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“The contribution of school space in the formation of ‘place identity’ of the child as eco-semiological bridge between individual and society-from the local to the global community”. Sevasti Apostolou & Konstantinos Sachinidis - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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“The contribution of school space in the formation of ‘place identity’ of the child as eco-semiological bridge between
individual and society-from the local to the global community”
Sevasti Apostolou & Konstantinos SachinidisDepartment of Science of Preschool Education
and Educational Planning , University of AegeanRhodes, Greece, 2014
Place Identity, Place Attachment and The school space as a systemPlace Identity: as a component of self-identity, it constitutes
the entire cognitive-emotional context of our behavior in relation to space
Place Attachment: refers to the fact that the place brings all our experiences through which we attach emotionally to it (emotional bond with the place)
Characteristics of the system :organizing (subsystems)size (scale) (Bronfenbrenner, 1979)form (on-off)structures (material non-material)functions (preservation)change (change-progress)Structures: social (living potential) and material (material
element) structure-interdependence (Vayer, 1991)
Aim of the researchThis research project aims to:study the concepts of 'place identity‘, 'place attachment' and ‘sense of
community’, as emerging entities in the social system of the school through transformative processes (participatory action) in the context of interaction among place (ecology), culture and behavior (appropriation and emotional attachment)
bring out the role of school space in the shaping of 'place identity' of the child through the process of emotional bond with the school environment and to emphasize its importance to the flourishing of the positive side of 'localism' or else of love and the bond to a place
convey the vision of the school space as eco-semantic bridge between the local society and the individual and as the 'common ground' between individuals of the ecumenical community with different socio-demographic characteristics for the harmonious coexistence of different morals, languages , cultures within the current 'home' both on a local as well as on a global scale
Hypothesis-Research questionWe consider that the shaping of 'place identity' of the child in
the school community is the 'conceptual bridge' for the development of the emotional bond with his or her wider local community
The hypothesis is that through actions of appropriation of school space can be cultivated the emotional attachment to the wider local community, of which the school community is an integral part, and so the school space to operate as eco-semiological bridge between the individual and the local society
To what extent participatory action (principal, teachers, pupils, parents and local community) in the school community contributes to the emotional attachment of the child to the wider local community?
Sub research questionsWhat features exhibit educators as employees of the school
unit and as residents of the local society?What features exhibit pupils-metics from abroad and
within the country?What differences exhibit pupils-metics compared with
pupils-indigenous of the local society?What characteristics as criteria exhibit programs
consolidating emotional bond with the school community and the local society for transit pupils and educators?
What differences exhibit the 'transit' educators compared to 'non-transit' educators as to their contribution in shaping the emotional bond of 'transit' pupils with the school community and the local society?
MethodResearch technique: Structured interview-
accompanying answer sheet for closed questions
Technique of analysis: interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)
MethodSchedule of questions-data concerning: the teacher as an employee and as a residentpupils as metics (change residence) from abroad and metics
within the country of residencetheir disputes with pupils-permanent residents of the local
communityconducting programs to consolidate the emotional bond of
metics-pupils with the school community and the local societythe description of these programs and their specific
characteristics, such as interconnectedness and institutional support
differences between 'transit' and 'non transit' teachers as to their contribution in facilitating the emotional bond of metics-pupils with the school community and the local society
Procedure-participantsCase study of primary school education unit in a
village in the southern part of the island of Rhodes
10 participants-members of teaching staff of the school unit
Individual interviews with the principal and the teachers of the school unit
Data collection-in person visit to the school unit
Results-master themesCharacteristics of educator as an employeeCharacteristics of educator as a residentCharacteristics of metics-pupils from abroadCharacteristics of metics-pupils within the countryDifferences of metics-pupils and the indigenous-pupils of the local
societyConduct of programs consolidating emotional bond with the placeContent of appropriation programs for metics-pupils with the
local societyCharacteristics of implementation of programs for appropriation
with the local societyContribution of educator in shaping the pupil’s emotional bond
with the community
Results-subthemes-educatorsCharacteristics of educator as an employee: service
in the school unit, specialty, service on the island, type of employment contract
Characteristics of educator as a resident: type of residence on the island, hailing from the island, staying on the island, staying in the spatial zone of the school unit, type of ownership of residence, relationship with the local society
Contribution of educator in shaping the pupil’s emotional bond with the community: contribution difference between 'transit' and 'not transit' educators, reasons of differentiation between them
Subthemes-pupilsCharacteristics of metics-pupils from abroad: ratio of
their population to all members of the class, grade of class teaching, their studies since first grade of primary school on the island or in the present school unit
