Solidarity Interactions That Promote Both Learning and Coexistence

• In Event: Interactive Groups: Interactive Classroom Learning Environments Improving Learning for All

Abstract

1. Objectives or purposes
This presentation conveys the results achieved in both instrumental learning and coexistence in two Brazilian primary schools (E1 and E2), located in the urban periphery of a city in the state of São Paulo, which implemented interactive groups in their classrooms (Valls & Kyriakides, 2013).

2. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
Vygotsky (1978) and authors building on his contributions highlight the interactions between peers and with experienced adults in the culture as a key element for achieving everyone’s maximum learning (Racionero & Padrós, 2010). In addition, the dialogical basis of Freire (1992) and some of his followers (Mello, 2009) enable us to acknowledge that learning with diverse others is a source of powerful and effective learning expansion, which is possible and desirable under the perspective of unity in diversity, unity of purpose and diversity of identities, characterized by solidarity. Therefore, coexistence is made possible, as well as learning, by the solidarity that shapes the social interactions in dialogic learning environments (Flecha, 2000).

3. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
The study held in 2007-2009, conducted, on the one hand, communicative focus groups with 25 teachers from two schools and, on the other hand, a case study in the E2 school, the most conflictive one and with the worst academic performance. It included communicative observations of interactive groups in two classrooms, and communicative focus groups with volunteers and children in those. classrooms. The data collection methods and data analyses were based on the Communicative Methodology approach (Gómez, Puigvert & Flecha, 2011), which involves holding dialogues with the end-users of research from the moment when the research is planned up to its completion.

4. Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials
The data sources comprised the discussions held by the researcher, the school teachers and the students and volunteers of the classes of the case study, as well as the field notes obtained from the communicative observations. Furthermore, the results achieved by the two schools in national tests, in 2007 and 2009, were used for comparison.

5. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view
The main results of the study showed the schools’ improved performance in the national tests: E1 rose from 5.1 in 2007 to 6.1 in 2009 and E2 rose from 4.0 to 4.9 in the same period. The learning improvement was also noted by the school members. With regards to improved coexistence, teachers, volunteers and students tangibly highlighted this fact in the classes that conducted interactive groups, and reported the type of interactions that take place in these groups as directly related to the improvement of the class climate.

6. Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work
The relevance of the study points to the strong articulation between solidarity and instrumental learning, both as fundamental elements in the classroom interaction. Solidarity based interactions promote respect, unity in diversity as well as learning.

Authors

• Roseli Rodrigue de Mello, University of Sao Carlos

• Maria Padrós Cuxart, Universitat de Barcelona

• Sandra Girbes, Universitat de Barcelona