Delaktighet Lyssna på elevernas röster! : Vad elever som läser enligt grundsärskolans läroplan anser om delaktighet

Elisabeth Damerau (2021) Participation: Listen to the students' voices! What students who study according to the curriculum of compulsory school for children with intellectual disabilities think about participation. Master degree in Special education, 120 p, Department of School Development and Leadership, Faculty of Education and society, Malmö University. This study aims to contribute to a wider understanding of participation with a focus on students with intellectual disabilities (ID). Theoretically the investigation draws on sociocultural theory, situated learning and the participation model. Based on qualitative interviews with sex students, all of whom are studying according to the curriculum of compulsory school for children with ID. This study offers a unique student perspective. The interviews centered on the students' perception of their schooling and their future. All interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results indicate that the majority of the students consider that their previous education in compulsory school was vastly diffrent from their current education in compulsory special school. The biggest differences are that they consider them-selves participate in a completely different way and that the overall learning environment is better; specifically, less noisy environment makes it easier to concentrate and get peace of mind. Students also mention that they have many more and better relationships to their classmates and teachers, compared with their education in the compulsory school. After finishing 9th grade, the majority of the students want to continue to upper secondary special school due to the benefits cited. However, it is clear that not all the students are aware of the restrictions resulting from an education in upper secondary special school. The majority of the students have very clear future goals and know what they want to work with, but their school affiliation means that the students are unlikely to fulfill their careers objectives; a leaving qualification from upper secondary special school makes the students ineligible for higher education. To adress this inequality, -Swedish colleges and universities could make adjustments to the eligibility criteria and welcome students with ID. The study concludes that that would be a win-win situation for the students as well for society as a whole.