Characteristics of metics-pupils within the country: their presence in the classroom, the classroom population, their studies since the first grade of primary school on the island or in the present school unit
Differences of metics-pupils and the indigenous-pupils of the local society: there is a difference between metics and indigenous, reasons for diversification, differentiation criteria
Subthemes-programs Conduct of programs consolidating emotional bond with the
place: conducting programs, time of conducting programsContent of appropriation programs of metics-pupils with the
local society: at the school level, at the level of classroomCharacteristics of implementation of programs for
appropriation with the local society: interconnectedness of programs at administrative and pedagogical work, reasons of interlocking, institutional support of programs and freedom of choice at the administrative and pedagogical duties, reasons of support by institution or within the school unit, combination of institutional support of programs and their implementation at the level of administrative and pedagogical tasks
Results-Characteristics of educator as employeeThe majority of educators serve a few years
in the school unitAll of them belong to the field of teachersThe majority of educators serve a few years
in the island of RhodesThe majority of educators are permanent
Characteristics of educator as resident Slightly more than half of educators are permanent
residents of the islandMost do not originate in the islandThe majority live on the island a few yearsSlightly more than half do not live on the spatial zone
of the school unitSlightly more than half rent the dwelling stayingRegarding their relation with the local community, this
is shaped in equal proportion, for some as only social, for some as only personal, for some as personal and social, and for some as personal, social and professional
Characteristics of metics-pupils within the countryIn more than half of the teaching classes
metics-pupils within the country attendThe general population ranges between 1-4
individuals in teaching classes, therefore far fewer than the percentage of metics-pupils from abroad attending the same classrooms
It appears that by the metics-pupils within the country attending the teaching classes concerned, most attended the 1st grade of primary school in the present school unit
Characteristics of metics-pupils from overseasIn more than half classrooms the ratio of
metics-pupils from abroad to the total of pupils in class is ½
In the sample all the classrooms of the primary school were represented, most classrooms were of the upper grades
In most teaching classes metics-pupils from abroad attended the 1st grade of primary school in the present school unit
Differences between metics-pupils and the indigenous ones of local societyMost educators report that there are differences between
metics-pupils and indigenous-pupilsThose who do not report differences among the above pupils
attribute this to factors such as multiannual stay of metics and the familiarity with the phenomenon of relocation
In case discrepancies are found among the pupils, they are due to factors such as the process of adapting and integrating, the recent arrival, the individual behavioral and personality traits, the ethnicity and the socio-cultural context of origin
Of the educators that mention differences among the pupils, it is found that those differences relate to only social interaction, to cognitive skills and social interaction, and to the adequacy of language knowledge and the psychosocial family environment
Conducting programs for consolidating emotional bond with the placeThe majority of the educators report that
programs for the development of emotional bond with the place are carried out
In most cases these programs are carried out during the school year
Content of programs for the appropriation of metics-pupils with the local communityAt the level of school unit the content of
programs regards issues such as:highlighting the cultural element through social
gatherings, writing samples and Laography (suggested by half of the educators)
preparatory, integration classes, parental counseling and collaboration between school and cultural association
‘diversity’ and ‘place’ through a program with social, environmental and cultural dimensions and interface with other places
Content of programs for the appropriation of metics-pupils with the local community At the level of school classroom the content of programs regards issues such
as: development of social network with parents’ involvement in thematic actions cultivation of culture through arts and literature highlighting the cultural element through social gatherings and production
of educational material education in acceptance of diversity through alternative pedagogical
teaching methods project of acquaintance with the place, the local society, the history and
Laography, pupil counseling and program of engaging pupils to the integration process
self consciousness of place identity and cultural identity, interface of cultural elements through samples of Laography
project in team collaboration and interface of cultures and places through the seeking of common cultural elements in the context of Laography
structuring-promoting profile of the countries of origin
Characteristics of program implementation for the appropriation to the local community All educators mentioned that programs for the development of emotional bond
with the place should be interrelated, namely those planned at the school unit level and at the school classroom level
The reasons for their interrelation concern the efficacy of actions, the broader acceptance and the positive self esteem of children, the social cohesion, the collegiality and the teamwork in the school community, the communication, the collaboration and the solidarity among the members of the teaching staff
Regarding the institutional support of these programs all educators agree on this
Yet nearly half of them refer only to the institutional support The rest note that carrying out such programs depends on the combination of
the institutional support and their implementation at administrative and pedagogical level in the school unit at the initiative of participants
