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Starfsmannavelta meðal kennara í grunnskólum árin 1998 til 2020
No full textTurnover of teachers is an issue of concern in many countries, and Iceland is no exception (Amalía Björnsdóttir et al., 2019; Amalía Björnsdóttir & Þuríður Jóna Jóhannsdóttir, 2020; Eiríkur Eyjólfsson & Stefán Hrafn Jónsson, 2017; Federičová, 2021). Interest in studying teacher turnover is mainly based on research findings that demonstrate the importance of retaining teachers for sustaining good practices and student learning (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019; Ronfeldt et al., 2013; Sorensen & Ladd, 2020). According to Grissom et al. (2015) and Nguygen et al. (2020), the main concepts used in these studies are ‘stayers’, ‘movers’, ‘mobility’, and ‘stability’. Generally, studies of turnover compare staff in a given year to the following year, calculating the ratio of stayers or movers, demonstrating mobility or stability during a given time period.
Based on the general survey SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe) in 19 European countries, teacher turnover is high but varies considerably between countries (Federičová, 2021). The turnover rate trends higher in northern Europe, (e.g., Sweden, Switzerland, and Bulgaria), and lower in southern lands (e.g., Greece, Portugal, and Italy). According to Federičová (2021), the variation between countries is due to different conditions in schooling and labour markets. Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond (2019) state that teacher turnover in the United States has been around five per cent for some periods but has been increasing during the past few years and is now around eight per cent. They also say there is considerable variability in teacher turnover between areas, amongst teachers who teach different subjects, and within school characteristics.
The shortage of teachers in compulsory schools has been an issue in Iceland for some time now. Eiríkur Eyjólfsson and Stefán Hrafn Jónsson (2017) have noted that this shortage is based on too few university students graduating with teaching certificates as well as too many certified teachers not working in schools. Amalía Björnsdóttir and Þuríður Jóna Jóhannsdóttir (2019, 2020) surmise that the reactions to the shortage of teachers in Iceland have in the past been primarily based on offering distance education opportunities at universities in teacher education programmes. According to them, distance education attracts older students compared to traditional on-campus education. However, comparative European statistics (Hauschildt et al., 2018) show that the age of university graduates in Iceland is very high, particularly in schools of education. Recently, a reorganisation of teacher education programmes was conducted to facilitate an increase of graduates by, for instance, offering master’s degrees without a thesis and with paid entry-level internships during the final years of study (Sigurðsson et al., 2023).
Considering the above, a study was conducted to explore the turnover of teachers in all compulsory schools in Iceland. Data obtained from Statistics Iceland was available from 1998 to 2020, that is, over a 23-year period. The study explored the age of teachers when they began teaching and when they left teaching, how long they stayed in teaching, the extent to which teachers transferred between schools, and the differences in these figures based on gender and geographical area.
The main finding was that considerable stability existed among compulsory schoolteachers in Iceland from 1998 to 2020. The majority (63%) stayed in the same school where they had on average accumulated 5.87 years of teaching experience. On the other hand, teachers with experience from two schools had 10.15 years of teaching experience, and those who taught in three schools had 12.2 years of teaching experience. Women stayed longer in schools than men. The findings also showed that teachers in small schools had less teaching experience than teachers in larger schools, as in the Greater Reykjavik area comprising the capital and adjacent towns. Furthermore, the findings showed that the transfer of teachers between schools was primarily within the same geographical area; that is, teachers in Reykjavik and the Greater Capital area transferred to schools within that area, while teachers in rural areas transferred to schools in rural areas.
Unfortunately, the data from Statistics Iceland does not allow for extensive analysis. There is, however, considerable stability among teachers in compulsory schools, where around two-thirds of them stayed in the same school during the period under study, similar to findings by Gray et al. (2015) in the United States. Due to a lack of information, teaching experience, on average, may be higher than this study shows. Still, the findings also indicate that many teachers begin teaching rather late and leave school relatively early, long before the expected retirement age. Improved working conditions and the contemplated preparation of teachers can reduce teacher turnover (Boyd et al., 2011; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2019; Grissom et al., 2021; Ragnar F. Ólafsson, 2019), suggesting that working conditions in compulsory schools as well as the overall structure and emphasis in teacher education programs need to be scrutinised with further research.Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar var að kanna starfsmannaveltu grunnskólakennara en bæði var verið að kanna hvenær kennarar hættu störfum og í hvaða mæli þeir flyttu sig milli skóla og svæða. Notuð voru gögn frá Hagstofu Íslands sem ná yfir tímabilið 1998 til 2020. Áhyggjur af kennaraskorti í grunnskólum hér á landi eru ekki nýjar af nálinni. Bæði veldur áhyggjum að ekki brautskrást nægilega margir kennarar á ári, að þeir sem brautskrást skili sér ekki til kennslu og margir starfandi kennarar hverfi frá störfum. Erlendar rannsóknir sýna að mikil starfsmannavelta í skólum hefur neikvæð áhrif á skólastarf og að starfsmannavelta meðal kennara er víða mikil, en mismunandi eftir löndum og landsvæðum. Niðurstöður þessarar rannsóknar sýna að um 7,5% þeirra sem voru við störf árin 1998 til 2018 voru ekki við störf árið eftir. Þessi tala var lægri, eða 6,3%, 2009 til 2013, árin eftir efnahagshrunið 2008, en rannsóknir sýna að á landsvæðum þar sem efnahagsástand er lakara gengur mönnun skóla betur en á svæðum þar sem hagsæld er meiri. Athygli vakti hve meðalaldur þeirra sem koma nýir til starfa er hár en það endurspeglar háan meðalaldur kennaranema og þá sérstaklega þess stóra hóps sem er í fjarnámi. Einnig virðast stórir hópar hverfa úr starfi löngu fyrir hefðbundinn eftirlaunaaldur. Kennarar eru ekki mikið að færa sig á milli skóla eða svæða en athygli vekur hversu hátt hlutfall þeirra staldrar stutt við í starfi. Starfsmannavelta meðal kennara í litlum skólum er þó meiri en í stærri skólum. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að vandi við mönnun kennarastéttarinnar sé margþættur, bæði þarf nýliðun að vera meiri en einnig þarf að gera starfið og starfsaðstæður áhugavert og aðlaðandi þannig að kennarar haldist í starfi
Upplifun stjórnarmanna í íslenskum fyrirtækjum á væntingum haghafa um sjálfbærni fyrirtækja
No full textThe study explores how the boards of Icelandic companies approach environmental issues and sustainability in light of isomorphic pressure from stakeholders and regulations. Icelandic companies have increasingly had to adjust their strategies to meet new demands and expectations, both from domestic and international entities. By applying institutional theories focused on legitimacy and isomorphic pressure, along with stakeholder theory, this study analyzes corporate responses to the growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental issues, identifying factors that influence increased corporate responsibility in this area. Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine board members who have extensive experience serving on boards in various industries. Corporate boards represent shareholders, determine company strategy, and are responsible for ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. The semi-structured interviews shed light on their experiences of environmental issues. The findings reveal that attitudes of board members and corporate actions concerning environmental issues are varied. While participants perceived an increased societal emphasis on environmental issues, this emphasis had not directly impacted their companies. These results suggest that the need for corporate legitimacy in environmental matters is not urgent, and thus, the effects of normative and mimetic pressures are minimal. Social pressure, particularly from employees and consumers, was low, while pressure from stakeholders mainly appeared from those on whom the companies rely financially. Pressure from the value chain and investors could partly be attributed to coercive pressure from laws and regulations, particularly European ones. The study highlights the importance of boards being aware of the diverse pressures from stakeholders and ensuring that companies take genuine responsibility for their environmental impacts to maintain competitiveness and legitimacy in an international context.Rannsóknin fjallar um hvernig stjórnir íslenskra fyrirtækja nálgast umhverfismál og sjálfbærni í ljósi einsleits þrýstings frá haghöfum og regluverki. Íslensk fyrirtæki hafa í auknum mæli þurft að aðlaga stefnu sína að nýjum kröfum og væntingum, bæði frá innlendum og alþjóðlegum aðilum. Með því að beita stofnanakenningum með áherslu á lögmæti og einsleitniþrýsting og kenningu um haghafa í greiningu á viðbrögðum fyrirtækja við aukinni áherslu á umhverfismál og sjálfbærni, má greina hvaða þættir það eru sem hafa áhrif í átt að aukinni ábyrgð fyrirtækja í málaflokknum. Eigindleg viðtöl voru tekin við níu stjórnarmeðlimi með víðtæka reynslu af stjórnarsetu í fyrirtækjum í ólíkum atvinnugreinum. Stjórnir fyrirtækja eru fulltrúar hluthafa, þær ákvarða stefnu fyrirtækja en bera jafnframt ábyrgð á því að fyrirtæki séu rekin í samræmi við lög og reglur. Markmið hálfopinna viðtala var að varpa ljósi á upplifun þeirra af umfjöllun og ábyrgð stjórna í málaflokknum. Niðurstöður sýna að viðhorf stjórnarmeðlima og aðgerðir fyrirtækja í umhverfismálum eru misjöfn. Viðmælendur upplifðu aukna samfélaglega áherslu í umhverfismálum en sú áhersla hafði þó ekki bein áhrif á fyrirtækin. Þessar niðurstöður benda til þess að þörf fyrirtækja fyrir lögmæti í umhverfismálum sé ekki brýn og því séu áhrif stöðlunar og hermunar þrýstings lítil. Samfélagslegur þrýstingur, einkum frá starfsfólki og neytendum, var lítill, en þrýstingur frá haghöfum birtist aðallega í formi krafna frá haghöfum sem fyrirtæki eru fjárhagslega háð. Þrýstingur frá virðiskeðjunni og fjárfestum má að einhverju leyti rekja til þvingandi þrýstings frá lögum og reglugerðum sérstaklega. Rannsóknin dregur fram mikilvægi þess að stjórnir séu meðvitaðar um fjölbreyttar væntingar frá haghöfum og að fyrirtæki axli raunverulega ábyrgð á umhverfisáhrifum sínum til að viðhalda samkeppnishæfni og lögmæti í alþjóðlegu samhengi
Þörfin fyrir tengsl við uppruna sinn: Afkomendur flóttamanna frá Víetnam
