Delaktighet och demokratiska processer på träningsskolan
En studie som belyser lärares och assistenters uppfattningar
The aim of this study is to examine some teachers and assistants? perception of conditions for students? democratic participation in the compulsory school for learning disabilities specialization training school. In order to deepen and more clearly describe the purpose of the study, three issues have been selected. Firstly, how do teachers and assistants perceive the concept of participation? Secondly, how do teachers and assistants perceive students opportunities for participation in teaching? And finally, do teachers and assistants perceive students? opportunities for participation in democratic activities of school? It is a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. A total of four interviews are included: two with teachers and two with assistants. The study has Shier?s (2001) model of participation as a theoretical basis. The study shows that teachers and assistant?s perception of participation can be divided into three areas. One is the point of view of making the students? voices heard. The second is the idea that the students are given the opportunity to make choices, and finally participation perceives as the right to be part of a context. The results also show that teachers and assistants perception of the student?s opportunity to participation in education extends to the opportunity to make choices in every-day-school-life and not to actively participate in their own learning process. Finally, the results show that teachers and assistant?s perception of students? opportunities to participate in democratic processes are limited within the training school.