Margarida César

Inclusive ideals/inclusive practices: how far is a dream from reality? Five comparative case studies

The creation of inclusive schools is no simple process as it implies huge changes that might generate resistance and fears, which can undermine the process of change. Quite often the changes in the legislation do not correspond to changes in the conceptions and/or practices of the actors involved in the process. As such, it is important to study what is happening in schools and to understand how they are managing to implement the political changes and overcome the tensions and difficulties they face. This is a comparative case study, aimed at describing five mainstream school teachers, their beliefs and practices, and how these are related to other schooling conditions. This study raises some questions, namely about the importance of an adequate regular school teacher support and an adequate education.

From exclusion to inclusion: Collaborative work contributions to more inclusive learning settings

There have been deep changes in societies during the last decade. As a result, schools face new challenges, such as avoiding exclusion by promoting inclusion. In this paper we present the findings of our efforts to use collaborative work as a mediation tool in order to achieve more inclusive learning settings. This work starts from the assumption that learning should be seen as a communicative process. This builds on the ideas of Vygotsky, who stressed the importance of social interactions in the development of complex functions and of working in the zone of proximal development in order to promote children’s development. The study used a critical and ethnographic approach and thus peer interactions were implemented as a daily practice. Data were collected through participant observation (audio and videotaped), questionnaires, tasks inspired in projective techniques, interviews, reports, and sets of materials gathered by the teachers. The findings illuminate the role of collaboration in facilitating more positive attitudes towards academic learning and mathematics, promoting students’ socialisation, their socio-cognitive and affective development, and their school achievement.RésuméPendant les dernières années la société a changé et les écoles doivent répondre à des nouveaux défis, comme par exemple éviter l’exclusion en favorisant l’intégration* Dans cet article nous présentons les résultats de nos efforts pour utiliser le travail collaboratif comme médiateur pour accomplir des scenarios d’apprentissage plus inclusives. Ce travail est basé sur le fait que nous considérons l’apprentissage comme un processus de communication. Cette conception a origine dans les travaux de Vygotsky qui a signalé l’importance des interactions sociales dans le développement dans le développement des enfants. Notre but est l’étude de ce travail de collaboration entre pairs dans la promotion de séances d’apprentissage qui favorisent l’intégration. La recherche comprend une approche critique et ethnographique et les interactions entre pairs ont été mises en pratique quotidiennement. Les données ont été recueillies à partir de séances d’observation (enregistrées et vidéoscopiées), questionnaires, tâches d’inspiration projective, interviews, rapports et documents rassemblés par les enseignants. Les résultats illuminent le rôle du travail collaboratif dans le développement d’attitudes académiques plus positives, de la socialisation des élèves, de leur développement sociocognitif et émotionnel et de leur succès scolaire.

The curriculum as a tool for inclusive participation: Students' voices in a case study in a Portuguese multicultural school

Portuguese schools in urban areas became multicultural during the 90s. Some students are quite distanced from the school culture. Many repeat grades. The curriculum emerges as a means of (re)organizing school practice, so that it is designed to foster inclusion. It is a tool for social mediation between the culture and knowledge of teenagers, and academic ones. It shapes the interactions between participants, cultural tools and knowledge. The principles of inclusive schooling promote the respect for diversity, underlining the need to listen to all voices of a learning community. According to the sociocultural approach appropriating knowledge and developing competencies is a complex process. Interactive practices shape students’ academic performances. Collaborative project work has been used to promote students’ engagement. This action-research project developed an alternative curriculum in a class (grades 5 and 6) from a poor and multicultural school in Lisbon. A follow-up investigated the impact of the educational changes on the learners’ participation in school and in social practices, and on their future life. We aim at analyzing this alternative curriculum process by focussing on students’ narratives. Results highlight improvements in students’ academic and social competencies. Changing practices during compulsory education facilitated achievement and resulted in a better socialization.RésuméAu cours des années 90, les écoles portugaises des villes sont devenues multiculturelles. Certains élèves sont assez éloignés de la culture de l’école et échouent. Le curriculum apparaît comme un moyen de (ré)organiser les pratiques, favorisant l’intégration. C’est un outil pour la médiation sociale entre la culture, les savoirs des adolescents, et ceux de l’école. Il configure les interactions entre les participants, les outils culturels et les savoirs. Les principes de l’intégration au respect de la diversité soulignent la nécéssité de prendre en compte les voix de toutes les communautés. Selon l’approche socio-culturelle, l’appropriation des savoirs et le développement des compétences sont des processus complexes. Les pratiques interactionelles configurent les performances scolaires. Le travail collaboratif autour de projets a été choisi pour favoriser l’implication des élèves. Nous avons développé un curriculum alternatif, dans une classe (5ème et 6ème années), d’une école pauvre et multiculturelle de Lisbonne. Un suivi de trois ans a étudié l’impact des changements dans la participation des élèves, les pratiques sociales et leur avenir. Nous analysons ici cette expérience à travers les récits des élèves. Les résultats éclaire le développement de leurs compétences académiques et sociales. Le changement des pratiques scolaires a favorisé leur réussite scolaire, ainsi qu’une socialisation plus adaptée.

SERÃO OS MUSEUS ESPAÇOS INCLUSIVOS

O problema que originou este estudo, realizado em museus de Lisboa, sao as barreiras vivenciadas pelos cidadaos que necessitam de apoios educacionais e sociais especializados (AESE). Pretendeu-se: (1) identificar se os edificios sao acolhedores e acessiveis a publicos que com caracteristicas do espectro da mobilidade, cegos e surdos; e (2) compreender como podem ser melhorados para responderem adequadamente aos publicos, contribuindo para uma sociedade e educacao nao-formal mais inclusivas. Visitaram-se 17 museus de Lisboa, estabeleceram-se conversas informais com funcionarios e registaram-se as observacoes num guiao e em fotos. Os resultados revelam como mais acessiveis: (1) o Museu Nacional do Azulejo, com rampas, elevadores, casas de banho adaptadas, paineis tacteis, audio-guias em portugues e ingles, video-guias em lingua gestual portuguesa (LGP) e legendas em portugues, ingles e braille; e (2) o Museu Nacional de Historia Natural e da Ciencia que tem adaptado, para cegos, materiais destinados a actividades pedagogicas.

INCLUSÃO E EQUIDADE NA EDUCAÇÃO DE SURDOS ADULTOS

De acordo com a educacao inclusiva (EI), Portugal reconhece as escolas do ensino regular enquanto espacos-tempos impulsionadores de praticas que propiciem aos estudantes surdos adultos acesso equitativo a uma educacao de segunda oportunidade de qualidade (ME, 2012). Contudo, passar dos principios as praticas e uma tarefa complexa. A Escola evidencia fragilidades na operacionalizacao de praticas que subscrevem os principios da EI, como o desenvolvimento de um curriculo multilingue, que valorize as caracteristicas dos surdos (Melro & Cesar, 2014). Pretendemos discutir os processos subjacentes a inclusao de estudantes surdos adultos (N=11) no ensino recorrente nocturno, numa escola secundaria de Lisboa, onde desenvolvemos um estudo de caso intrinseco (Melro, 2014b). Os resultados iluminam que, para estes estudantes, a Escola nem sempre se revela facilitadora da inclusao e promotora da equidade. Muitos episodios revelam praticas pouco adequadas para os professores e outros agentes educativos responderem as especificidades dos estudantes surdos, isolando-os e excluindo-os.