“In this class we are so different that I can be myself!” Intercultural dialogue in a first grade upper secondary school in Norway

Kari Smith,Vibeke Solbue,Ingrid Helleve

doi:10.1080/20004508.2017.1290894

Abstract

ABSTRACTFocus of this article is immigrant youth and Norwegians-born to immigrant parents in upper secondary school in Norway. The study was conducted in a first year of a general study class in upper secondary school, where 11 of 24 students were immigrants. Previous research on immigrants in school tends to show a picture of a marginalized group in Norwegian schools which is characterized by egalitarianism. The research question of the article is: What can we learn from students’ experiences with an inclusive class environment based on a case study? What contributes to their experience of a good class environment? Through observation of the class and interviews with students, we find that diversity is accepted. Pupils show mutual respect for each other and they do not define others based on ethnicity. The way in which school and teachers work with the class is of great importance. An intentional structure is framing the possibilities for intersubjective relations. Through these possibilities the participants create mutual meaning.

Highlights

IntroductionThey nod and say, ‘This was damned good!’ Thumbs up and applause as he returns to his seat.”
The aim of the article is to gain more knowledge about how immigrants and Norwegians born to immigrant parents, experience upper secondary education
The article uses the terms ‘immigrant’ and ‘Norwegians born to immigrant parents’, since these are the terms used by Statistics Norway (SSB 2016)

Summary

Introduction

They nod and say, ‘This was damned good!’ Thumbs up and applause as he returns to his seat.” This observation was made in a first grade class (age 16) in an upper secondary school in Norway. The aim of the article is to gain more knowledge about how immigrants and Norwegians born to immigrant parents, experience upper secondary education. Examining their experiences with school enables us to learn how young people understand their role as pupils. The article is part of a larger project which examines how immigrant youths and Norwegians born to immigrant parents experience upper secondary school in Norway (Solbue, 2014). The research questions in this article are as follows: What can we learn from students’ experiences with an inclusive class environment based on a case study? What contributes to experience of a good class environment?

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion