14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research
Paper
Secondary Schools Initiatives to foster Transformative Agency and Social Change. The SCU4change Project.
Mercedes Blanco-Navarro, Carles Lindin, Raquel Miño-Puigcercós, Judith Jacovkis, Diego Calderón, Pablo Rivera-vargas
Universidad de Barcelona, Spain
Presenting Author: Blanco-Navarro, Mercedes;
Lindin, Carles
Education systems are facing a constantly and rapidly changing environment. In addition to the conventional challenges that already put pressure on school institutions, new challenges are now being added, especially those linked to inclusion and diversity. These are inevitable phenomena in a globalised and multicultural world (Erstad et al., 2021; Rajala et al., 2023). To meet these challenges, it is necessary to develop innovative approaches to build new concepts and strengthen the notion of a transformative capacity. This ability empowers young people to see themselves as agents and citizens capable of influencing today's society and the one they wish to inhabit in the future, starting from a construction in the present (Jenkins & Ito, 2015). In this context, there is a general consensus that students must not only learn to live in the world, but also to critically analyse, conceive their own potential futures and change their trajectories (Lipman, 2011).
A fundamental concept in this context is transformative agency, which Stetsenko (2019) describes as "the connection between individuals who not only change the world, but are also transformed in the process" (p. 3). This perspective implies the development of skills and competencies to experience and promote social change. What is intriguing is how this idea can engage young people in creating possible futures aligned with their own destinies, considering agency as a simultaneously relational and transformative phenomenon.
The research conducted is aligned with the need for education to contribute to meeting the challenges of the future (UNESCO, 2021) and to provide key competences/skills for social change. At the same time, it is necessary to be attentive to global-local phenomena and perspectives, which promote the incorporation of "Southern perspectives" (Blommaert, 2005) and to observe the influence of different socio-historical environments on educational practices (Ávalos & Bellei, 2019).
In this context, the project 'SCU4Change- Educational Roadmap for Transformative Agency - Connecting School, Community and University for Social Change' (Erasmus+. 2022-1-NO01-KA2020-HED-000086487) has emerged. Its purpose is to foster transformative experiences for social change in secondary education through coordinated collaboration between schools, communities and universities. Its main objective is to design a collaborative and sustainable roadmap that highlights and promotes school practices aimed at addressing contemporary social problems from a social and educational change perspective, through the cooperation of all parties involved.
In each of the participating countries, the universities of Vienna (Austria), Andrés Bello (Chile), Barcelona (Spain) and Oslo (Norway) are collaborating with a secondary school that already implements transformative educational projects or practices aimed at social change. Together with key stakeholders from the school (students, teachers, management) and the surrounding community, common trends that stimulate the development of transformative agency are being explored.
Throughout the implementation of SCU4Change, the participating schools,communities, and universities will jointly design, implement, and evaluate projects addressing contemporary social issues in schools. Systematizing these experiences will create a collaborative 'roadmap' to highlight and encourage school practices focused on social issues, fostering change through school-community-university collaboration.
In this way, and from a bottom-up or bottom-up logic, the aim is to bring into dialogue the knowledge and transformative praxis already existing in schools in order to build, through collaborative and synergetic work between school/community/university.
The specific objectives of the project are: (1) Design, implement, and disseminate transformative education projects for social issues, (2) empower youth as societal influencers, (3) promote authentic learning on current social/environmental challenges, and (4) explore digital resources for collaborative learning among schools, universities, and communities.
In this context, the results of the process of observing transformative projects in a public school in Spain are presented.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedA qualitative triangulation is developed based on classroom observation of the entire period in which the training experience is implemented (4 weeks). Together with the field notes resulting from the observation, informal interviews were conducted with teachers and students, as well as with representatives of the associations collaborating in the development of these educational projects.
The fieldwork took place between November (2023) and February (2024), accompanying the development of the following three projects:
● The project Desmontamos rumores y estereotipos a través de las redes sociales (07/11/2023-12/12/2023) consists of a collaboration between the school and a communication agency, which commissions and accompanies the students to produce short films about rumours and stereotypes that favour racism, from the perspectives of young people. These short films are published on social media.
● The Participemos project (09/01/2024 - 09/02/2024) invites students to participate and get involved in decision-making processes within their families, the school and the neighbourhood to which they belong. To this end, they collaborate with a youth club and experience processes of participation and involvement, as part of active citizenship.