No full textIn 1979, 34 South Vietnamese refugees came to Iceland after having fled the North Vietnamese communists who seized power in the country. The data of this research was drawn from interviews with eleven participants who had parents and grandparents among the 34 refugees. The majority of them were raised in Icelandic speaking households. The research seeks to answer the research question: Why is it invaluable for the participants, whose home is Iceland, to have knowledge about the language and cultures of their Vietnamese ancestors? The data was analysed using thematic analysis underpinned by Bhikhu Parekh’s theory on multiculturalism and Dewey’s writings about self-control and the social construction of the self. The main findings disclosed that the participants felt a strong desire to learn and know the Vietnamese language and culture. Confucianism partly influenced the family culture they grew up in, emphasising respect for the elders in the family, a sense of duty, and a high value for education. Their need for knowledge of Vietnamese culture is, therefore, a need for self-knowledge and the ability to evaluate and reflect critically on their habits in order to evaluate them, adapt to circumstances, and have control over their own lives.Árið 1979 komu 34 flóttamenn frá Suður-Víetnam til Íslands. Þeir höfðu flúið eftir að kommúnistar frá Norður-Víetnam náðu völdum í landinu. Í rannsókninni sem þessi grein byggir á voru tekin viðtöl við ellefu einstaklinga sem eiga foreldri, afa eða ömmu úr þessum 34 manna hópi. Viðmælendur ólust flestir upp við að tala einungis íslensku og rannsóknarspurningin sem leitað er svara við er hvers vegna það er viðmælendum sem eiga heima á Íslandi mikils virði að þekkja tungumál og menningu víetnamskra forfeðra og formæðra? Unnið var úr viðtölunum með þemagreiningu og niðurstöður voru túlkaðar í ljósi kenninga Bhikhu Parekh um fjölmenningu og skrifa John Dewey um sjálfsstjórn og félagslega tilurð sjálfsins. Megin niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar eru að viðmælendur segjast finna fyrir mikilli löngun til að læra víetnömsku og kynnast menningu Víetnam. Venjurnar sem þeir ólust upp við eru að nokkru leyti frá Víetnam og þarlend menning, sem er mótuð af konfúsíanisma með áherslu á virðingu fyrir þeim eldri í fjölskyldunni, skyldurækni og gildi lærdóms og menntunar, eru hluti af sjálfi þeirra. Þörf þeirra fyrir þekkingu á þessari menningu er því þörf fyrir sjálfsþekkingu og getu til að ígrunda eigin venjur og stjórna eigin lífi með því að vega þær og meta og laga að aðstæðum
Minnkandi miðlægni vinnunnar
No full textConcerns about the declining importance of work have inspired numerous studies in recent decades. Explanations for this alleged decline have not the least been sought in the entrance of new generations into the labour market. The main objective of this article is to assess and distinguish generational and period effects on the importance of work, or so-called work centrality. With this in mind, the results of two population surveys on work centrality conducted in 2012 and 2022 among VR members, the largest union in Iceland, are compared. The results are compared between surveys, age groups and generations: Boomers, Generation X (GenX), Millennials (GenY) and Generation Z (GenZ). The results reveal a strong period effect and that work centrality declines between the two surveys – across age groups and generations. Generational effects are also notable in both surveys. The results also show that work is more central to the oldest generation (Boomers) compared to the younger ones, but small differences are found in work centrality among the younger generations.Áhyggjur af minnkandi mikilvægi vinnunnar hafa orðið uppspretta margra rannsókna á síðustu áratugum. Þessi meinta neikvæða þróun hefur oftast verið útskýrð með komu nýrra kynslóða inn á vinnumarkaðinn. Höfuðmarkmið þessarar greinar er að meta og aðgreina áhrif kynslóða og tíðarandans á mikilvægi vinnunnar eða svokallaða miðlægni vinnunnar (e. work centrality). Með þetta að leiðarljósi eru bornar saman niðurstöður tveggja þýðiskannana á mati fólks á miðlægni vinnunnar sem gerðar voru 2012 og 2022 meðal félagsfólks VR, stærsta stéttarfélags landsins. Bornar eru saman niðurstöður milli kannana, aldurshópa og kynslóða: Uppgangskynslóðarinnar (e. Boomers), X-kynslóðarinnar (e, GenX), Aldamótakynslóðarinnar (e. Millennials, GenY) og Z-kynslóðarinnar (e. GenZ). Niðstöðurnar sýna sterk áhrif tíðarandans og að miðlægni vinnunnar dvínar milli mælinganna tveggja – þvert á aldurshópa og kynslóðir. Einnig koma fram kynslóðaáhrif í báðum könnunum. Vinnan er miðlægari meðal elstu kynslóðarinnar (Uppgangskynslóðarinnar) en þeirra yngri, en lítill munur er á miðlægni vinnunnar meðal yngri kynslóðanna
Staðbundin nálgun og nýsköpun í hverfum Reykjavíkurborgar
Get PDFCities have developed different methods when solving challenges and meeting various needs of the citizens. One such method is a place-based approach. This paper is about innovation in public service. The aim is to explain and discuss why a place-based approach is important for the development of cities and neighbourhood communities and how a place-based approach may increase the wellbeing of citizens and enable innovation in a fast-changing world. The question is, how does innovation in public service appear in a place-based context? The main findings are: This approach can be useful when designing and providing better service in cities. It is more sensitive towards diverse needs of people and help the development of more connected and stronger communities for better inclusion. To enable this, changes in management and leadership can be useful, moving from e.g. New Public Management methods towards a new leadership