Purpose: The purpose of this article is to discuss about precolonial and colonial education and the development of the education systems in the postcolonial Africa. The paper will deal with the questions whether there were any education systems in precolonial Africa and motives for introducing the colonial education systems. Further the relation of the colonial education systems with the needs of the local society, the postcolonial education systems and their future will be analysed. 

Methodology: Postcolonial perspective is a theoretical frame for the study. A desk-research was conducted to identify and select the relevant literature. Content analysis was used as a method to understand, analyse and interpret the literature. 

Findings: The results of the literature review show that there were socialization mechanisms before colonialism in African societies. Education introduced in its modern form by missionaries was supposed to serve mainly religious purposes and to train low level functionaries by colonial states. Instead of focusing on local realities education was used to teach the glories of the colonial countries, spread their language and culture as well as introduce a new way of life by condemning all that was native. After independence the inherited colonial education systems continued isolating the masses who had no access to the colonial languages. 

Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Findings of this study shows some limitations in African education systems. It is necessary that education policy makers and other concerned stakeholders´ to increase the use of local languages to reach the society at large, to focus on contents relevant to their contexts, to provide both theoretical and skill-based education useful for development of society and to aim towards educating productive, conscious, critical and democratic citizens.

Africa have about 1225 officially registered higher education institutions

(https://www.4icu.org/Africa/). Some of them are founded by formal colonizers and while

others through national and local initiatives. The majority of these institutions are Euro-

Centric in their approach. This text will investigate briefly what is expected of African higher

education to transform societies to the better.

The study is based on analysis of secondary data searched and found from Google Scholar,

ERIC, and Primo database. Terms such as Higher education in Africa, African higher

education, possibilities and limitations of African higher education are used for the search.

15 articles relevant to the purpose of the study are identified and used.

The result of the study shows that African universities need local epistemologies and

knowledge production systems to identify, research and propose solutions to local

problems. Teaching and research should take in to consideration social experiences and

knowledge of the local communities. Local languages should be considered to undertake

research, to distribute knowledge and to secure communities’ engagement.

Teachings and research need to address the political unrest, social injustice, economic

underdevelopment and technological backwardness most countries are facing. Focus on the

local realities and transformation should be prioritized instead of international competition

and commodification of higher education. For transforming higher education to focus on

local context, there is a need that the management, administration and academic staff

students as well as the society at large should stand together.

Compulsory School Curricula of South Africa (RNCS1, 2002) and Sweden (Lpo 294).

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse the compulsory school curricula of South Africa and Sweden. It focuses on contexts for their introduction, main actors in the process, democratic values they contain and their similarities and differences. Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is used for analysis. The curricula and references to other literatures show similarities and differences. Contextual similarities are that both countries were once under oppression and their masses were isolated from the education process and more resources were invested on their elites. At present the curricula of both countries strives for democratic education. A major difference is equal opportunities for the students to attend a school of their choice are higher in Sweden than in South Africa. The Swedish curriculum is more concrete on issues related to students, teachers and other school staff’s rights and responsibilities, and on relations between school, home and society.

Key words: South Africa, Sweden, Curricula, and Democratic values

Critical pedagogy is a transformation-based approach to education. The aim of this article is to introduce the origin, vision, action and consequences of critical pedagogy. It also aims on finding out about educators’ possibility of actualising it in their practice. As a source materials articles, book chapters and books are used. The literature shows that critical pedagogy has its origin in the tradition of critical theory of the Frankfurt School and the work of the Brazilian pedagog Paulo Freire. According to the literature, its major theses is that education should go beyond transfer of knowledge and training the future labour force; to help developing critical consciousness, which leads to transformation of the individual, learning environment and society at large. Critical pedagogy is criticised for a focus on macro level system, for not having a model for classroom implementation and for being abstract. Despite some critics, I argue that critical pedagogy has still the potential to empower those in the field of education to increase their consciousness about the injustice in their society and to involve in transforming it.

Democratic values in the comprehensive schools curricula of the Nordic countries.

The major focus of this paper is to find out which aspects of democratic values are emphasised in the comprehensive schools curricula of the five Nordic countries. It is also an intention of the paper to find out similarities and differences in emphasis and if available data allows to further investigate the reasons for differences and similarities.

Major sources for the work were curricula of comprehensive schools from the different Nordic countries. Each countries current curriculum was closely read to understand their contents and to undertake comparative analysis. Text analysis was used as a major tool to look closely at the text and context. For further knowledge journals on curriculum studies and other relevant materials were consulted.

A preliminary review of the general section of comprehensive schools curricula of these countries show:

In the Danish curriculum participation, responsibility and understanding rights and duties are emphasised.

The Finnish curriculum raises issues on human rights, equality, natural diversity, preservation of environment and multiculturalism. Responsibility, a sense of community and respect for the right and freedom of the individual are emphasised. General diversity and gender equality are given significant attention.

In the Icelandic curriculum the major focus is human rights, collective responsibility, participation, influencing, and respect. Concern for people, animal and the environment are included in the curriculum. Critical thinking and reflection, active cooperation & collective responsibility are also emphasised.

The Norwegian curriculum mentions understanding, cooperation, independence, individual freedom and tolerance as important issues.

Swedish curriculum raises issues on respect for human rights, respect for persons and the environment. It considers inviolability of human life, individual freedom and integrity, equality between women and men, solidarity with the weak and vulnerable as crucial points. Sense of justice, generosity of spirit, tolerance and responsibility, well-being and development of the individual, no discrimination and personal responsibility were among the areas the curriculum lifted up.

The curricula in these five countries give room for democratic values. There are some variations on emphasises on specific issues. But all the curricula include issues of rights and responsibilities.