● The Rap y Glosa project (09/01/2024 - 09/02/2024) is based on the idea that music is a tool for expressing discontent and disagreement with social injustices. Therefore, through this project, students learn to write and improvise rap songs, based on social issues that concern them, through the collaboration of a popular music school.
Observation and subsequent analysis are systematised through 5 framework categories:
1. Issues addressed and strategies: curricular content addressed, the role of the school in social change and the role of digital technologies.
2. Student engagement: student participation in the projects.
3. Teachers' perceptions: planning, evaluation, collaboration with the community, assessment of student participation.
4. School-community collaboration.
5. Capacity for transformative agency.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsIt can be seen that the projects are suitable for the generation of the ethical/reflective disposition necessary for the development of transformative agency. However, this does not transfer (at least not immediately) to the development of the practical disposition necessary for the implementation of the transformative agency of the projects.
In other words, and more concretely, the projects observed show the construction of a public discourse consistent with the values and perspectives that the projects seek to work on, but this public discourse contradicts some of the daily practices of some of the students.
Although it is not easy to analyse the transformative agency that is promoted among students through each of the projects, the suitability of creating an ecosystem of training actions that, from different perspectives and strategies, incorporate the voice and action of the students is evident. It is in the proposal of alternative models that classroom actors become aware of the possibility of managing different roles to those usually assigned.
However, certain tensions also arise. On the one hand, there is the need to make explicit the relationship between the projects and the school curriculum. For this reason, pupils could interpret their commitment as voluntary activism (depending on their interest in the subject in question), detached from the usual formal training. On the other hand, the action of the social entities that collaborate and the pedagogical capacity of their facilitators are fundamental both to increase pupils' involvement and to strengthen their transformative agency.
It is hoped that the results of this observation process will contribute to the collaborative co-design phase between schools, communities and universities and allow for the proposal of a road-map to inspire and guide the development of transformative educational projects in other secondary schools.
ReferencesÁvalos, B., & Bellei, C. (2019). Recent Education Reforms in Chile. How Much of a Departure from Market and New Public Management Systems? In C. Ornelas (Ed), Politics of Education in Latin America: Reforms, Resistance and Persistence, Sense-Brill Publishers.
Blommaert, J. (2005) Discourse: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511610295
Erstad, O., Miño, R., & Rivera-Vargas, P. (2021). Educational practices to transform and connect schools and communities. [Educational practices to transform and connect schools and communities.] Comunicar, 29(66). 9-20. https://doi.org/10.3916/C66-2021-01
Jenkins, H., & Ito, M. (2015). Participatory culture in a networked era: A conversation on youth, learning, commerce, and politics. John Wiley & Sons.
Lipman, P. (2011). The new political economy of urban education: Neoliberalism, race, and the right to the city. Routledge.
Rajala, A., Cole, M. & Esteban-Guitart, M. (2023). Utopian methodology: Researching educational interventions to promote equity over multiple timescales, Journal of the Learning Sciences, 32(1), 110-136.
Stetsenko A. (2019). Radical-transformative agency: continuities and contrasts with relational agency and implications for education. Frontiers in education, 4, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00148
UNESCO (2021). Reimagining our futures together: a new social contract for education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379381
14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research
Paper
The School's Role in Graduates' Life Trajectories Planning through Building a Sense of Belonging with the Local Community
Konstantin Anchikov
HSE University, Russian Federation
Presenting Author: Anchikov, Konstantin
This panel discussion delves into the localized exploration of the intricate relationship between schools, community interactions, and the cultivation of a sense of belonging among students. Focused on three specific Russian territories characterized by specific natural and climatic conditions, this study aims to decipher how schools strategically engage with local communities to enhance students' connections and, in turn, influence their life plans. The analysis remains grounded in the unique challenges posed by the territorial context, providing a nuanced perspective on the role of schools in fostering a sense of belonging among youth. The theoretical framework guiding this exploration draws from concepts of local identity, stakeholder theory, social capital, and ecosystem thinking.
The phenomenon of youth migration is a pressing issue not only in Russia but also within specific regions, presenting challenges to both local communities and broader societal structures. The migration of youth is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors, including the socio-economic development of regions, educational opportunities, and employment prospects. Research indicates a prevalent trend of youth gravitating toward more developed urban centers, exacerbating labor market erosion in smaller towns and rural areas. Understanding the nuances of youth migration is crucial, especially in regions with challenging natural-climatic contexts, where socio-economic deprivation combines with territorial barriers such as harsh climates, remoteness, and inaccessibility.
