981). Adults as learners: increasing participation and facilitating learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Kalenda, J., Vaculíková, J., & Kočvarová, I. (2022). Barriers to the participation of low-educated workers in non-formal education. Journal of Education and Work, 35(5), 455-469. doi:10.1080/13639080.2022.2091118 Project website: A UK-Ireland investigation into the statistical evidence-base underpinning adult learning and education policy-making. Online available at https://adultlearningpolicies.co.uk/

This presentation will discuss results from a Dutch Research Council (NWO) funded study. The main research question relates to how learning cultures can be established that stimulate individual agency towards learning. The project contributes to a national monitoring approach to better evaluate whether policies do the right things in stimulating adults to learn. The study took the human capability approach (Nussbaum, 2013; Sen, 1999) as starting point (Broek et al., 2023). In this approach, the focus is on whether persons have the freedom to choose adult learning as a valuable life option. The focus is hence less on whether adults participate, but on whether they are in the position to even consider participating in adult learning. The latter does say more about the effectiveness of policies being able to establish a learning culture that stimulates individual agency towards learning. Literature review resulted in a theoretical framework concerning stimulating factors that make adults learn (Broek et al., 2023), focusing on ‘agency-factors’ (motivation, aspiration, self-confidence), ‘conversion-factors’ ((e.g. social, family, work, education background, institutions) and ‘results of adult learning’ (e.g. personal development, health, career). Furthermore, literature was explored to identify success factors in regional level learning environments (Broek, under review). Monitoring therefore whether adults are in a position to learn, requires a methodological approach that allows analysing the whole person addressing the stimulating and hampering factors together and not separately. To allow this, while allowing quantification, a large-scale interview approach based on card-sorting methodology was tested (Cataldo et al., 1970; Conrad & Tucker, 2019). 30 organisations (e.g. training providers, libraries, municipalities, PES, social welfare organisations) and 70 adults were interviewed. The interviews took place in three distinct Dutch regions (Rotterdam, Achterhoek, Groningen). The presentation will present how the learning culture interacts with personal agency-factors. It will cluster adult learners based on their profile of impacting factors and assess what interventions work best to stimulate the learning of those groups. Furthermore, reflections will be provided on the usability, strengths and weaknesses of applying card-sorting in social science research and explore the potential of scaling-up this methodology to be embedded in a national large-scale policy-monitoring instrument for lifelong learning. The thematical and methodological explorations are relevant for other European countries willing to better understand what policy actions could motivate adults to learn. In April 2024, in the context of the Belgian Presidency, the study will facilitate a European workshop on this topic.

Broek, S. D. (under review). Conditions for successful adult learning systems at local level: Creating a conducive socio-spatial environment for adults to engage in learning. Broek, S. D., Linden, J. V. D., Kuijpers, M. A. C. T., & Semeijn, J. H. (2023). What makes adults choose to learn: Factors that stimulate or prevent adults from learning. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 29(2), 620–642. https://doi.org/10.1177/14779714231169684 Cataldo, E. F., Johnson, R. M., Kellstedt, L. A., & Milbrath, L. W. (1970). Card Sorting as a Technique for Survey Interviewing. Public Opinion Quarterly, 34(2), 202. https://doi.org/10.1086/267790 Conrad, L. Y., & Tucker, V. M. (2019). Making it tangible: Hybrid card sorting within qualitative interviews. Journal of Documentation, 75(2), 397–416. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-06-2018-0091 NRO. (2022). Leren Stimuleren! Een ontwikkelgerichte monitor voor meer LLO door versterkte eigen regie. | NRO. https://www.nro.nl/onderzoeksprojecten/leren-stimuleren-een-ontwikkelgerichte-monitor-voor-meer-llo-door-versterkte Nussbaum, M. (2013). Creating capabilities: The human development approach (1. paperback ed). Belknap Press of Harvard Univ. Press. Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom (1. Anchor Books ed). Anchor Books.

This presentation will elaborate on the quality of drivers and the role of barriers among low-educated adults participating in second-chance education (SCE). While research points at a Matthew effect in participation behavior, there is a subset of adults who, somewhat against the odds, decide to pursue further education through SCE, aiming to attain an ISCED level 3 degree (European Commission 2016). This degree is often required to have access to a range of jobs and to higher education or adults are being suspended from social assistance benefits if they cannot demonstrate enrollment in education. The quality of motivation for participating in SCE is therefore under pressure (Schuchart & Schimke, 2021; Windisch, 2016). In addition, we lack understanding on the relationship between the quality of participation motivation and the quality of motivation to engage in concrete learning behaviors, ultimately leading to learning outcomes. When reasons underlying participation do not entirely originate from the learner themselves it is overly optimistic to assume that mere participation in SCE inevitably also results in optimal learning motivation. While in most cases, future aspirations that can be achieved by participating in education are a good predictor of successful achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2017), this does not always seem to hold true for disadvantaged minority groups. One possible explanation for this aspirations-achievement paradox is that minorities often have "abstract" mobility beliefs about the value of education for later success in life, but at the same time, they seem to have fewer positive beliefs about the more “concrete” learning processes (Mickelson, 1990; Phalet, 2004). These hindering beliefs seem to be the natural consequence of earlier erratic school experiences and have the potential to undermine the quality of drivers for learning. The current study aims to gain a comprehensive insight into the interplay of drivers and barriers among participating disadvantaged adults, in order to better understand the often vulnerable motivational psychology of these learners. Based on the assumption that the quality of participation motivation is associated with the quality of motivation to engage in learning behaviors, this paper adopts a multidimensional theoretical view on the concept of motivation. Nineteen in-depth interviews probed the aspirations adult learners pursue by participating in SCE, on the one hand, and the drivers and barriers to engage in learning behavior on the other. Analyses are in a final stage and will therefore provide new insights that will be presented and discussed in this symposium.

European Commission (2016) on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults (2016/C 484/01). Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:JOC_2016_484_R_0001 (accessed January, 2024) Mickelson, R.-A. (1990) The attitude–achievement paradox among black adolescents, Sociology of Education, 63(1), 44–61. https://doi.org/10.2307/2112896 Phalet, K., Andriessen, I., & Lens, W. (2004). How future goals enhance motivation and learning in multicultural classrooms. Educational Psychology Review, 16(1), 59-89. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EDPR.0000012345.71645.d4 Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. New York, NY: Guilford Publishing. Schuchart, C., & Schimke, B. (2022). Age and Social Background as Predictors of Dropout in Second Chance Education in Germany. Adult Education Quarterly, 72(3), 308-328. https://doi.org/10.1177/07417136211046960 Windisch, H.C. (2016). How to motivate adults with low literacy and numeracy skills to engage and persist in learning: A literature review of policy interventions. International Review of Education, 62(3), 279-297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9553-x