Keywords: curricula, democratic values, Nordic countries

This study takes as its starting point how teachers understand, interpret and teach social development aspects of Life Orientation in South African comprehensive schools. The specific focus is on lessons on leadership qualities and voting for third grade learners in four schools, each dominated by either Black, Coloured, White or mixed groups of learners. Field work with an ethnographic approach and a qualitative strategy was used to gain access to empirical data. Policy and curriculum documents, guidelines and textbooks were used. Classroom observations in four classes and interviews with 14 third grade teachers were conducted. Theoretical concepts of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction are applied. Ulf P Lundgren’s Frame Factor Theory is used to study school organization. Basil Bernstein’s Pedagogical Devices are considered when examining the different levels of pedagogical activities. To be a teacher in South Africa one needs to attend at least two years of teacher education after completing high school. Teachers in the classes studied underwent their teacher education during apartheid years. Due to limited in-service training, they sometimes experience problems of understanding and interpreting the learning area, which they usually tackle by consulting documents, colleagues or school authorities. The learners’ understanding varied based on their family background and type of school they attended. There were enormous differences in material, financial and organisational resources between classes and schools. The resources for teaching leadership qualities and voting were not, however, different between the classes. The lessons were teacher dominated and direct transmission was used as a method. The way teachers facilitated the lesson on leadership qualities and voting varied but all showed some democratic shortcomings. Apart from answering questions, learners were neither invited nor encouraged to participate to further their understanding of the theme. Limited aspects of leadership qualities were discussed, individual leaders’ roles were emphasised and the teachers picked candidates for class leaders in three of the classes. It was also evident that the class environments were not suitable for critical or creative thinking and democratic upbringing. The schools reproduced norms, values, languages and cultures of the different groups. Officially, teachers emphasised the common national South African identity. This emphasis on national identity could disguise the injustice some groups experience in society.

The purpose of the study is to investigate reasons students with an immigrant background in one Swedish high school gives for their failure in some subjects at the end of their compulsory education. An interview with 18 students with an immigrant background is used as a method. According to the students, schools’ employment of substitute teachers without subject knowledge, reducing and firing competent teachers and less time for Swedish language lessons are reasons for failure in relation to schools. Other reasons given that affect results relate to family issues; leaving their country of origin, having many siblings and not getting enough attention from parents, parents inability to help them with school work, limited family financial resources and social obligations to support family members in their country of origin. In their residential area; not meeting persons with Swedish origin, lack of recreational facilities and meeting place, higher unemployment and crime rate are emphasized as affecting their lives and influencing their results. Based on the research findings and reviewed literature, students’ failure is mainly related to school, family and residential areas. The problems vary to a great extent, hence, the solutions should also bemulti-dimensional.

International practicum for what and on whose terms?

                                                                 Getahun Yacob Abraham

                                                                                       Senior Lecturer

                                                                                       Karlstad University

The aim of this paper is to investigate about the aims of international practicum and who is benefiting from it. If it is found that one side, the North or the South, is benefiting, to look at the possibilities to reconsider the practicum in order to benefit both. Review of literature in the field and my own experiences as a Swedish university lecturer involved in the teacher students practicum in the South will be the base for this paper. Some preliminary results of my literature review show that practicum in the South mainly focuses on giving the teacher students from the North the possibility of intercultural understanding with specific focus of dealing with change taking place at home, the diversity of students in classrooms (Abraham & von Brömssen, 2018; Bosire & Brigham, 2009;  Marx & Moss, 2011; Wiken & Klein, 2017). Long time experiences show that in the movement of students from the North to the South, the economically and politically dominant countries can dictate the terms (Bosire & Brigham, 2009; Yang, 2002). In addition to that the countries in the center gain more advantages than the countries in the periphery (Barnet & Reggie, 1995).

Keywords: Internationalization, International practicum, teacher students, North, South. 

References

Abraham, G.Y. & von Brömssen, K. (2018). Internationalisation in teacher education: Student teachers reflections on experiences from a field study in South Africa. Education Inquiry.  

https://www-tandfonline-com.bibproxy.kau.se/doi/full/10.1080/20004508.2018.1428035

Barnet, G.A. & Yingli Wu, R. (1995). The international student exchange network. 1970&1980, Higher Education, 30, 353-368.

Bosire, M.M. & Brigham, S. (2009). Preparing North American preserivice teachers for global perspectives: An international teaching practicum experiences in Africa, The Alberta Journal of Education Research, 55 (3), 415-428.

Marx, H. & Moss, D.M. (2011). Please mind the culture gap: Intercultural development during a teacher education study abroad program, Journal of Teacher Education, 62 (1), 35-37.

Wikan, G. & Klein, J. (2017). Can international practicum foster intercultural competence among teacher students? Journal of the European Teacher Education Network, 12, 95-104. 

Yang, R. (2002). University internationalization: Its meaning, rationales and implications, Intercultural Education, 13 (1), 81-95.

07. Social Justice and Intercultural EducationPaper

Internationalisation and Intercultural Competence in Higher Education.Getahun Yacob AbrahamUniversity of Borås, SwedenPresenting Author: Abraham, Getahun YacobThe aim of this study is to find out how concepts and practices of internationalisation and interculturality in higher education are understood. The study will also investigate the relation between the two concepts, what they have in common and how they could be used to facilitate internationalisation and interculturality in higher education. Uzhegova & Baik (2020) use in their work Knight´s definition of internationalisation as ‘the process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of post-secondary education’ (2003, 2) (Uzhegova & Baik, 2020, 2).Internationalisation involves actors, context and different factors that facilitate or hinder its implementation. The actors include students from institutions, international students and staff from host institutions (Trahar & Hyland, 2011). On the other hand, internationalisation could be undertaken locally, by including students with varied cultural and linguistic backgrounds within the institution or within the country (Sanderson 2011). Internationalisation of the curriculum is thought to benefit the internationalisation process. It is supposed to empower students to gain global citizenship skills to take employment in most countries and undertake the work expected for the position (Kirik et al, 2018). The level of internationalisation in a higher education institution is influenced by different factors. Development of higher education in a country, the languages used in the education system, the economic development of a country as well as the attractiveness of the location of the higher education institution are supposed to influence the internationalisation of the specific institution (Uzhegova & Baik, 2020). Intercultural communication skill is one of the prior conditions to develop intercultural competence. Intercultural competence makes it possible to lay the ground for intercultural understanding and creating common learning platforms for students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Henneby & Fordyce, 2018). One of the important aspects of intercultural communication is language. Language could enhance or hinder intercultural communication and in extension intercultural competence (Dunworth et al, 2021). To develop intercultural communication competence (ICC), Munezane (2021) considers some factors from Byram´s model (1997, 2008). The factors are, “knowledge of self and other, of interaction; relativising self, valuing other; skills of interpreting and relating; skills of discovering and/or interacting; and political education, critical cultural awareness” (Munezane, 2021, 1666).While understanding others in relation to self is important, authors also emphasis for developing intercultural competence there is need for openness to others experiences, curiosity and interdependence (Munezane, 2021). According to Yarosha et tal (2018), knowledge, awareness, skills and attitudes are the building blocks for intercultural competence, and contribute to creating cooperative learning environment for participants (Hennebry & Fordyce, 2018). Spencer-Oatey & Dauber (2019) strengthens these points on developing intercultural competence by emphasising the importance of “(a) positive attitudes (e.g. openness and curiosity) towards diversity and motivation to learn about/engage with it and (b) experiences of difference that take people out of their comfort zones and stimulate new thinking and behaviour”. (pp.1049-1050). Bilingualism is considered as one of the main challenges for intercultural communication (Tucker King et al, 2021). In many countries English is used as lingua franca in higher education institutions. However, how English is used by native speakers in higher education institutions, is perceived often by international students as creating hindrance to written and spoken communication (Holliday, 2017). In addition to language barrier, there are also challenges of ethnocentrism (Munezane, 2021; Harrison, 2011) and fear of threat from outside to one´s own language and cultural identity (Kirk et al, 2018). Less willingness to communicate with people other than one’s own group (Munezane, 2021) is also considered as an obstacle to intercultural communication and competence. 

Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedMethod/methodology.

This study is based on a brief literature review. There are several databases with the possibility of searching articles with different themes, for this study I limited myself to one database, Web of Science. In Web of Science, I searched for articles using the terms “internationalisation + higher education”, then “interculturality + higher education” and finally “internationalisation and interculturality in higher education”. These searches gave quit a large number of articles. By limiting my search to peer reviewed journal articles and articles written after 2010, I could reduce the number of articles. By reading the titles and abstracts of 54 articles, I could identify the purpose, research questions, theoretical perspective, methods used, results, discussions and conclusions. These helped me to choose 14 of the 54 articles with the focus on internationalisation in higher education, intercultural competence in higher education and articles dealing with both themes. For the purpose of this conference abstract, I am limiting myself to the 14 articles. When I develop the abstract into a full-fledged paper, I am planning to search and include more relevant literature, articles, scientific reports and books.

To be able to understand the result of the different studies, content analysis is used as methodology. With the help of content analysis, the aims of the studies, methods of studies, theoretical perspectives, findings and discussions are critically scrutinized. The study focused on relevant findings in relation to internationalisation and intercultural competences. But this does not mean all findings from the literature review are included in this short text. 

Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsConclusion

Internationalisation could be steered by top-down directive or bottom-up initiative and there are also possibilities that it is a combination of both (Kirik et al, 2018). There could be motives for internationalisation to increase quality of education, exchange knowledge and experiences. It is also possible that some higher education institutions are motivated mainly for attracting fee paying students, improve the position of their institution in the national, regional or international ranking systems (Kirik et al, 2018) or impose what they consider as their “best practice” on others.  

The possibility of developing intercultural communication and gaining intercultural competence could contribute to creating cooperative learning environment (Hennebry &Fordyce, 2018). In this process participating individuals´ agency helps to achieve the goals of intercultural communication and competence (Sanderson, 2011; Tucker King et al, 2021). When unwillingness and lack of curiosity dominate it can hinder developing intercultural competence. 

In conclusion successful internationalisation obviously need intercultural communication skills and competence (Spencer-Oatey & Dauber, 2019). Suitable intercultural environment can lead to development of three stages of interactivity, reciprocity and unity (Kudo et al, 2018). While it is difficult to separate the concepts of internationalisation and intercultural competence (Collins, 2018), it is possible to consider the interplay between them. Intercultural competence can pave the way for internationalisation. Openness, curiosity, and willingness to share life experience with others could be commonly used for achieving intercultural competence and internationalisation in higher education.

ReferencesCollins, H. (2018). Interculturality from above and below: navigatinguneven discourses in a neoliberal university system. Language and Intercultural Communication, 18 (2), 167-183.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2017.1354867

Dunworth, K., Grimshaw, T., Iwaniec, J. & McKinley, J. (2021). Language and the development of intercultural competence in an ‘internationalised’ university: staff and student perspectives. Teaching in Higher Education, 26 (6), 790-805.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2019.1686698

Harrison, N. (2012). Investigating the impact of personality and early life experiences on intercultural interaction in internationalised universities. International Journal of Intercultural Relations 36, 224– 237. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.03.007

Hennebry, M. L. & Fordyce, K. (2018). Cooperative learningon an international masters. Higher Education Research & Development, 37 (2), 270-284. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1359150

Holliday, A. (2017). PhD students, interculturality, reflexivity, community and internationalisation. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38 (3), 206-218.

https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2015.1134554 

Kirk, S. H., Newstead, C., Gann, R & Rounsaville, C. (2018). Empowerment and ownership in effective internationalisation of the higher education curriculum. Higer Education, 76, 989-1005.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0246-1 

Kudo, K., Volet, S. & Whitsed, C. (2018). Development of intercultural relationships at university: a three-stage ecological and person-in-context conceptual framework. Higher Education, 77, 473-489.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0283-9

Munezane, Y.  (2021). A new model of intercultural communicative competence: bridging language classrooms and intercultural communicative contexts. Studies in Higher Education, 46 (8), 1664-1681.

https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1698537

Sanderson, G. (2011). Internationalisation and teaching in higher education,Higher Education Research & Development, 30 (5), 661-676.

https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.598455  

Spencer-Oatey, H. & Dauber, D. (2019). Internationalisation and student diversity: how far are the opportunity benefits being perceived and exploited? Higher Education, 78, 1035-1058.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00386-4

Trahar, S. & Hyland, F. (2011). Experiences and perceptions of internationalisation in higher education in the UK. Higher Education Research & Development, 30 (5), 623-633.

https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.598452

Tucker King , C. S. & Bailey, K. S. (2021). Intercultural communication and US higher education: How US students and faculty can improve International students’ _classroom experiences. International Journal of Intercultural Relations 82, 278–287.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.04.007

Uzhegova, D. & Baik, C. (2020). Internationalisation of higher educationin an uneven world: an integrated approach to internationalisation of universities in the academic periphery. Studies in Higher Education. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1811220

Yarosha, M., Lukicb, D. & Santibáñez-Gruber, R. (2018). Intercultural competence for students in international joint master programmes. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 66, 52–72.

DOI:10.1016/J.IJINTREL.2018.06.003 

This paper will investigate the aims of internationalisation and international practicum, with the focus on the later. It is important to consider whether both partners in the exchange receive benefits, and if not to reconsider the practicum arrangements to ensure greater equity of benefit. Review of literature in the field and my own experiences as a Swedish university lecturer involved in student teacher practica will be the base for this paper. Some preliminary results of my literature review show that practicum in the South mainly focuses on giving the teacher students from the North the possibility of intercultural understanding with specific goal of dealing with demographic change taking place in the student teacher´s home country. This demographic change has typically resulted in an increased cultural diversity of students in classrooms (Abraham & von Brömssen, 2018; Bosire & Brigham, 2009;  Marx & Moss, 2011; Wiken & Klein, 2017). Experiences show that in the movement of students from the North to the South, economically and politically dominant countries are more likely to dictate the terms of relationships (Bosire & Brigham, 2009;  Yang, 2002). Viewed from another perspective, countries considered in the center due to their economic and political influence gain more advantages than countries considered in the periphery (Barnet & Reggie, 1995).

Denna studie tar sin utgångspunkt i hur lärare undervisar om den sociala utvecklingsdelen av ”Life Orientation” i sydafrikanska grundskolan. Specifikt fokus ligger på lektioner om ledarskapskvalitet och om att rösta för tredjeklasselever i fyra skolor. Var och en av klasserna dominerades av antingen svarta, färgade, vita eller blandade grupper av elever. Ulf P Lundgrens ramfaktorteori användes för att studera skolans organisation. Basil Bernsteins ”Pedagogic device” användes för att förstå olika pedagogiska verksamheter i klassrummet. Fältarbeten med en etnografisk metod och en kvalitativ strategi användes för att få tillgång till empiriska data. Policy- och läroplansdokument, riktlinjer och läroböcker analyserades. Klassrumsobservationer i fyra klasser och intervjuer med 14 tredjeklasslärare genomfördes. För att vara lärare i Sydafrika krävs minst två års lärarutbildning efter avslutad gymnasieskola. Lärarna i de klasser som studerades genomgick sin lärarutbildning under apartheidtiden. På grund av begränsad fortbildning och bristande erfarenheter av den nya läroplanen hade de ibland svårigheter att förstå och tolka det aktuella ämnet. Enorma skillnader i material, ekonomiska och organisatoriska resurser förelåg mellan olika klasser och skolor. Lärarna dominerade lektionerna och direkt överföring användes som metod. Det sätt lärarna höll lektion om ledaregenskap och om att rösta varierade, men alla visade demokratiska brister. Lärarna valde själva kandidater till klassledare i tre av klasserna. Det blev också tydligt att klassernas miljöer inte befrämjade vare sig kritiskt och kreativt tänkande eller demokratisk fostran.

Life Orientation: lessons on leadership qualities and voting in grade three classes

Abstract

The focus of this study was lessons on leadership qualities and voting in grade three classes in four Eastern Cape schools. Frame factor theory and theory of pedagogical devices were used. The study employed text analysis, classroom observation in four 3rd grade classes and interviews with 14 third grade teachers as sources of data. The results of the study indicated there were differences among teachers when it came to understanding and interpreting the theme. The teachers interviewed have general qualifications but lacked training to teach this theme. Between the schools there were differences in manpower, material and financial resources. There were similar teaching procedures although there were differences in teachers’ approaches. Learners’ understanding was influenced by family background. In general, teachers dominated and controlled the whole procedure by proposing candidates and vote counters. Findings from this study could be relevant for teachers and other school personnel for their future commitment to teaching democracy by practising it. Keywords: Classroom, democracy, differences, leadership qualities, learners, life orientation, participation, South Africa, teachers, voting

This study investigates roles teachers could play in developing their students’ critical thinking and transforming society. The study is based on a literature review. Critical pedagogy is used as a theoretical point of departure. The results show three important roles of teachers, the pedagogical, intellectualand activist roles. Teachers acting as pedagogues can help their students understand the subjects they are focusing on and develop a critical understanding of their own and their society’s situation. Teachers as intellectuals produce knowledge through research on their practice and other fields of knowledge, learn on how to disseminate such knowledge and understanding its consequences. As citizens, teachers use their own and their students’ experiences and knowledge of needs of their community/society to play an activist role in transforming society. Thus, the ideal teacher plays a multidimensional role as a pedagogue, an intellectual and an activist.

The focus of this study is to find out about the neoliberal New Public Management entry into the Swedish higher education institutions, its effect and the possible alternative to it. The study is based on articles in academic journals, policy documents and government sponsored reports. The result of the study shows that the Swedish higher education institutions are influenced by New Public Management. This is visible as market characters such as efficiency, competition, quality control, customer satisfaction is highly valued at present in the higher education. There is also emphasis on manpower training for the labour market. Easily measurable knowledge for immediate use of economic growth are prioritized at the expense of critical and analytical knowledge. Higher education’s autonomy is to some extent violated, collegial leadership is replaced by appointee leadership, staff are under pressure to follow instructions instead of exercising their academic freedom. Based on these findings I will argue against these trends and emphasis on the importance of all partners in higher education to review the present condition in order to facilitate the possibility for keeping higher education (universities) as public autonomous institution, to keep academic freedom intact, to assure that higher education should have both professional and democratic contents, and that higher education should continue to undertake basic long term and short term research for immediate use.

Purpose: This study assesses the educational visions of Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere and what contemporary Africa can learn from their thoughts and visions.

Methodology: A selective literature review was conducted of historical and contemporary academic texts of Nkrumah and Nyerere and other writers.

Findings: The results show that Nkrumah and Nyerere emphasised the need for further educational development in their own and other countries in Africa. They also stressed relating education to the local reality and the relevance of adopting usable knowledge and experiences from other parts of the world. The instrumentality of education to change the life of the masses was given a vital place in their work. For Nkrumah and Nyerere, education should aim to create equity among the population instead of contributing to the rise of an elite class that prioritises its interests rather than the interests of society at large. They stressed that education should not be too theoretical at the expense of practical activities.

A unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The views and actions of Nkrumah and Nyerere have received criticism, but their visions are still relevant for contemporary Africa and beyond. I argue that those who are researching decolonisation and reform in education in African countries should consider reviewing the thoughts and visions of these pioneers. Their visions can lead to a better theoretical understanding to develop sustainable policies and practices that will alleviate the problems facing the individual countries as well as the continent.

NUKRUMA’S AND NYERERE’S EDUCATIONAL VISIONS – WHAT COULD CONTEMPORARY AFRICA LEARNS FROM THEM?

Getahun Yacob Abraham

Senior Lecturer

Institution for Pedagogical Studies

Karlstad University  

This study tries to assess the educational visions of two post independent African leaders, Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere. The focus is on, what could contemporary Africa learn from their visions on developing the welfare of society through education? To answer this question a literature review of their own works and other writers was conducted. The review shows that they emphasised on the need for education for further development in their own and other countries in the continent. They also focused on relating education with the local reality with due concern on the relevance of knowledge of the global reality. The instrumentality of education to change the life of the masses was given a vital place. For them  education should aim at including all sectors of society and on creating equality among the population instead of contributing to evolving an elite class that selfishly prioritize its own interest than the society at large. They stressed that education should not be too theoretical in the expense of the practical activities. According to them the purpose of education should go beyond individual gains and take into consideration the welfare of the whole society. In line with their visions information technology and welfare development in the continent should be assumed in a way that benefits the broad masses.  

Key words: contemporary Africa, Education, Nkrumah, Nyerere, visions

This study explores how preschool student teochers perceive their course materials in relation to internotionolisotion ond interculturol proctice. Questionnoires were odministered through the Survey ond Report tool to 648 students, with 94 (14.5%) responding. Forty-eight percent of therespondents felt thot course materials ond content they encountered did not help them to goin in-depth knowledge on internotionolisotion. Some students indicoted thot  they do not  wont  literoture  in English  longuoge included. They were open to more contoct with internotionol students locolly ond online. Respondents indicoted the perception thot Swedish ond Nordic preschools ore unique. lnsteod of internotionolisotion, the concept of interculturolity wosresonont with the students' identity os Swedish preschool teochers.They volued procticol, teoching-reloted content ond the procticum opportunities to leorn obout interculturolity in the field.

This study investigates how teacher education prepares student teachers to gain knowledge and experiences required to meet the needs of Swedish preschools with children with linguistic, religious and cultural diversities. The theoretical point of departure is Paulo Freire´s concepts of “generative themes”, dialogue and transformation, through examination of articles, policy documents and other materials available in intercultural/multicultural education. Findings indicate: importance of preschool teachers understanding of diversity among colleagues, children and parents; listening to children; giving closer attention to parents’ perspectives; helping children to understand and respect diversity; engaging with disadvantaged children’s diverse experiences; using good examples that illustrate unity in diversity; considering conflicts relating to children´s rights; and dealing with curriculum and preschool practice. Exposing students to realities outside university may include inviting experienced preschool teachers, giving cases for discussion, showing films to be analysed, etc. Materials should show both opportunities and difficulties of working in intercultural/multicultural environments. 

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how teachers prepare themselves to play their role of developing their students critical thinking to understand the injustice and power relations in their society. The emphasis is on teachers as subjects and their role on preparing “critical citizens” (Moyo, 2013) that will promote democracy and social justice. 

Teachers are expected to work with different functions of education such as qualifications, socialization and subjectification (Biesta, 2015). Kincheloe (2008) describe teachers in a critical context as follows:

Teachers working in a critical context rebel against the view of practitioners as information deliverers, as deskilled messengers who uncritically pass along a canned curriculum. Highly skilled scholarly teachers research their students and their communities and analyse the curricular topics they are expected to cover. In light of such inquiry, these teachers develop a course of study that understands subject matter and academic skills in relation to where their students come from and the needs they bring to school…  (Kincheloe 2008, 118).  

My attempt to understand the role of teachers is inspired by critical pedagogy. According to this perspective, teachers who are willing to give room for their students and encourage them to be critical citizens are considered “problem posing educators” (Freire, 1970), “radical teachers” (Giroux, 1983), “public intellectuals” (Giroux, 2011), etc. According to Freire (1970) these teachers recognize the role of “teacher-student” and “student-teacher”; they teach their students and they are also ready to learn through their students´ reflections and from their life experiences. 

These teachers in addition to their good theoretical understanding are also activists in their society. Through participation in organizations such as teachers´ unions, local cultural and social associations they are well informed about the current issues and demands of their society.

In their classrooms, together with their students through “generative themes” (Freire, 1970) raises issues that are not only about school subjects but also relevant to the society at large. By using “dialogic metod” (Ibid., Shor & Freire,1987) they gradually approach the issues from different angels; this enable them to see inequalities and injustice some sectors of the society are experiencing. Beyond understanding, in practice they work on promoting democracy and social justice.  

I would like to give two examples from the literature I reviewed. The first one is about an American high school teacher, who brought a leather soccer ball and put it in front of his students of Global Studies. He asked them to write anything about the ball and he told them they are allowed go to the front touch it and investigate it as they want. They wrote about it from different perspectives but all of them missed the text in small letters on the ball, that says Made in Pakistan. When the teacher showed them that, they started wondering why it was made in Pakistan, who produced it, how was the working condition for those who produced it, etc. This lead them to critically reflect and discuss even other issues related to materials produced abroad and the exploitative relations involved (Smyth, 2011). 

The second example is about students from poor farmer families in Tuscany region in Italy. They were helped by their teacher, Don Lorenzo Milani to be aware of their underclass non-privileged position in their society and their school. Eight pupils from the school, Barbiana school wrote a book titled, Letter to A Teacher (Lettera). In their book, they criticized the school system for failing them and the privilege middle class children received in their expense (Mayo, 2013). 

This study is about neoliberal New Public Management (NPM) entry into the Swedish higher education institutions, its effects and the possible alternatives to it. Academic articles, policy documents and government reports are used for the study. The results of the study show in the Swedish higher education institutions, NPM market characters such as efficiency, competition, quality control, customer satisfaction and manpower training for the labour market are emphasised. Easily measurable knowledge is prioritized at the expense of critical and analytical knowledge. Higher education’s autonomy is to some extent violated, collegial leadership is replaced by appointee leadership, and staff are under pressure to follow instructions instead of exercising their academic freedom. Based on these findings I will argue against these trends and emphasise on the importance of all partners in higher education to review the present condition to facilitate the possibility of keeping higher education as public autonomous institutions, academic freedom intact, assure that higher education should have both professional and democratic contents, and that higher education should continue to undertake basic long-term and short-term research.