One often overlooked aspect is the impact of a sense of belonging to the local community on migration decisions. Studies suggest that a strong sense of attachment can act as a deterrent to migration, as individuals feel connected to social networks, institutions, and local cultural distinctiveness. Conversely, a weak sense of belonging may increase migration intentions, with individuals seeking acceptance elsewhere.
This discussion seeks to extend existing research by focusing on the role of schools in shaping youth's sense of belonging. Schools, as social institutions, can play a pivotal role in fostering community attachment through involving students in communal processes and projecting an image of openness to the external world. However, current research gaps exist, particularly at the level of local communities and individual schools as socio-cultural environments where migration attitudes may form.
Unlike conventional studies, our focus shifts from understanding the general link between life trajectories and a sense of belonging to a more context-specific examination of the deliberate efforts made by schools within challenging territorial environments. Using a localized logic, we explore the ways in which schools navigate socio-economic deprivation, territorial barriers, and the distinctive climatic challenges of each region.
Our hypothesis is tailored to the local nuances of the three Russian territories, proposing that schools actively contribute to the development of students' sense of belonging by tailoring their strategies to the specific actions within their locality. By examining the interplay between schools and the local environment through we aim to uncover region-specific insights into the peculiarities of school strategies.
The discussion remains rooted in the local context of the three Russian territories, emphasizing the importance of understanding how schools respond to the socio-economic and environmental challenges unique to each region. By focusing on this localized approach, the panel seeks to encourage a deeper understanding of the regional dynamics that shape the interplay between schools, community interactions, and youth aspirations. Ultimately, this exploration aims to inform tailored strategies for enhancing a sense of belonging among students in regions facing specific territorial conditions, contributing to the broader discourse on education and community engagement.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe study is based on the materials of the expedition to urban and rural schools in the territories with specific natural, climatic and socio-economic context: Elizovsky District of Kamchatka Krai, Nerchinsky District of Zabaikalsky Krai, Salekhard and Novy Urengoy of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The study was implemented in a qualitative design based on the results of the expedition of the HSE University to these territories for the period from September 2022 to September 2023. The research explored the possibilities of building a positive socio-educational trajectory in the territories with specific geographical, natural, climatic and socio-economic conditions.
The expeditions included school visits to 15 schools in the Yelizovsky district of Kamchatka Krai, 11 schools in the Nerchinsky district of Zabaikalsky Krai, and 12 schools in Salekhard and Novy Urengoy. The main data source is semi-structured interviews with 1) school administrators and 2) high school students. On average, each interview lasts about 40-50 minutes. Interviews with students focused on their reflections on their future life plans, while interviews with school administrators and teachers were mainly aimed at capturing school practices and strategies of external interaction.
The materials obtained as a result of the interviews were prepared in the form of transcripts for further analysis. Transcripts are processed by coding method using Atlas.ti software. The coding is based on the developed structure of a codebook formed on the basis of the key concepts of this study. The codebook takes into account two main blocks of categories in accordance with the purpose of the study - graduates' trajectories and schools' external engagement strategy.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsOne pivotal determinant identified is the type of external engagement facilitated by schools, particularly through career guidance initiatives organized in collaboration with local institutions of higher vocational education and businesses. The linkage between students' choices for future trajectories and the accessibility of information about self-realization opportunities in their region underscores the efficacy of career guidance activities as a potent strategy in mitigating migration asymmetry.
Contrary to the initial hypothesis, our findings largely dismiss the notion that students' plans for continuing their education within their native territory are contingent on the cultivated sense of belonging by schools. Instead, pragmatic considerations, notably academic pursuits and employment prospects, emerge as paramount influencers in students' trajectory choices, overshadowing emotional factors.
This research contributes to the international discourse by offering a nuanced perspective on the intricate interplay between external collaborations, pragmatic considerations, and youth migration plans. The identification of effective strategies, such as targeted career guidance activities, holds significance for global discussions on reducing migration imbalances. By highlighting the dominance of pragmatic factors in shaping students' decisions, our findings offer valuable insights for international educators, policymakers, and researchers grappling with similar challenges, fostering cross-cultural discussions and potential collaborative solutions.
