Special Education and the Development of Learning Environments for Immigrant Students: Descriptions by Swedish Special Needs Educators

• In Event: Inclusion and Special Needs Education for Immigrant Students in the Nordic Countries

Abstract

This study aims to deepen our knowledge about Special Needs Educators (SNEs), their work and the development of learning environments related to special needs education for immigrant students. The results are based on responses in a questionnaire directed to 483 Swedish SNEs. As a second step, free text responses from one of the questions in the questionnaire were extracted and analyzed through conventional content analysis. The results from the study indicate that SNEs are somewhat detached from the direct work with immigrant students. Instead, SNEs devote time to administration and supervision. The direct support is provided by tutors in the students’ mother tongue, and class and subject teachers (Johansson, Klang & Lindqvist, 2021). When SNEs describe developments of learning environments for immigrant students at their schools, small groups and individual teaching for language learning appear to exist in parallel with general solutions (i.e., “one size fits all” approach) (Johansson, 2022). The results are discussed using Skrtic's (1991; 2005) concepts of bureaucracies and adhocracy in the school system. This is done to highlight opportunities as well as to unveil obstacles in the development of learning environments and in the school system in general. The obstacles in the development of learning environments are found in special solutions, lack of efforts and unclear areas of responsibility, while successes are found in educating school staff and enhanced collaborations in joint professional work. The study also discusses to what extent the Nordic model (see Hanssen et al., 2021) characterized by an ambition to create democratic learning environments and inclusion, can be applied on the Swedish school system regarding special needs education for immigrant students.

Authors

• Gunilla Lindqvist, Uppsala University

• Anna Johansson, Uppsala University