The purpose of this study is to explore the status of intercultural perspective in education in Sweden. The study is guided by three questions of what are the official views of intercultural perspective in education, why intercultural perspective is relevant for education and what are the possible ways of implementing it. Bennett´s definition of intercultural learning is considered as theoretical starting point for the study, ‘Acquiring increased awareness of subjective cultural context (world view), including one’s own, and developing greater ability to interact sensitively and competently across cultural contexts...’ (Bennett, 2009, S.3). A general literature on intercultural perspective and a literature on the subject with specific focus on Sweden are referred for this study. The result of the reviews show the concept of intercultural education was introduced as a policy documents in Sweden as early as the 1980s; a serious definition of what intercultural was not considered; there is a general recognition of diversity based on language, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc; while recognizing diversity, the focus is on understanding differences; on helping the “immigrant” to integrate to the society; on stating laws and policies for protection against discrimination of different groups. There is a common understanding among the authors of the reviewed texts, that more should be done to develop intercultural perspective in the different levels in the education system. 

Role models was one of the themes for lessons in the Foundation Phase in the South African Revised National Curriculum Statement of 2002 (RNCS; Department of Education, 2002). The focus of the article is to discuss how teachers understood, interpreted and presented the theme to their pupils and how their pupils responded to it. The study is based on policy texts, observation of lessons and textbooks. Foucault’s concepts of normalisation and normalising judgment and Connell’s concepts of masculinity and sex roles are used to analyse results. The results of the study show similarities and differences in understanding and preferences of role models by teachers and pupils. While teachers emphasised officially known people as role models, some pupils considered family members and other people in their neighbourhood.Mandela was a favoured role model in most classes. Even if the theme of the lessons was role models, I argue that the covert agenda is normalising pupils to the existing dominant social norms of the society.

This paper is based on an interview with one of the principal leaders of an international partnership program between Ethiopia and Sweden, 2018–2022. The purpose of this interview was to deepen the understanding of these kinds of partnerships and to learn more about the possibilities and pitfalls of working in a joint program between national and cultural contexts. We interviewed Professor Gun-Britt Wärvik, the Swedish coordinator of the doctoral program between Addis Ababa University (AAU) and the University of Gothenburg (GU). The interview results suggest that doctoral supervisory challenges were present as students often used concepts produced in cultural contexts foreign to their assigned supervisors. Additionally, the administrative burden was particularly challenging for the Ethiopian counterpart that coordinated the program. Overall, the program created many positive work opportunities for students, provided possibilities for the staff of both universities to exercise supervision and examination of doctoral students, and enriched international experiences for all involved. 

Picturebooks are media resources that combine illustrations and texts to reach young children with entertainment and messages about life. They can support children’s development of understanding of democratic principles. For this paper, picturebooks from Sweden and the US with content involving democratic principles were analysed with the goal of inquiring into specifically selected picturebooks through text- and illustration-based methods (iconotext). Ten picturebooks published since 2000 served as exemplars of five democratic principles: (a) equity/equality, (b) respect and appreciation for diversity, (c) rights, (d) freedom, and (e) participation. These picturebooks were examined with regard to power relations between groups or individuals. Dominance was expressed in the form of race differentiation and separation, gender dominance, and the limitation of others’ rights by force. Picturebooks from Sweden and the US differed with regard to individualism vs. collectivism. The picturebooks included contexts in which democratic solutions were sought and obtained; through read alouds they can present young children with models of decision making for their own lives. 

Abstract: Freire’s concepts and theories as a strategy to reduce poverty

Getahun Yacob Abraham, Senior Lecturer in Education, Karlstad University, Sweden 

Ane Bergersen, Associate Professor Sociology, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

The UN Sustainable Development Goals puts as its first goal, “End Extreme Poverty In All Forms By 2030” (UNDP, 2016). This shows poverty is one of the gravest problem in our planet. Most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are reported as countries with low development index and extreme poverty (UNDP 2018, FAO 2017 & World Bank 2017). This paper will use Paulo Freire´s (1970) concepts “generative themes”, dialogue and transformation to be able to discuss how themes can be raised, discussed and possible actions for change will be proposed. Some preliminary review of literature shows the relevance of universities considering themselves as public goods, including in their policies, their commitment to the development of their societies, giving sufficient attention to local and regional problems and devotion to educating a generation of students with critical thinking and devotion to transform their society. This paper will explore how universities in Southern/Africa could include Freire’s concepts and theories in their research agenda in their search of causes of poverty and possible ways of reducing/eradicating it in their local and regional contexts.

 Education on doctoral supervisors has been a part of higher education pedagogy in Swedish universities for the last five decades, introduced in 1969 higher education reform and reviewed in 1998 (Jansson & Román, 2016). The purpose of this study is to identify dominant discourses on the education of doctoral supervision, with a particular focus on the construction of doctoral supervisors’ professional knowledge and practice. The study will be undertaken through a critical and pragmatic discourse analysis of doctoral supervision course plans collected from six universities and two university colleges in Sweden. The eight course plans are selected from two senior universities established more than 100 years ago, two universities established 50-100 years ago, and two universities and two university colleges established less than 50 years ago. Based on Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 1993, 2003) and a pragmatic discourse analysis, which draws on Dewey´s transactional perspective (Quennerstedt, 2008) and Foucault´s concepts of power (Foucault, 1980, 1982, 2002), the course plan texts will be analysed and discussed in three interrelated steps: (i) conducting a transitivity analysis (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014), focusing on participants, processes (material, mental, verbal, relational), and circumstances; (ii) identifying the main discourses constructing reoccurring patterns of professional action in relation to supervision practice; and (iii) discussing implications for supervisors professional knowledge base, as well as for power relationships in supervision practices. Through these steps, we will closely scrutinize the purposes, goals, contents as well as the teaching and learning activities of the course plans. There will also be a focus on common areas that are addressed by the course plans, the differences that could be identified, as well as what are missing in the documents. Based on our critical analysis, we will suggest possibilities for considering vital issues in relation to future courses on supervising doctoral students. 

