Beyond 'Disruptions': A Critical Exploration of the Necessity of School Exclusions

Sigga Waleng

Beyond 'Disruptions': A Critical Exploration of the Necessity of School Exclusions

Publikation: Bog/antologi/afhandling/rapport › Ph.d.-afhandling

Abstract

Denne problemorienterede afhandling undersøger, hvordan nødvendigheden af skoleeksklusioner udvikler sig i skolens hverdagsliv. Analysen er baseret på fire empiriske materialer fra Danmark: den historiske lovgivning fra 1814-2014, 20 casestudier med børn, der er blevet midlertidigt suspenderet eller permanent bortvist fra skole, 1,5 års feltarbejde i en lokal 2./3. klasse med fokus på situationer, hvor børn smides uden for døren og tre eksperimenter i
workshopformat. Jeg har en dialektisk, tysk-nordisk kritisk-psykologisk, praksisepistemologisk tilgang til undervisnings-lærings- og skoleledelsespraksissen som de to primære kontekster for at forstå skoleeksklusioner. Selvom det individuelle barns ‘forstyrrelse’ er den primære reference, når skoleledere retfærdiggør deres brug af skoleeksklusioner, viser jeg, hvordan mange andre elementer spiller ind, såsom finansielle hensyn, skole-hjemsamarbejdet, og skolens omdømme. Jeg argumenterer for, at vi må overkomme dikotomien mellem ‘tolerance’ og sanktioner og anerkende, at der er andre måder at tage ‘forstyrrelser’ og de underliggende konflikter seriøst. Hvordan ’forstyrrelser’ skal håndteres er primært en pædagogisk beslutning, og derfor må vi kigge på den undervisnings-læringspraksis, hvori ‘forstyrrelser’ udvikler sig.

Ved at situere neksusen af ‘forstyrrelser’ og eksklusioner i praksis kan vi se, hvordan klasserumseksklusioner bruges i situationer, hvor kaossets onde cirkel tager over, og undervisnings-læringspraksissen er ved at falde fra hinanden. Mange ‘forstyrrelser’ består af børn, der forsøger at sikre deres inklusion blandt deres klassekammerater i et konfliktuelt klassefællesskab med social panik. Her kan læreres forsøg på at insistere på undervisningsplanen ved at eksplicitere forventninger, stramme tolerancen, og håndtere rammesætningen og orden på forhånd bidrage til en eskalerende konflikt mellem undervisningsplanen og elevernes sociale relationer. Eksklusioner ses ofte som et middel til orden, men jeg viser, hvordan eksklusioner kan bidrage til at splitte praksissen i gensidige ‘forstyrrelser’, og dermed nærmere er et ‘middel’ til kaos.

Lærernes fokus på undervisningsplanen kan ses i sammenhæng med politisk panik omkring at sikre Danmarks velfærdssystem i en globaliseret verden med øget international konkurrence. På samme tid kan statsadministrationen
ikke længere forlade sig på lærerne som tjenestemænd, og derfor er en meget tættere kontrol med deres arbejde tilsyneladende nødvendig. Disse politiske forandringer sætter undervisnings-læringspraksissen under et pres, der
gennem eskalerende konflikter kan føre til skoleeksklusioner. Jeg argumenterer for, at vi må give lærerne mere fleksibilitet i deres arbejde, sådan at de kan engagere sig i en demokratisk dialog med eleverne om, hvad der er menings-
fuldt at lære i skolen og dermed udvikle deres fælles praksis hinsides ‘forstyrrelser’.

Originalsprog	Engelsk

Udgivelsessted	Roskilde
Forlag	Roskilde Universitet
Status	Udgivet - 2024

Citer dette

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title = "Beyond 'Disruptions': A Critical Exploration of the Necessity of School Exclusions",

abstract = "This problem-based thesis examines how the necessity of school exclusion evolves in everyday school life. Even though the individual child{\textquoteright}s {\textquoteleft}disruption{\textquoteright} is the main reference point when school managers justify their use of school exclusions, I show how many other elements play in, such as financial concerns, parent-school collaboration, and school reputation. I argue that we need to overcome the dichotomy between {\textquoteleft}tolerance{\textquoteright} and sanctions and acknowledge other ways of taking the {\textquoteleft}disruptions{\textquoteright} and the underlying conflicts seriously. How to handle {\textquoteleft}disruptions{\textquoteright} is primarily a pedagogical decision and, therefore, we must look into the teaching-learning practice, where the {\textquoteleft}disruptions{\textquoteright} evolve.Situating the nexus of {\textquoteleft}disruptions{\textquoteright} and exclusions in practice, this thesis shows how classroom expulsions are used in situations where a vicious circle of chaos takes over, and the teaching-learning practice is about to fall apart. Many {\textquoteleft}disruptions{\textquoteright} consist of children attempting to secure their inclusion among peers in a conflictual class community of social panic. Here, teachers{\textquoteright} attempts to insist on the teaching agenda contribute to an escalating contradiction between the teaching agenda and students{\textquoteright} social relations. Exclusions are often seen as a means to order, but I show how exclusions can contribute to the splitting of the practice into mutual {\textquoteleft}disruptions{\textquoteright}, and thus, rather is a {\textquoteleft}means{\textquoteright} to chaos.The teachers{\textquoteright} focus on the teaching agenda can be seen in connection with political panic about securing Denmark{\textquoteright}s welfare system in a globalized world of increased international competition. At the same time, the state administration no longer relies on teachers as civil servants and therefore, a much tighter control with their work is deemed necessary. These political changes put a pressure on teaching-learning practice that through an escalating conflicts can lead to school exclusions. I argue that we need to give teachers more flexibility in their work so that they can engage in a democratic dialogue with students about what is meaningful to learn in school and thereby develop their common practice beyond {\textquoteleft}disruptions{\textquoteright}.",

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