style namely called The New Civic Leadership. Í borgum hefur verið leitað ýmissa leiða í stjórnun þegar tekist er á við áskoranir tengdar því að veita íbúum viðeigandi þjónustu og er kallað eftir nýsköpun í því samhengi. Ein leið sem vakið hefur eftirtekt byggir á staðbundinni nálgun í opinberri þjónustu. Markmiðið hér er að fjalla um staðbundna nálgun í stjórnun og áhrif hennar á þjónustu með þann tilgang að auka farsæld íbúa. Spurt er; hvernig getur staðbundin nálgun nýst við nýsköpun opinberrar þjónustu? Til að leita svara við spurningunni er rýnt í dæmi varðandi þjónustu í hverfi Reykjavíkurborgar þar sem staðbundinni nálgun hefur verið beitt við stjórnun. Helstu niðurstöður benda til þess að staðbundin nálgun við stjórnun geti verið gagnleg til þess að hanna og veita skilvirkari þjónustu og mæta fjölbreyttum þörfum íbúa. Með því að beita nálguninni sé skapaður grundvöllur fyrir auknum tækifærum fyrir inngildingu jaðarsettra hópa og stutt við tengslamyndun milli íbúa með þeim afleiðingum að samfélagið styrkist. Staðbundin nálgun birtist meðal annars í því sem kenna má við borgaralega leiðtogafærni og gæti því verið fýsilegur kostur í stjórnun borga og bæja sem eru að takast á við fjölbreyttar þarfir íbúa í fjölmenningarsamfélögum. Þær nálganir gætu komið í stað gamalreyndra aðferða sem hafa ekki reynst nægilega vel við að leysa úr margbreytilegum áskorunum samtímans.  
„Það var bara svo gaman að kenna“: Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir, kennari og kennsluráðgjafi
No full textNarratives regarding teachers’ classroom practices from teachers who have retired from their professional lives provide valuable information for student teachers and teacher educators about developments in teachers’ practices. This book article aims to give an insight into the work of a primary school teacher, Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir, who started her teaching career in the mid-20th century and finished her career as an educational consultant at the end of the century.
Aspects of school development and teaching methods in Iceland in the second half of the 20th century are discussed to shed light on Matthildur’s story of her professional career and the aspects that influenced her work as a teacher and educational consultant.
When Matthildur began her teaching career, there was a flush in education policy in many countries and changes were made in school systems, teacher training, curriculum writing and assessment methods. More emphasis was placed on diverse groups of students’ access to education, and people’s views of the nature of knowledge and its benefits for our society changed (Wolfgang Edelstein, 2008).
Narrative inquiry was conducted when writing Matthildur’s story, which is described and placed chronologically. This approach helped us capture the moment she expressed at each instance in her narrative. Two interviews were conducted with her. In the first interview, she talked about what was most memorable from her career. The themes in her story were analysed, and in the second interview, the elements that shaped the narrative were discussed in more detail.
In her professional life as a teacher, Matthildur actively studied innovations in teaching practices and progress in school work and adapted them to her classroom practices. She collaborated with inspectors at the Department of Educational Research and the Iceland University of Education staff. The teaching of reading was at her heart, and she looked for ways to improve her teaching methods, making learning to read interesting and enjoyable. She collaborated with specialists in mathematics teaching and sought advice for introducing to parents how she used open tasks and hands-on materials when teaching her students mathematics. Participation in a course about new curriculum material in social studies resulted in her collaboration with a group of teachers who developed ways of teaching social studies. Environmental education and outdoor learning intertwined with her teaching of all subject areas.
When she took on the position as an educational consultant at the Reykjavík Education Office, Matthildur made use of her experience as a teacher and continued to collaborate with professionals in the field of education. She was proud of her contribution to the transition project between kindergartens and elementary schools. Her innovative work concerning dance lessons in the city’s elementary schools, where she collaborated with the Sports Federation and private dancing school in Reykjavík, was successful. The cooperation with the Iceland University of Education contributed to a joint effort to improve teachers’ opportunities for professional development.
The Iceland University of Education, in collaboration with educational offices, organised a Professional skills program that was popular in Icelandic primary schools in the late 19th century. As an educational consultant, Matthildur participated in the program and later on was responsible for organising it in some schools. Emphasis was placed on creating an individual curriculum in special education, and the analysis of learning needs, goal setting, planning of studies and assessment were discussed. Many teachers found that the professional practice program profoundly affected their work in their schools (Þorsteinn Sigurðsson, 1991).
In 2005, the book Fagleg kennsla í fyrirrúmi was published by Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir, Árdís Ívarsdóttir and Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir. The book was built on action research conducted with a group of teachers who collected data from their practices and shared it with the authors.
