Ángela Saiz Linares

Teacher Training for Inclusive Education- An Experience from the University of Cantabria.

In this paper, we describe a training proposal for future Infants and Primary School teachers. The paper is based on a collaborative proposal of research and reflection that has taken place between the university tutor and a group of students at the University of Cantabria (Spain). The aim of the paper was to promote a more reflexive and socially committed form of teacher training in relation to inclusive education. More precisely, we will analyse here the reflection and research process carried out by one of the pupils participating who start to formulate their reflections in terms in accordance with a deficitary model to later adopt throughout the training programme a more inclusive approach.

Problemas pedagógicos para un Prácticum reflexivo de Maestros

The practicum in teacher training has emerged in recent years as one of the cardinal elements in redefining the teacher initial training. Several studies highlight the need to base these programs in reflective and collaborative models. In this article we present a practicum proposal articulated as a work of inquiry and reflection that unfolds from the educational problems that pupils identify as relevant. More specifically, we analyze the five projects of inquiry developed by the students in order to discover: their pedagogical interests related to their placements, the focus of reflection in their initial formulations and the vision of education and teaching that can be inferred and, finally, some relationships between the pedagogical concerns of the students and their personal and school biography. For this study we used a qualitative methodology framed in the evaluative case study. The data analysis comes from the information produced in a semi-structured interview and the student diaries. The results presented show the influence of the placement schools in shaping the students’ perceptions of teaching, a preference for a technical and a practical paradigm of teaching and the importance of family and school experiences in the interpretation that the students do of their teaching experiences.

Los seminarios colaborativos en un prácticum reflexivo de maestros. Análisis de una experiencia en la Universidad de Cantabria (España)

En este articulo se analiza el papel de los seminarios colaborativos en una propuesta de practicum para futuros maestros, cuyo objetivo es promover procesos formativos mas comprometidos con la mejora de la practica docente a traves de la reflexion. Concretamente, se estudia el proceso de indagacion desarrollado por una de las alumnas (Laura), quien comienza con reflexiones simplificadoras y coherentes con un modelo docente tecnico para ir adoptando, a lo largo del programa, un enfoque mas complejo de reflexion en el que se incluyen variables sociales, culturales y politicas. El caso examinado evidencia la potencialidad de los seminarios para favorecer el dialogo reflexivo y el aprendizaje transformativo sobre diferentes contenidos pedagogicos, y tambien nos incita a replantear las relaciones docente-discente hacia formatos mas horizontales y dialogicos.

How Can We Improve through Pupil Participation? An Infants School Experience.

This paper is part of a research project and forms part of a doctoral thesis in development whose aim was to promote and encourage improvement in schools based on the student voice. We believe that student participation is essential in order to progress towards inclusive educational communities. We present the main conclusions obtained in two experiences developed in infant education which took place in Cantabria (Spain). These have enabled us to demonstrate how childrens age is not an obstacle to listening to the student voice. We will focus on the analysis of reflections concerning the choice and development of different strategies for student consultation, specially which we have called indirect or mediated consultation strategies and the main difficulties encountered in the process of authentic listening to the voice of the youngest students.