The reasons considered as necessary the inside school support of them concern an inadequate and incomplete institutional provision for planning, the differentiation of human / pupil dynamic among the school units and the optional and non obligatory character of program implementation
Contribution of educator in shaping the pupil’s emotional bond with the school and local community
The majority of educators reports that there is a difference among 'transit' and 'non transit‘ teachers in facilitating the appropriation of metics-pupils to the school community and the local society
However are noted, in an attempt to mitigate the difference, the linkage of appropriation to the school community with the existence of a stable teaching staff in the school unit and the argument that in case of planning the appropriation as a common educational objective of the teachers' association, there is no question of dispute in the effectiveness of the action
The reasons of diversification among 'transit' and 'non-transit‘ educators relate to factors, such as personal adjustment, short stay, distrust from the local community, the discontinuity in the actions, the non-time investment, the desire to return to their homeland, the aversion of integrating in the present place of residence, the non-interest about the culture of the place, the negative correlation of the appropriation with the feeling of temporary, the non-emotional involvement, commitment and identification with the place by the 'transits‘
It is noted that the 'non-transit' teachers are more effective in managing the integration of metics-pupils due to the absence of the challenge of personal adjustment and the inspiration of familiarity to the children
Overall conclusions-culture versus place?as a key reference for the program planning is the cultural
elementthe reference to the place element is underrepresentedthe school space is not mentioned on the use in terms of
environmental conditions that may give opportunity to the children for actions relating to it (preparation, reconstruction, maintenance), which will contribute to the appropriation initially to the school space through nonverbal forms of space use (territoriality, personal space, privacy)
emphasis is placed on the different cultural element as a positive point of attention, however, is stressed the point of differentiation among members (in spite of the seeking common) and the attention is shifting from the place to the individual
Overall conclusions-a ‘bridge’ towards creating new roots
the metics do not disclaim their cultural identity, however, they need to create new roots and solely the acceptance of their cultural identity by others is not sufficient in the process of the development of the emotional bond with the new place of residence
is therefore necessary a semiological bridge that will unite them to the particular place initially and subsequently will create the basis for the forming of social ties with the rest of the community
the social ties with the community require some context and initially this context apart from the people (community), the purpose (action, appropriation) and the time (systematically and consistently), is shaped by the space as well, initially by the space of school and then by the place that the school space belongs to
Overall conclusions-the match point between individual and local communitythe completion of the process of the emotional bonding
with the local community is not just about the acceptance of different cultural identity, but about finding a common code, a common language, a 'common ground', and none other than the school space can be a match point with both the place and the local community
the connection with the local community passes through the place and the relationship with the school space (appropriation), which is a key element with which the child has a systematic and close interaction, a suitable condition for creating appropriation
Overall conclusions-interdisciplinary directionit is striking that no mention was made in concerning oneself with
the school space, although the physical environment of the school gives to the child evidence for the location, the history, the culture, the climatic / environmental conditions through the architectural design
the procedure of emotional attachment to the place is a continuous process
it was observed more preoccupation with the idea of tolerance of cultural diversity and less with the tangible material element which nevertheless forms the environmental perception and attitude through the apperceptions
is needed interdisciplinary in the programs and besides getting to know a place it is essential to address the preoccupation with, the involvement, so that commitment to be obtained
Our suggestion
Place Identit
y as bond
School space
as context
Programs as
direction
Educator as
contact
Child as origin
Proposals for further research Participation of additional educational units in the research project
presenting high population rate with demographic moving, whether it concerns the pupils or the educators
Conducting action research, which will be completed in three stages: a) the identification of field concerning the conditions prevailing in each school unit as regards to the conducting programs for the development of emotional attachment to the place, b) the implementation of programs per se towards this direction and c) the evaluation of the effectiveness of these programs
Particularly at the stage of programs implementation can be two experimental conditions for implementation of actions, a condition during which the program will be designed with some standard criteria and a condition during which the program will be designed freely
Accordingly will be feasible a comparative study between the two categories which may result in substantial feedback to the participants in the implementation of programs and in shaping more drastically attitudes and perceptions regarding this particular topic
AcknowledgementsThank you all for attending our research work! Our research teamSevasti Apostolou, Substitute Psychologist in
Special Education, Dr University of AegeanKonstantinos Sachinidis, Teacher, Principal of
Primary School of Lardos, Rhodes
Thank you the Department of Sciences of Preschool Education and Educational Planning, School of Human Sciences, University of Aegean, Rhodes, Greece for the beautiful ‘journey’ during the years of my doctoral research
Dr S.A. Apostolou