The intention was to collect stories from teachers about their practices, experiences, and ideas about teaching and learning. As well as working with the teachers doing their action research, Matthildur shared her knowledge and understanding built on her longtime experience as a teacher.
We have concluded that Matthildur succeeded in developing her classroom practices during the more than 30 years she worked as a teacher. Her collaborations with her colleagues and other professionals were significant. During her career as an educational consultant, she built on her teaching experiences and continued to collaborate with other professionals in the education field.Frásagnir af kennsluháttum kennara sem lokið hafa störfum og reynslu þeirra af skólastarfi eru gagnlegar fyrir kennaranema og þá sem starfa að kennaramenntun því þær veita upplýsingar um þróun í starfsháttum kennara. Tilgangurinn með þessari grein er að gefa innsýn í starf grunnskólakennara sem hóf kennsluferil sinn um miðja síðustu öld og lauk starfsferli sínum sem kennsluráðgjafi við aldarlok. Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir var ötul við að kynna sér nýjungar í kennsluháttum og framfarir í skólastarfi og tileinka sér þær í kennslu sinni. Hún átti gott samstarf við námstjóra í Skólarannsóknadeild Menntamálaráðuneytisins og síðar við starfsfólk Kennaraháskóla Íslands. Þegar hún tók við starfi kennsluráðgjafa á Fræðsluskrifstofu Reykjavíkur nýtti hún sér reynslu sína sem kennari og hélt áfram að leita eftir samstarfi við fagfólk á sviði menntamála. Greint er frá verkefnum og námskeiðum sem Matthildur tók þátt í til að varpa ljósi á þætti sem áhrif höfðu á starf hennar. Við rannsóknina á störfum Matthildar var beitt frásagnarrýni. Tekin voru tvö viðtöl við Matthildi. Í því fyrra sagði hún frá því sem var henni minnisstæðast af starfsferlinum. Greind voru þemu sem fram komu í frásögninni og í síðara viðtalinu var spurt nánar út í þá þætti sem mótuðu frásögnina. Í ljós kom að Matthildur lagði sig fram um að þróa kennsluhætti sína þau rúm 30 ár sem hún starfaði sem kennari og átti í samstarfi við bæði samkennara og annað fagfólk. Á ferli sínum sem kennsluráðgjafi byggði hún á kennslureynslu sinni og hélt áfram að eiga samstarf við annað fagfólk í menntamálum
Áskoranir og tækifæri í skipulagi náms nemenda með þroskahömlun á framhaldsskólastigi í ljósi kenninga um inngildandi menntun og félagslegt réttlæti
No full textInclusive education is the official school policy in Iceland. It was first enacted in the compulsory school law in 2008. The policy aims to meet students’ academic and social needs in general schooling with human dignity, democracy, and social justice as guiding principles. Although the policy’s human rights approach is generally accepted, it has proved difficult to implement effectively, not least at the secondary school level, where the education of students with intellectual disabilities still takes place within self-contained programs in schools. In the recent Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity, a new emphasis regarding support for children is outlined. It calls for educational changes to support students with intellectual disabilities at the upper secondary school level. According to these laws, medical diagnosis is no longer a prerequisite for receiving support within the education system.
Inclusive education is a process. The emphasis on inclusion as a reform was supposed to enhance students’ possibilities of belonging and participating. It was intended to shift the focus from the placement of students by removing the environmental, attitudinal, or structural barriers to children’s participation. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual change in thinking about inclusive education, which entails shifting the focus from viewing inclusive education through the lens of students with special needs to viewing it as inclusive schools and inclusive learning environments for children with different social backgrounds and physical attributes. According to the national curriculum guide for upper secondary schools, the school system’s role is to promote the comprehensive education of students and offer an education suitable for each individual. This includes providing a wide range of studies about academic studies as well as vocational studies. Students who do not meet the admission requirements for general courses, such as students with intellectual disabilities, are able to study in separate programs for students with disabilities.
This article aims to shed light on challenges regarding the implementation of inclusive education and support for students with intellectual disabilities in upper secondary schools while pointing out opportunities for change. The article is partly based on the author’s doctoral research findings, which focused on educating students with intellectual disabilities at the upper secondary school level from the perspective of disability studies in education (DSE). DSE views disability as an instinctive form of human variation. The theories and concepts that inform this data analysis stem from Foucault’s discourse and power theories and Young’s social justice theories. The data comprises interviews andofficial data on educating students with intellectual disabilities at the upper secondary school level. A total of 22 participants were interviewed: eleven students aged 17–21, five mothers of disabled students, two school administrators and four supervisors of special education programs in upper secondary schools. In addition to this data set, the recent Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity was analysed, a bill on inclusive education, which applies to the new support system structure.
