Abstract
This paper discusses some results of a broader research, focusing on a set of eleven socio-educational practices aiming to overcome school failure and dropout, developed in Portugal, giving particular attention to the local and innovative dimensions. This research aims to understand the point of view of the several actors involved, about which factors, processes and relationships contribute the most to building such practices. Data was gathered through documental analysis and semi-structured interviews with those (institutionally) responsible for each practice under study, and was analysed using two instruments. From the point of view of the people responsible, the practices that contribute the most to overcoming school failure and dropout fall into one of four categories: Study Support (4 Practices), Student Grouping (3), Mediation (3) and Pedagogical Differentiation (1). Some practices mobilise resources; others interfere with learning and life contexts, in order to confront institutional, situational and dispositional barriers to participation and learning. Those practices seem to have an impact on school-family communication. Formal schooling, as well as the socio-cultural inclusion of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, are seen as relevant; yet, we can observe a somewhat fragile involvement of families and communities in practices aimed at promoting their youth’s educational success.
Highlights
This paper discusses some results of a broader research, focusing on a set of eleven socio-educational practices aiming to overcome school failure and dropout, developed in Portugal, giving particular attention to the local and innovative dimensions
School failure and dropout became an educational and socio-political issue in a context wherein school asserted itself as an institution for the socialization of the species (Candeias, 2009), as it expanded its action across virtually every country in the world and every child and young person in each country, during an increasingly long period of the life cycle (Ramirez & Boli, 1987; Perrenoud, 2000)
While a multitude of approaches seem valid to discuss these two aspects of overcoming school failure and dropout, this paper focuses on two main analytical frameworks: (1)The “innovative” dimension, identifying, characterizing and discussing innovative elements in terms of strategies, partnerships and/or audiences covered by these socio-educational practices, and (2)The “local” dimension, discussing the links that said practices establish with the territories in which they are implemented, in an effort to unveil the conditions allowing the emergence of learning communities and communities of practice
Summary
This paper discusses some results of a broader research, focusing on a set of eleven socio-educational practices aiming to overcome school failure and dropout, developed in Portugal, giving particular attention to the local and innovative dimensions. Some practices mobilize resources; others interfere with learning and life contexts, in order to confront institutional, situational and dispositional barriers to participation and learning Those practices seem to have an impact on school-family communication. The European Union, in the Education & Training 2010 Programme (Council of the European Union, 2002) adopted the benchmark of no more than 10% of young people dropping out of school early In this framework, school failure and dropout acquired a higher socio-political, academic, scientific and educational priority, visibility and centrality, even if with some specificity according to each country’s historical and institutional background. The first part of this paper mobilizes some theoretical perspectives to understand and characterize the practices under study; we present some methodological information about the definition of the observation field, and the data gathering and analysis procedures and instruments; the third part is reserved for data presentation, interpretation and discussion; we present some remarks based on the theoretical questioning of empirical data, and put forward some interrogations suggested by this discussion for steps of research
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