References1.Габдрахманов, Н.К., Никифорова, Н.Ю., Лешуков, О.В. (2019). «От Волги до Енисея…»: образовательная миграция молодежи в России. М.: НИУ ВШЭ. (in Russian)
2.Карачурина, Л.Б., Флоринская, Ю.Ф. (2019). Миграционные намерения выпускников школ малых и средних городов России. Вестник Московского университета. Серия 5. География. с. 82-89. (in Russian)
3.Cooke, T.J., Boyle, P. (2011). The migration of high school graduates to college. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 33 (2), 202–213. DOI: 10.3102/0162373711399092
4.Geist, C., Mcmanus, P. A. (2008). Geographical Mobility over the Life Course: Motivations and Implications. Population, Space and Place, 14(4), 283–303. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.508;
5.Мкртчян, Н.В. (2013). Миграция молодежи в региональные центры России в конце XX – начале XXI века // Известия РАН. Сер. Географическая. № 6. С. 19-30.]. (in Russian)
6.Кашницкий, И.С., Мкртчян, Н.В., Лешуков, О.В. (2016). Межрегиональная миграция молодежи в России: комплексный анализ демографической статистики. Вопросы образования. №3. (in Russian)
7.Зубаревич, Н. В. (2012). Социальная дифференциация регионов и городов. Pro et Contra. Т. 16, № 4-5. (in Russian)
8.Wetherell, M. (2009). The identity / action relation. In: Wetherell, M. Theorizing Identities and Social Action. Identity Studies in the Social Sciences. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1–19.
9.Albert I., Barros, S. (2021). The Sense of Belonging in the Context of Migration: Meanings and Developmental Trajectories. In: Wagoner, B., Christensen, B.A., Demuth, C. (eds) Culture as Process. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77892-7_19
10.Riethmuller, M. L., Dzidic, P. L., & Newnham, E. A. (2020). Going Rural: Qualitative perspectives on the role of place attachment in young people’s intentions to return to the country. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 101542. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101542
11.Theodori, A., Theodori, G. (2015). The Influences of Community Attachment, Sense of Community, and Educational Aspirations Upon the Migration Intentions of Rural Youth in Texas. Community Development. 46. 10.1080/15575330.2015.1062035.
12.Цирульников, А. М. (2009). Социокультурные основания развития системы образования. Метод социокультурной ситуации. Вопросы образования, (2), 40-66. (in Russian)
14. Communities, Families and Schooling in Educational Research
Paper
Towards Transformative Education: Exploring School Projects for Social Change
Pablo Rivera-Vargas1, Lluís Parcerisa1, Pablo Neut2, Diego Calderon1, Raquel Miño-Puigcercós1, Mercedes Blanco-navarro1
1Universidad de Barcelona, Spain; 2Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
Presenting Author: Rivera-Vargas, Pablo;
Parcerisa, Lluís
Education systems are facing a world in constant and accelerated transformation. In addition to the traditional challenges that already strained school institutions, new challenges are now being added, most notably those related to inclusion and diversity. These are inevitable phenomena in a globalised and multicultural world (Erstad et al., 2021; Rajala et al., 2023). To address these challenges, innovative approaches need to be developed to build new imaginaries and reinforce the idea of a transformative capacity for action. Such a capacity empowers young people to see themselves as agents and citizens capable of influencing today's society and the one in which they wish to live in the future, based on a construction in the present (Jenkins & Ito, 2015; Fardella et al., 2023). In this sense, there is a general consensus that students must not only learn to live in the world, but also to think critically, imagine their own possible futures and transform their destinies (Lipman, 2011).
A key concept in this context is transformative agency, which Stetsenko (2019) defines as "the link between people who not only change the world, but are also transformed in this very process" (p. 3). This perspective entails the development of skills and competences to experience and bring about social change. What is interesting is how this notion can engage young people in the conception of possible futures aligned with their own destinies, understanding agency as both a relational and a transformative phenomenon.
Within this framework, the project 'Educational Roadmap for Transformative Agency - Connecting School, Community and University for Social Change' (Erasmus+. 2022-1-NO01-KA2020-HED-000086487) has emerged. This project aims to foster transformative experiences for social change in secondary education through coordinated action between schools, communities and universities. Its main objective is to design a collaborative and sustainable "roadmap" that makes visible and promotes school practices focused on addressing contemporary social issues from a perspective of social and educational change, through the collaboration of all the agents involved.
The project is implemented in four countries: Austria, Chile, Spain and Norway. In each country, the project will work with a secondary school that has implemented - or is implementing - projects or practices aimed at educational and social transformation.