The findings reveal that current challenges lie not least in the lack of a clear vision regarding the concept of support for all students as well as the structure of support in the form of self-contained programs for students with intellectual disabilities. The Icelandic education system can be viewed as fundamentally ableist since its structure is based on ideas about what is considered normal. There is conceptual confusion about inclusive education and support, both of these ideas can be regarded as fundamental concepts of social justice in education. This confusion is detectable in the discourse and is further established through structural processes that contribute to, rather than hinder, social inequality. Findings further suggest that students who have been labelled as disabled are viewed as different; they are considered to have limited abilities, which can lead to lower expectations about their education. This view is rooted in a medical approach to individuals who need support. The view pushes students into special education. New laws on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity provide an opportunity to make changes needed to move towards a more inclusive and socially just education system. Improvements should consider equalising students’ opportunities when it comes to receiving support. It is also important to ensure continuity between school levels regarding support for all students.Stefna sem byggir á hugmyndafræði um inngildandi menntun eða skóla án aðgreiningar tekur til allra skólastiga en var fyrst lögfest með grunnskólalögum árið 2008. Inntak stefnunnar snýst um að mæta náms- og félagslegum þörfum nemenda í almennu skólastarfi með manngildi, lýðræði og félagslegt réttlæti að leiðarljósi. Þrátt fyrir að mannréttindanálgun stefnunnar sé almennt viðurkennd þá hefur reynst erfitt að innleiða hana með árangursríkum hætti, ekki síst á framhaldsskólastiginu þar sem menntun nemenda með þroskahömlun fer enn fram í sérúrræðum innan skólanna. Með tilkomu laga um farsæld barna til 18 ára aldurs og áherslu á snemmtækan stuðning má ætla að gera þurfi róttækar breytingar á kerfinu þar sem nú á að draga úr áherslu á greiningu sem forsendu fyrir stuðningi við nemendur og stuðla að jöfnuði meðal nemenda. Markmið greinarinnar er að varpa ljósi á áskoranir varðandi útfærslu inngildandi menntunar og stuðning við nemendur með þroskahömlun í framhaldsskóla og um leið benda á tækifæri til breytinga. Rannsóknarspurningin var: Hvaða áskoranir og tækifæri má greina varðandi skipulag náms og stuðnings fyrir nemendur með þroskahömlun á framhaldsskólastigi með hliðsjón af kenningum um inngildandi menntun og félagslegt réttlæti? Gögnin spanna viðtöl við yfirmenn starfsbrauta, foreldra og nemendur auk þess sem opinber gögn er snúa að menntun á framhaldsskólastigi voru greind. Niðurstöður benda til þess að nemendur með þroskahömlun séu ekki fullgildir þátttakendur í skólasamfélaginu og að stærstu áskoranirnar felist í skilgreiningu á hugtakinu stuðningur með hliðsjón af áherslum inngildandi menntunar sem og skipulagi stuðnings við nemendur með þroskahömlun í formi aðgreindra úrræða. Þá stuðlar hið marglaga stuðningskerfi að frekari ójöfnuði meðal nemenda þar sem úthlutun stuðnings tekur mið af greiningum. Tækifærin til breytinga felast ekki síst í nýjum áherslum varðandi farsæld barna. Boðaðar eru breytingar á lögum varðandi stuðning við nemendur og út frá niðurstöðum má álykta að mikilvægt sé að sameiginlegur skilningur ríki um inntak þeirra hugtaka sem fram koma og snúa að stuðningi
Réttur fatlaðs fólks til samráðs: Þróun námsefnis í þroskaþjálfafræði
No full textThe research this article draws on examines the right of disabled people to participate in decision-making in matters that affect their interests in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Recognising the need to interpret this right broadly, as called for by the Committee on the Convention, this research focuses on participation in curriculum development in the field of social education at the University of Iceland. As licensed professionals, social educators provide key services and supports for disabled people’s right to full and effective participation at all levels of society. Disabled people, therefore, have a vested interest in the education of social educators. Their experiences and views must be heard and included in the curriculum development. This research focuses on consultations with people with intellectual disabilities, recognising that as a group, they often depend on the services and supports provided by social educators but have often had limited opportunity to express their views and concerns in decision-making processes. The theoretical foundation of this research is rooted in the human rights approach to disability, which focuses, first and foremost, on disabled people as rights-holders. States and state actors are responsible for ensuring and upholding these rights. Failure to do so is considered a breach of disabled people’s human rights. The human rights approach is closely related to the CRPD, which it both supports and reflects, including its emphasis on the rights of disabled people to take part in decision-making in matters that affect their lives.
The objective of this research was three-fold: first, to support the rights of disabled people to have a say in matters that concern their interests and affairs, in line with the CRPD; second, to improve the curriculum of a first-year course in the study of social education by drawing on the knowledge and lived experience of people with intellectual disabilities as experts in their own lives; and, third, to serve as an example for social education students of how actively supporting the rights of disabled people to participate in decision making can enrich the process and provide a better outcome.
The research employs a qualitative method, reflecting its emphasis on enlisting the perspectives and knowledge derived from the lived experience of disabled people themselves. Data gathering consisted of two focus group discussions, the first of which took place in June of 2022 and the second in August of that same year, to gauge what issues the participants considered important for social education students to know to be able to support disabled people in adulthood. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with focus group participants to gain their views on the value of their own participation and of this research in general. Themes relating to adulthood covered by the course curriculum were also found and compared to the findings of the focus group discussions to determine where the curriculum could be improved.
