Anne Dorthe Tveit

A Parental Voice: Parents as Equal and Dependent--Rhetoric about Parents, Teachers, and Their Conversations.

This study analyses texts from the National Parents’ Committee for Primary and Lower Secondary Education in Norway and addresses how parents describe their own role, the teachers’ role, and their conversations. The theoretical perspective employed is Koselleck’s conceptual theory. The findings show that, despite having formal legal rights, parents must constantly legitimize these rights in school. Parents are expected to assume a passive role, while the teachers’ role is held to be active. Furthermore, the diversity among parents is not discussed. Parents moreover resign their own involvement in their children’s education in spite of the fact that teachers and parents may have different perspectives on the matter. Even though the committee is dissatisfied with the conversations between teachers and parents, parents additionally seem to resign when it comes to elaborating on and affecting the conversation. Finally, argumentation concerning the need for role delineation by the authentic voices of the teachers, pupils, and parents is presented.

Conflict between truthfulness and tact in parent–teacher conferences

The purpose of this article is to explore how teachers’ and parents’ conversations are affected by their notions about truthfulness. The study is qualitative and draws on data from observations of parent–teacher conferences about pupils with special needs in a Norwegian lower secondary school and from interviews with participants. The findings show that teachers’ and parents’ conversations are constrained by positive talk, decency and silence and, especially when the pupil participates, they choose a careful point of view, gloss over it, and talk about what is OK and not unpleasant. Furthermore, teachers act communicatively in a strategic way. It is concluded that teachers and parents often choose to follow conventions of tact and that this might be in conflict with truthfulness. It is further concluded that teachers and parents do not hold dialogue as an exclusive ideal.

An Examination of the Role and Responsibilities of Kindergarten in Multidisciplinary Collaboration on Behalf of Children With Severe Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the role and responsibilities of Norwegian kindergarten (i.e., preschool for ages 0–6 years) from the perspective of participants involved in multidisciplinary collaboration on behalf of children with severe disabilities and their families. The authors employed a multiple-case study approach comprising 26 interviews across six cases. Findings suggest that kindergarten is considered an important partner for families and a major contributor to the provision of services. Kindergartens were valued for their (1) close relationships and intimate knowledge of children as individuals, (2) the sense of security and relief of stress that they provided to parents, and (3) for acting as a “driving force” in multidisciplinary collaboration. Findings are discussed in relation to two contrasting views of the kindergarten professional as an early childhood expert and as a compassionate caregiver who, in many ways, functions as an extension of the parental role. The authors conclude that it is the latter of these two perspectives that dominates perceptions of kindergarten professionals among participants.

Quality assurance of decision-making in conversations between professionals and non-professionals: identifying the presence of deliberative principles

The ideal of dialogue is at stake in professional conversations. The aim of this study is to develop an instrument that makes it possible to compare principles of deliberation with what actually takes place in professional conversations. The developed instrument is tested on one patients conversation with his doctor about lifestyle changes, and meetings where pupils with learning disabilities and their parents discuss further schooling with school representatives. Although in need of refinement, the conclusion is that the instrument provides meaningful insight into how much each participant contributes to the decision-making process and behaves during the conversation.

“Bridging Old Relations”: The (De)Construction of Ethnic Identity in the Educational Context of Bosnia and Herzegovina From the Teachers' Point of View

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on an educational arrangement in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) known as “two schools under one roof.” The term refers to two different ethnic groups (Bosniaks and Croats) physically sharing the same school building, but maintaining separate administrations, teaching staff, and curricula. The purpose of the study is to explore the manner in which teachers (seven Bosniak and four Croat) from the two ethnic groups perceive and construct their group identities within this context. Findings indicate that the teachers’ sense of belonging to different ethnic groups is strong and that the use of language functions as a vital marker for expressing group identity. In addition, satisfaction with the current situation and perceptions of interactions and discrimination differ substantially between the groups. We argue that this type of educational organization may reignite dormant tensions between the groups and accentuate ethnic differences in terms of (de)constructing ethnic identity.

Directional motion: An empirically based model of development in educational institutions:

Although the quantity of literature on organizational sustainability in the realm of education represents a well-developed research area, the literature in this field does not sufficiently emphasize the notion of directional motion as important to institutional change. The aim of this work is the attempt to propose an empirically based model of ‘directional motion’ that is based on the intrinsically motivating process of experiencing movement. The study draws upon empirical material from six different educational institutions. The model systematically maps representations of the various stakeholders in terms of experienced motion in the participating institutions. The main elements in the model are ‘Pulsation’, ‘Motor’, ‘Direction’, and ‘Tempo’. Each of these main elements consists of several underlying processes that support the process of ‘directional motion’. Awareness about the sub-processes in the model creates a psychological sense of movement in the organization and consequently stimulates development and sustainable change on the institutional level.

A comparative study of special educator preparation in Norway and Sweden: Special Educator Preparation in Norway & Sweden

The purpose of this study was to explore similarities and differences between special educator preparation in Norway and in Sweden. Graduates of special education programmes at two Norwegian (n = 3 ...The purpose of this study was to explore similarities and differences between special educator preparation in Norway and in Sweden. Graduates of special education programmes at two Norwegian (n = 320) and two Swedish universities (n = 425) who completed their training between 2001 and 2012 responded to surveys. Findings indicate that both Swedish and Norwegian graduates felt prepared for their current work and that teaching approaches employed in the different programmes were similar. However, there appears to be a stronger focus on pupils’ social goals in Sweden, as well as on advising teachers, school development and promoting inclusive environments. In contrast, Norwegian participants reported a greater focus on preparation to work with specific types of learning and behavioural difficulties. Findings are discussed in relation to differing political and social structures, such as national regulations for steering special educator preparation in Sweden, which are absent in the Norwegian context.

‘You know that collaboration works when … ’ identifying the features of successful collaboration on behalf of children with disabilities in early childhood education and care

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to identify features of successful collaboration among professionals and parents involved in supporting children with disabilities in early childhood education and care. The study employed a multiple-case study design comprising 6 cases and 30 adult participants, who were interviewed regarding their collaboration on behalf of 6 children with significant disabilities ranging in age from 3 to 5 years. Applying a system-theoretical approach, analysis led to the development of a framework based on the concepts of ‘internal’ and ‘external’ features of collaboration. Whereas internal aspects refer primarily to the interpersonal interactions of parents and professionals, external features are linked to conditions that occur at a greater ‘distance’ from these interactions, yet nonetheless appear to have a substantial impact on participants’ beliefs about whether the collaboration is successful. We argue that external influences have too often been overlooked in the literature on multidisciplinary collaboration in this context.