In the first phase, the different actors involved (teachers, management teams, communities and students) have been contacted to assess the effects of these projects and the needs, potentials and difficulties associated with the deepening of these educational practices in different contexts. In order to deepen and understand how schools are contributing (or not) to fostering social change and multi-stakeholder collaboration, each participating university (University of Oslo - Norway, Universitat de Barcelona - Spain, University of Vienna - Austria and Universidad Andrés Bello - Chile) has conducted interviews, observations and surveys, involving principals, teachers and students of the secondary schools associated to the project.
This paper presents the results of the initial phase of the project in the context of Spain, specifically in a public secondary school pioneer in educational transformation. It integrates into its curriculum interdisciplinary projects (called "BRCS") in 3rd and 4th year of secondary education (students aged 15 and 16 in Spain), addressing issues such as sexuality, pollution, colonialism, human rights, racism, sexism and climate change. In these BRCS, collaboration with extracurricular communities is key, working with a variety of entities on projects involving social sciences, humanities and other areas, culminating in an annual exhibition of the projects to the local community.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedIn order to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the school's needs and students' concerns, three individual interviews were conducted with different teachers, complemented by a focus group in which the school's management team participated. In parallel, a detailed online questionnaire was designed and administered to a total of 286 students, both male and female, to obtain a broader and more representative perspective of the student community.
In the case of the questionnaire, in addition to the usual socio-demographic questions referring to the course and gender of the students, it had a series of questions referring to: 1) personal and collective concern about certain social problems; 2) knowledge about the conceptualisation of social change; 3) the problems to be worked on and the groups with whom to work on projects related to social change; 4) opinions and self-perceptions about project work; 5) the influence of project work in the immediate context; and 6) the usefulness of digital technologies in project work.
This mixed approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, provided a comprehensive and in-depth view of the needs and perceptions existing in the school (Chaves, 2018).
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsIn this first phase of the project we observed that the school in question has adopted an innovative educational approach, moving away from the traditional structure to embrace personalisation and globalisation of learning. Despite their remarkable commitment to project-based education that addresses social issues, questions arise about the real effectiveness and reach of these initiatives. While managers and teachers are enthusiastic about integrating projects in the social sciences and humanities, addressing issues such as human rights and climate change, this approach often clashes with dimensions such as assessment, and youth engagement in higher grades (baccalaureate), where interest seems to wane.
The school enjoys a curricular autonomy that allows for the implementation of innovative methods and methodologies, such as the use of rap and social media. However, this also brings with it the challenge of measuring the educational impact of such approaches. Although there is institutional support and an aligned school culture, certain subjects, such as exact sciences, present difficulties in incorporating these projects, calling into question their cross-cutting nature.
Teachers focus on promoting coexistence and social awareness, but such efforts could be perceived as detached from broader academic and professional realities. Despite their aim to develop critical and caring students, the question of how to balance these ideals with traditional academic demands remains.
The use of projects to address social issues is commendable, but criticism also emerges about their practical effectiveness and perception among students and their families. While management and faculty focus on social justice and the reduction of inequalities, students may have more varied and concrete visions of social change, revealing a possible disconnect between educational intentions and student concerns. Ultimately, the school faces the challenge of balancing its aspirations for social change with the reality of its educational capacities and the expectations of its student community.
ReferencesChaves, A. (2018). The use of a mixed methodology in social research. In Delgado, K., Gadea, W., $ Vera, S. (Eds.), Breaking barriers in research (p. 164-184). Editorial UTMACH.
Erstad, O., Miño, R., & Rivera-Vargas, P. (2021). Educational practices to transform and connect schools and communities. [Educational practices to transform and connect schools and communities.] Comunicar, 29(66). 9-20. https://doi.org/10.3916/C66-2021-01
Fardella, C., Baleriola, E., Valdés, R., & Jiménez, F. (2023). Transformative initiatives in vulnerable schools: notes for new public management. Revista Colombiana de Educacion, 89, 126-147.
Jenkins, H., & Ito, M. (2015). Participatory culture in a networked era: A conversation on youth, learning, commerce, and politics. John Wiley & Sons.
Lipman, P. (2011). The new political economy of urban education: Neoliberalism, race, and the right to the city. Routledge.
Rajala, A., Cole, M. & Esteban-Guitart, M. (2023). Utopian methodology: Researching educational interventions to promote equity over multiple timescales, Journal of the Learning Sciences, 32(1), 110-136.
Stetsenko A. (2019). Radical-transformative agency: continuities and contrasts with relational agency and implications for education. Frontiers in education, 4, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00148
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