The data analysis from the focus group discussions revealed four themes describing topics not included in the existing course material, underscoring the value of incorporating the knowledge and views of disabled people as experts in matters that concern their lives, needs and interests. Furthermore, the participants interviewed reported feeling empowered by their participation in the project and having experienced a shift in the balance of power with regard to service providers as a result of being recognised as experts based on their lived experience of disability. Participants called for the scope of the research to be extended and showed a measure of ownership by volunteering to continue their participation and to contribute to the course curriculum as guest speakers.Rannsóknin sem hér er gerð grein fyrir snýr að rétti fatlaðs fólks til samráðs um málefni sem varða hagsmuni þess samkvæmt samningi Sameinuðu þjóðanna um réttindi fatlaðs fólks (Stjórnarráð Íslands, e.d.). Í ljósi áherslu nefndar samningsins, sem hefur eftirlit með innleiðingu hans, á mikilvægi þess að túlka réttinn til samráðs vítt var ákveðið að beina sjónum að þróun námsefnis í námskeiði á fyrsta ári í BA-námi í þroskaþjálfafræðum við Háskóla Íslands. Þroskaþjálfar sem starfsstétt vinna að því að raungera rétt fatlaðs fólks til fullrar samfélagsþátttöku og því er ljóst að fatlað fólk á mikilla hagsmuna að gæta í menntun þroskaþjálfa. Miklu skiptir því að hlustað sé eftir reynslu þess og mati á eigin hagsmunum og þörfum við þróun námsefnis. Við gerð rannsóknarinnar var sérstaklega horft til samráðs við fólk með þroskahömlun sem oft reiðir sig mikið á þjónustu þroskaþjálfa og rannsóknir hafa jafnframt sýnt að hafi oft takmarkaða möguleika til að koma sjónarhorni sínu og reynslu á framfæri við ákvörðunartöku og stefnumótun. Rannsóknin, sem fram fór á árunum 2022 og 2023, var eigindleg og byggði á gögnum sem aflað var með rýnihópaviðtölum við fatlað fólk, viðtölum við þátttakendur í rýnihópunum og greiningu á námsefni námskeiðs í þroskaþjálfafræði. Niðurstöður gáfu til kynna mikilvægi samráðs við þróun námsefnis og gildi þekkingar og reynslu fatlaðs fólks við mat á hvaða þætti mikilvægt er að leggja áherslu á í námi þroskaþjálfa. Viðmælendur bentu á fjórar nýjar áherslur sem tengjast sjálfstæði fatlaðs fólks og stuðningi við að stýra eigin lífi, sem talið var mikilvægt að bæta við námsefni námskeiðsins. Niðurstöður undirstrikuðu jafnframt mikilvægi samráðs til að styðja við valdeflingu fatlaðs fólks en þátttakendur upplifðu, með þátttöku sinni í rannsókninni, ákveðna tilfærslu á valdahlutföllum sem sérfræðingar í eigin málefnum
Jafnvægi starfs og einkalífs ungra kvenkyns kennara í íslenskum grunnskólum
No full textThis study is about what 11 young female teachers in Icelandic compulsory schools (age levels from 6–16) did to gain and maintain work-life balance. As Da Silva and Fischer (2020) point about teachers working conditions, ‘their duty hours extend beyond the work setting and can impact the quality of life and work-life balance’. They also argue that ‘unlike employees of other occupations, teachers and the teaching profession have received relatively little study ’ of the work-life balance. The current study is based on literature of teachers’ work conditions and on theories about emotional labour and emotion work in the line of Hochschild (1983). Serial interviews were conducted with 11 early-career, female teachers from fall 2021 to spring 2023, two to four times with each interviewee, altogether 38 interviews. The interviews were read after each round of interviews to find threads to follow up on in the upcoming interviews. In round two, we asked specific questions about work-life balance, but the issues we discuss here could be found in any interview. The main results are organised around five intertwined themes. First, much responsibility was placed on the shoulders of the young teachers. The working day was loaded with not only teaching but with various other tasks, such as preparation for teaching, and parent conferences. The interviewees also reported temporary periods of harder work. Second, our interviewees made an effort not to bring specific tasks to work on at home. For that purpose, they for instance worked longer hours during the day. Another common strategy, in the case of participants who were mothers, was that the spouse picked up the child from preschool. Importantly, one of the reasons that it was not always even possible to bring tasks home to work on was the fact that most of the interviewees were involved in much teamwork with co-teachers which needed to be completed during the day. Third, there is a theme that we label as organising, cooperation, prioritising. The interviewees explained that they had also developed more calmness and also the attitude of being fair to themselves in terms of ‘not doing everything 150% perfectly’ , as one interviewee put it. More experience of teaching during these early-career years also helped the interviewees in becoming confident in their work. Fourth, while the teachers found ways to work at home without having the work intruding into family life, such as by working on the tasks when their children were asleep, they found themselves contemplating about their work at home. They did so while doing routine housework, such