REAL organises a thematic group in the FERA conference in Vaasa - Invitation to submit abstracts

We warmly invite you to submit abstracts to the thematic group on School for who? Values, Education and Participation in Basic Education in the FERA conference (November 23–24, 2023, at Åbo Akademia, Vaasa).

You can submit abstract (max. 2000 characters) in Finnish or English not later than September 30th, 2023:

Abstract submission | Åbo Akademi (abo.fi)

Description of the thematic group:

School for who? Values, Education and Participation in Basic Education

The Finnish comprehensive school, its state and its future are a topic of discussion. The emphasis on knowledge and skills challenges the educational mission of schools. Learning outcomes are deteriorating, motivation is declining, and inclusion is perceived as a threat to learning for all. Digitalisation is seen as a necessity, while at the same time, it is seen as a reason for the increased support needs of pupils.

This group invites researchers, education and training professionals to look at school systematically and reflect broadly on who Basic Education is for. What kind of value base is the comprehensive school built, and how is participation defined? What do we mean by education, and does it belong to everyone? Is it the role of the comprehensive school to ensure equity, or is inclusion no longer a value of our future school?

The group aims to stimulate debate on the role of Basic Education in today's society and the role of research in developing comprehensive school and defining its mission. What kind of research data and experiments are needed?

The group will welcome multi-voiced presentations that reflect on Basic Education theoretically and empirically from all methodological perspectives. Critical voices on the mission and future of primary education are also welcome. New insights can emerge from different perspectives, which can help to shape the challenges facing Basic Education today and, at the same time, its role in building the future. The presentations (15-20 minutes) aim to engage the audience in a collective reflection on comprehensive schooling. We hope the presentations will be participatory, with the possibility of stimulating discussion, for example, through questions. The language of the presentation can be Finnish or English.

The thematic group aims to stimulate dialogue between research and actors at different levels in schools. This dialogue can give rise to entirely new research questions.

The organisers of the thematic group: Päivi Nilivaara, Ninja Hienonen, Nestori Kilpi, REAL Research Group, Tampere University