This study explores the question, how do Karlstad University (KAU) preschool teacher education students perceive their course materials in relation to internationalisation and intercultural practice? Questionnaires were administered through the Survey and Report tool to all students in the program. Out of 648 students who received the questionnaire, 94 (14.5%) replied. Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) is used as theoretical perspective for the study, with analysis exploring the CHAT elements of: tools; subjects; rules; community; division of labour; objects; and outcomes. Results of the study show that students recognized the availability of internationalization and intercultural perspective in their courses, and particularly valued opportunities to meet and discuss with practicing preschool teachers working in multicultural and multilingual areas. Results also note challenges with creating opportunity for students to meet students from other countries, either in Sweden or online. Some students also indicated they found it difficult to engage with English language texts that used critical theory or which differed from Nordic contexts. Our research suggests that Swedish student teachers value content which prepares them for working in Sweden with culturally diverse students, but place less value on higher education goals of internationalisation when these are not closely connected to practice. 

Course materials in teacher education programmes are one of the means to support young teachers learn content knowledge and pedagogical theories. The materials are chosen to support their learning in a range of areas, and this article presents the findings of a study that explored how Swedish preschool student teachers perceived their course materials in relation to internationalisation and intercultural practice. Questionnaires were administered to students in a preschool teacher education at a Swedish university through the Survey and Report tool, and 94 students responded. Findings indicate that the responding student teachers valued content and materials for three key reasons: (i) materials that were localised, (ii) practice-oriented, and (iii) prepared them for working specifically in Swedish preschools. Identity as a Swedish preschool teacher (Swedish context and preschool teaching focus) appeared to be of greater influence in determining the responding students’ value of content than the higher education goals of globalisation and internationalisation. 

Denna artikel beskriver hur fakultetsopponenter motiverar avhandlingars kvalitet i populärvetenskapliga sammanfattningar som publicerats i tidskriften Pedagogisk forskning i Sverige under perioden 2000-2015. I artikeln fokuseras granskningskriterier som gäller relevans, förståelse av forskningsfältet, presentation av texten och dess kommunicerbarhet, originalitet och bidrag samt självständighet, vilka alla kompletterar de grundläggande granskningskriterierna. I artikel fokuseras hur dessa granskningskriterier kommer till uttryck och används när fakultetsopponenter beskriver en avhandling som de har granskat. Syftet är att tydliggöra hur dessa granskningskriterier framställs när fakultetsopponenter lyfter fram vad som är betydelsefullt i avhandlingarna. Studien omfattar 59 sammanfattande texter från 60 olika disputationstillfällen. Avsikten är att bidra till en djupare förståelse av dessa granskningskriterier och hur de kommer till uttryck, till nytta för doktorander, handledare och fakultetsopponenter.

Internationalisation of higher education and teacher education has been a key issue since the 1990s and many universities still attempt to increase student mobility ever since. Much research has been done on the topic of internationalisation and higher education, including teacher education trying to show how a certain programme impacts on students’ learning, especially intercultural learning when it comes to programmes in teacher education. These studies are often directed towards programmes that last several months or a whole year. The focus of this study is rather to explore if and in what way experiences in a two-week field study can contribute to a student teacher’s intercultural learning and professional development. The findings of the research show that even a short field study has an important impact on the individual student teacher’s understanding of themselves and on awareness of teachers’ living and working conditions in a different culture like South Africa.

Abstract

The focus of this study is to explore in what way a short term field study can contribute to teacher students intercultural learning and professional development. The role that firsthand experience plays in culture learning has invariably been discussed to be a critical part in intercultural learning (Quezada 2012, 8). The empirical material for the study consists of interviews before, during and after a two week field study conducted with six Swedish teacher students in South Africa. Observations during the field visits were also part of the used methods. The students specifically reflects on the observed language barriers for children who are attending education with other languages than their mother tongue, strong discipline in classrooms and resource differences between schools. According to the students diversity in the culture and seeing pupils with diverse backgrounds in the same context will be helpful for their future carriers. They believe in particular that the field study experience will help them to meet pupils with diverse backgrounds in their own school classes. They also believe the field study helped them to gain an understanding of the Swedish education system in comparison to others. Thus, we argue that a short term field study can contribute to intercultural learning and professional development, although findings also suggest that the tutoring in the field plays a crucial role.

This paper explores if and in what way experiences from a short field study can contribute to student teachers intercultural learning and professional development. The paper is based on focus groups and individual interviews, with two groups of Swedish student teachers that undertook a two-week field study in South African schools. Researches on internationalisation in higher education especially trying to show intercultural learning in teacher education, often last several months or a whole year. Thus, there is a knowledge gap on students’ doing shorter field studies, which our study wants to help fill. The findings show that even a short field study has an important impact on the individual student teacher’s understanding of themselves and awareness of teachers’ living and working conditions in a different culture like South Africa.  It is impossible to conclude that the student teachers became more interculturally competent through this short field study. However, the student teachers in their reflections turn their attention back to their own national context for critical comparisons. As underlined by the student teachers, experiencing the context of teaching and learning and meeting people “in reality” is something that really “grabs your heart”. 

This conference paper will address some problems facing Southern/African universities. Instead of detailed discussion of general problems facing universities in Southern/Africa, it will focus on universities relation to their funding partners such as the state and external donors, as well as their role as higher education institution in terms of teaching, research and the outreach/community services program. We believe postcolonial investigation into higher education helps universities to look into their past and its impact on their present. Through researching indigenous knowledge systems, they can find out about locally developed knowledge that they can integrate into their educational curricula. Concepts from critical theories could be used to analyse universities relations to their funders, their teaching-learning process, their research and their outreach to their communities. Specifically, through using critical pedagogic approach, they can prepare their students to critically view the reality of their societies, to find out their needs and to participate in the process of their transformation. On the base of these perspectives, hopefully universities could address the problems of inequalities caused by class, gender, ethnicity and race.

KEYWORDS: Postcolonial perspective, indigenous knowledge, critical theories, transformation, universities, societies, Southern/Africa.