as doing the laundry or ironing, or worrying about something when going to bed. The fifth theme we call emotions, guilt, joy. The interviewees described examples from parent communications that required much emotion management. They described emotional demands placed upon them, such as taking care of the children when they did not feel well. The feeling of guilt was mentioned in two contexts: feeling guilty for not being prepared enough for the lessions or not being able to attend to every child’s need in the classroom, and feeling guilty about not taking care of their own children. Our interviewees also described the work as ‘giving and joyful’; some told us that they could not think of themselves doing another job, such as working on a computer all day long. The findings underline that emotions are vastly important in the work of teachers. They underline that this job, teaching, cannot be left behind within the school building; the teachers will continue to think about it while at home. The findings also portray that there are methods and routines that teachers can use to find a reasonable work-life balance; however, such methods are not likely to prevent the possibility of anxiety for the next days’ or next weeks’ tasks. We call for further studies on teachers’ work-life balance; for instance, about what experienced teachers doÍ greininni er fjallað um hvað ellefu ungir kvenkyns kennarar í íslenskum grunnskólum gerðu til að ná og halda jafnvægi milli starfs og einkalífs. Rannsóknin var eigindleg og fólst í því að tekin voru raðviðtöl við ellefu unga kennara frá hausti 2021 til vors 2023. Rannsóknin styðst við fræði um starfsaðstæður kennara og fræði um tilfinningar og tilfinningastjórnun kennara. Helstu niðurstöður eru dregnar fram í fimm samfléttuðum þemum. Í fyrsta lagi var mikil ábyrgð á höndum ungu kennaranna og mikið álag á vinnutíma sem erfitt var að stjórna eða draga úr. Í öðru lagi þá beittu viðmælendur okkar ýmsum aðferðum við að skilja vinnuna eftir í skólanum, ekki síst að vinna lengur á daginn og forðast að taka verkefni með heim. Í þriðja lagi lögðu viðmælendur okkar mikið á sig við að skipuleggja sig og forgangsraða verkefnum og reynsla auðveldaði þeim að gera sanngjarnar kröfur til sjálfs sín. Í fjórða lagi fór talsverð vinna heim, sérstaklega í formi þess að hugsa um vinnuna við alls konar tækifæri, svo sem þegar heimilisstörfum var sinnt eða þegar farið var að sofa. Í fimmta lagi er þemað tilfinningar, samviskubit, gleði. Viðmælendur lýstu dæmum úr samskiptum við foreldra þar sem mikla tilfinningastjórnun þurfti. Viðmælendur lýstu jafnframt samviskubiti yfir því að ljúka ekki verkum eins vel og þeir hefðu viljað en um leið að starfið væri ánægjulegt. Niðurstöðurnar í heild undirstrika að tilfinningastjórnun er rauður þráður í starfi kennara og er það í samræmi við fyrri rannsóknir. Þær undirstrika líka að kennarastarfið er þess eðlis að ekki er hægt að skilja það eftir að fullu neins staðar. En það er unnt að nota alls konar aðferðir til að draga úr áhrifunum, ekki bara á kennarana heldur fjölskyldur þeirra
Konur af erlendum uppruna í íslensku velferðarsamfélagi: Staða á vinnumarkaði, félagsleg tengsl og líðan
No full textThis article develops a descriptive comparison of thesubjective and economic wellbeing of foreign-born and native Icelandicwomen. The data is taken from an original and extensive survey conductedin 2022 among women aged 25–64. The results of this survey demonstratethat foreign-born women occupy a more precarious position across all surveyed domains of social life. Compared to native-born Icelandicwomen, foreign-born women are in a more fragile position in the housingand employment markets, and have a greater likelihood of experiencingoccupation-education mismatch. At the same time, foreign-born womenin Iceland have more limited social networks and worse mental health.While Iceland is typically celebrated for its achievements in gender equality,the intersectional nature of this research demonstrates notable inequalitiesbetween women in Iceland, highlighting the multifaceted barriers thatforeign-born women face.Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar er að draga fram þætti sem tengjast félagslegri stöðu og tækifærum kvenna af erlendum uppruna í samanburði við konur af íslenskum uppruna, með því að varpa ljósi á stöðu á atvinnu- og húsnæðismarkaði, félagsleg tengsl og einkenni streitu, kvíða og þunglyndis. Rannsóknin byggist á nokkuð umfangsmikilli könnun sem lögð var fyrir konur á aldrinum 25–64 ára á vormánuðum 2022. Helstu niðurstöður eru þær að í samanburði við konur af íslenskum uppruna búa konur af erlendum uppruna við meira óöryggi og krefjandi aðstæður á vinnu- og húsnæðismarkaði, fjárhagsstaða þeirra er verri og þær eru ólíklegri til að fá menntun sína metna að verðleikum. Félagsleg tengsl þeirra eru takmarkaðri og andleg líðan þeirra verri. Þá kemur tímaskortur og fjárhagsstaða í veg fyrir að þær leiti sér aðstoðar vegna andlegrar vanlíðanar. Niðurstöðurnar varpa þannig ljósi á ójöfnuð meðal kvenna í íslensku velferðarsamfélagi, þar sem konur af erlendum uppruna búa við fjölþættari samfélagslegar hindranir sem koma í veg fyrir inngildingu og jöfn tækifæri. Niðurstöðurnar ógna þannig ímyndinni um hið sterka velferðarsamfélag sem byggir á jöfnum tækifærum og sterkri stöðu kvenna