WHY SHOULD IT BE MY CONCERN? HOW TEACHERS IN LOW- AND HIGH-SES PRIMARY SCHOOLS MOBILISE THEIR PUPILS’ ONLINE RIGHTS

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines whether and how teachers who work in low- and high-SES primary schools name and mobilise their pupils’ online rights. As children’s out-of-school behaviour lays at the margins of teachers’ professional responsibilities, this context enables a robust inquiry into teachers’ commitment to pupils’ rights. The research design is based on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 teachers from low- and high-SES schools. The findings showed that whereas most teachers indicated their concern about online injury suffered or caused by their pupils, they did not name these injuries in terms of pupils’ rights. As teachers progressed through the legal mobilisation process, the analysis revealed SES differences. Whereas teachers working in the low-SES schools tended to minimise their professional responsibilities regarding online injury, teachers working in the high-SES schools held a broader perception of themselves as professionals who actively promote their pupils’ rights and empower them to participate in regulating their online worlds. These perceptions were manifested in different approaches towards the adequate strategies to address pupils’ online behaviour, and particularly, towards pupils’ autonomy. The conclusions highlight that the ways teachers mobilise their pupil’s online rights are intertwined with their contextual perceptions of their professional role.