Í greininni er fjallað um stöðu nemenda sem eiga við námsvanda að stríða innan
skólakerfisins. Fyrri rannsóknir hafa sýnt að námserfiðleikar eru einn helsti
áhættuþátturinn að baki brotthvarfi úr námi. Greint er frá niðurstöðum nýlegrar
rannsóknar sem ætlað var að varpa ljósi á hvað nemendur með námserfiðleika telja
að hafi haft áhrif á námsárangur þeirra. Byggt er á vistfræðikenningu
Bronfenbrenners um gagnvirk áhrif foreldra, skóla og samfélags á þroska og
aðlögun barna, og á öðrum rannsóknum sem sýna hvað hefur áhrif á líðan nemenda
með námserfiðleika og námsframvindu þeirra. Tekin voru viðtöl við tíu ungmenni
sem áttu við námserfiðleika að stríða alla skólagönguna en náðu þrátt fyrir það að
ljúka námi í framhaldsskóla. Sjónarmið nemenda sjálfra eru nú í auknum mæli talin
mikilvæg og viðtalsrannsóknir undanfarinna ára sýna að mörg börn og ungmenni
tjá sig vel um eigin reynslu. Leitað var svara við eftirfarandi meginspurningum: Hver
er reynsla nemenda með námserfiðleika af skólagöngu? Hvað stuðlar að jákvæðri
námsframvindu á meðal nemenda með námserfiðleika? Í viðtölunum komu fram
þrjú meginatriði: a) Erfiðleikar við að fá námsvandann viðurkenndan, b) tilhneiging
til að aðgreina nemendur og flokka, og c) hvatning og stuðningur foreldra og skóla
sem stuðlaði að seiglu og velgengni í námi. Seigla sem nemendur komu sér upp
með stuðningi í nærumhverfinu virtist ráða mestu um aukna trú ungmennanna á
eigin getu. Þetta varð til að þeim tókst að ljúka námi þrátt fyrir námserfiðleika. Í
greininni er þessum niðurstöðum lýst og loks er fjallað um mikilvægi þess að
tryggja farsælt nám allra á jafnréttisgrunni með því að skólar komi betur til móts við
þann hóp nemenda sem gengur illa í námi.
Education is meant to increase individuals’ capabilities in dealing with challenges
in everyday life and enabling them to provide for themselves. In recent years
increased emphasis has been placed on equal rights to education for all and the
provision of support to students with disabilities. Legislation governing Icelandic
primary and secondary education bound these policies in law in 2008.
Simultaneous with the policy change there has been an increase in clinical
assessments of students with learning difficulties (LD) as well as provision of
special educational support. However, scholars have argued that a clinical approach to identifying support needs can lead to undesirable school practices,
such as labelling students with LD and segregating them. It may be more useful
for schools to adopt a social approach to assessing support needs of disabled
students. A social approach seeks to identify and understand students’ situations
and looks for solutions and resources in their near environment, recognizing that
social factors have an impact on students’ educational development and
progress.
For a long time students with LD have been defined as a vulnerable group at risk
of dropping out of school. Thus it is important to seek knowledge and approaches
which support students and increase their chances of completing secondary
education. Research has shown that special educational support in compulsory
school education and a general studies programme in upper secondary education
has failed to prevent students with LD from dropping out of secondary education.
Therefore, it is important to provide various types of support for students and
thereby reduce the negative impact of risk factors on their education and foster
their resilience in tackling the challenges they face.
This article discusses the educational position of students who have learning
difficulties (LD). Prior research identifies LD as one of the strongest risk factors
influencing a high dropout rate in this group. The article discusses results from a
recent study in Iceland which looked at factors that have an impact on educational
progress from the perspectives of students with LD. The discussion draws on
Bronfenbrenner’s systems theory by exploring the influence of parents, school
and society on students’ development and integration at school. The discussion
also draws on research which has explored the impact of emotional well-being on
educational progress for these students. In recent years recognition of the
importance of drawing on students’ own perspectives to improve policy and
support for students with LD has increased. Interview research shows that a large
number of children and young people with LD are indeed capable of expressing
their views and experiences in a clear manner.
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten youths who had
learning difficulties but were able to complete upper secondary school. The main
research questions were: What are the experiences of students with learning
difficulties in regard to educational support and what contributed to their success
at upper secondary school? Three main findings emerged: a) difficulty in getting
recognition of the problem, b) the inclination to isolate and label the students and
c) encouragement and support from parents and schools promoted students’
success and well-being in education. The results indicate that the educational
experiences of students with LD are complex and shaped by many factors in their
lives. Schools tend to emphasise clinical approaches to assessing students’
support needs and put less importance on assessing students’ strengths and
efforts to succeed. Most of the young people stated that they appreciated
receiving clinical assessments as that meant they were able to receive more
support in their studies. However, they felt that the assessment also led to
labelling and served to isolate them from peers, especially since the support
teaching took place in a segregated place. The research results further indicated
that the resilience shown by the students in coping with challenges was related to
the support they received in their near environment, such as from family and staff
at school. Support from their near environment was a key factor in influencing
belief in their own capabilities and helping them to complete their studies. This
article describes and discusses the research findings, and the important role of
teachers and parents for supporting students with learning difficulties in order to
ensure educational success and equality.
