Looking for Special Education in the Swedish After-School Leisure Program Construction and Testing of an Analysis Model

Peter Karlsudd

doi:10.3390/educsci10120359

Abstract

How the Swedish after-school leisure program pedagogy relates to special education is rarely the subject of research. The problematization of the special education concept in the after-school leisure centers will be the starting point of this analysis model. This has been constructed with the aim of investigating how actors in the Swedish after-school leisure activities define how special education is being actualized in after school programs. The premises for the study regard the after-school leisure program mission; namely, to complement, compensate, and teach. In order to validate the analysis model, an exploratory pilot study was conducted through interviews with two teacher educators and two teachers in the after-school leisure program. The results show that the models developed for this investigation can be used in further studies. The analysis model provided important key words for further investigation and discussion of the program. These results can in no way be generalized, but they clearly show that the constructed and tested analysis model may form the basis for valuable discussions and pedagogical approaches in teacher education and in the program that the education prepares students for. Therefore, the pilot study comprises the foundation for a more comprehensive future study.

Highlights

Introduction and BackgroundIn international agreements, the compulsory school ordinance and curricula state that segregation in school and school-age childcare should be avoided [1,2,3]
A teacher educator from county A and a leisure teacher from county B. Both of the respondents perceived the results and analysis as credibly and correctly reproduced and had no objections or suggestions for changes. It was clear at the beginning of the interviews that the respondents were well acquainted with all basic concepts except for the after-school leisure center special education which raised some uncertainty; this was anticipated
The teacher educators appeared to be very familiar with the work situation and with the view of the teachers’ mission in after-school programs, as the answers have a high degree of agreement

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and BackgroundIn international agreements, the compulsory school ordinance and curricula state that segregation in school and school-age childcare should be avoided [1,2,3]. Notwithstanding, pupils are being regularly placed in special types of school, where the teaching is mostly done in special groups in special localities and with special teachers. The Education Act states that children who are judged not to be able to reach the compulsory school knowledge requirements, because they have a developmental disorder and must be accepted in the Compulsory school for pupils with learning disabilities [4]. Pupils in this school are a heterogeneous group. Children with mild developmental disorders are often on the borderline between primary school and compulsory school for pupils with learning disabilities

Methods

Results

Conclusion