This study investigates prominent themes about newly arrived immigrant students’ situation in life and at school as reflected in interviews with four teachers in a vocational upper secondary school located in a Swedish city suburb dominated by residents with immigrant background. Foucault’s concept of power and counter-power as well as Riessman’s narrative analysis are used to discuss and analyse the interviewed teachers’ descriptions. The results highlight the power and counter-power mechanisms involved in the discrepancy between well-behaved and ambitious immigrant students and the media representations of the students' housing area as criminal. The study also points to the power and counter-power relations between certain immigrant student groups with strong solidarity and other non-belonging students. There is also a power and counter-power dynamic between authorities making decisions affecting the immigrant students' life situation and resistance to these decisions. The study contributes valuable information of the mechanisms involved in the lives of newly arrived immigrant young students in Sweden, with possible relevance to similar contexts in other Nordic and European countries. 

This study deals with all children’s possibilities of meeting the multilingual society and aims to explore the norms regarding language and culture that are reflected in picturebooks in preschools. Previous research has shown how picturebooks can be used to develop literacy skills and intercultural understandings among children. A postcolonial lens is used to identify social locations and thereby unfold hidden power relations and social positionings of who is to be included and who is not (Spivak, 1988; Yuval-Davis, 2006). 35 picturebooks collected from preschools in Iceland, Norway and Sweden have been analysed by frequency and qualitative content analysis, eleven of which were found to contain multilingualism and/or multiculturalism. The results show a) a prevailing monolingual norm in which solely artefacts carry multilingual trails; b) a strong monocultural norm, which places people of diversity in a marginalised position; c) the English language holds an advanced position compared to majority languages, which situates other minority languages as anomalous. The educational significance of the research implicates a need for multilingual and multicultural diversity to be more observable in picturebooks used in preschool, to help children develop languages, and their own linguistic and cultural identity/-ies and, thus, their sense of belonging to a multilingual society.

Abstract ECER 2014                                                                           

Nina Thelander

Getahun Yacob Abraham

Karlstad University, Sweden

Network 25

Teaching children’s rights – what can we learn from Paulo Freire?

Today, the importance of school results is stressed in political discussions as well as in public debates in many countries around the world. As school results are linked to economic growth international tests, as e.g. TIMMS and PISA, have become important tools in these debates as well as indicators for change in school systems. In our presentation we will use Sweden as an example where school results in international tests have led to changes in the national school system which, we will argue, has impact on children’s rights in education in different ways.  One illustration of changes outlined in the new steering documents is a stronger focus on “subject matter” emphasizing and requiring more and deeper knowledge in each subject in school where e.g. knowledge about children’s rights is more explicitly stressed. In this presentation we want to highlight some of these changes and discuss what they might mean from a child rights perspective?  In order to do so we will use ideas and concepts from Paulo Freire which, for instance, presents an alternative idea to “subject matter” teaching and discuss education from a somewhat different angel than expressed in today’s national curricula and syllabuses. This example will be the starting point to a broader discussion about Paulo Freire’s theoretical ideas and concepts in relation to children’s rights in education.

To a large extent, researchers within the field of children’s rights in education are anchored in theories, which in different ways are, linked to ideas and concepts outlined within the sociology of childhood, which this presentation is an example of. Even though sociology of childhood has been and still is a fruitful way to study children’s rights in education specific educational theories and perspectives are claimed to be more highlighted and discussed (Quennerstedt & Quennerstedt, 2013)

In order to contribute to the theorizing of children’s rights in education we will in this presentation elaborate the theoretical ideas and concepts of Paulo Freire and discuss his thoughts in relation to children’s rights in education, with examples from Sweden. Apart from Freire’s ideas about “subject matter” mentioned above his thoughts about the importance of good relationship between teachers and students, giving an opportunity for students to express themselves, and creating an open climate for conversation in the classroom is applicable with the intentions in the UN Convention on the rights of the child. The concepts such as oppression, banking verses problem posing education, dialogue versus antidialogue, generative themes, etc (Ferire, 1970) are also relevant for this work.

In their everyday work teachers, instead of just trying to feed children with knowledge as expressed in the banking concept, it is preferable to involve children to come up with their thoughts and wonderings to generate themes that they can assess together with other children and their teacher. The dialogue with each other and their teacher could give children more opportunities to learn, than the anti-dialogic method where they are passive recipient of what comes from their teacher.  These thoughts of respect for children’s self-expression, working method that invites for participation and enquiry are in line with the convention for the rights of the child. Taken together these ideas and concepts form our aim for this presentation: what can we learn about teaching children’s rights from the theoretical perspectives and concepts of Paulo Freire?

The theoretical framework is drawn from Paulo Freires ideas and concepts ( Freire, 1970, 1974, 1987, 1998) as well as from the sociology of childhood (James & James, 2004). These theoretical frameworks help us to analyze and cast light on further understanding of children’s rights in education. It will also help us to look closely to the Swedish primary school’s curriculum (Lgr.11) and other policy guidelines. Here the focus will be on the impact of the curriculum and policy guidelines on teaching children’s rights.   

The study uses text analyses as a method. Convention on the rights of the child (UNICEF, 1989) and the Swedish primary school curriculum (Skolverket, 2011) are used to scrutinize what they provide on teaching children’s right. The provisions in the texts are viewed and analyzed in relation to Paulo Freire´s concepts on education.   

The expected outcomes of the presentation are to elaborate children’s rights in education from Paulo Freire’s theoretical perspectives. The presentation will also contribute to the ongoing discussion of theorizing children’s rights in education. Our intention is to publish an article from this presentation.

References

Freire, P. (1970/2012). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.

Freire, P. (1974). Education for critical consciousness. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.

Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Freire, Paulo and Shor, I. (1987) A Pedagogy For Liberation: Dialogues on Transforming

Education.Westport: Bergin &Garvey.

James, A. & James, A,L. (2004) Constructing childhood: Theory, policy, and social practice. New York: Palgrave Macmillian

Quennerstedt A, & Qunnerstedt, M, (2013) Researching children’s rights in

education: sociology of childhood encountering educational theory. In British Journal of Sociology of Education, 2014 Vol. 35, No. 1, 115–132, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2013.783962

Skolverket (2011). Curriculum for the primary school, Lgr 11. Stockholm: Skolverket.

UNICEF (1989). Convention on the rights of the child. New York: UNICEF.